Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Home life of President Lincoln: “Behind the Scenes” author Mrs. Elizabeth Keckley has written a book which exposes to public view the home life of President Lincoln. She was the waiting maid or seamstress of the family. Mrs. Keckley is a colored woman, and her appearance is in every way that of a refined, self-possessed woman. She reads without any elocutionary profession. The chief interest of her entertainment consists in seeing the woman who sustained such close relations to the household of Mr. Lincoln.
140 Years Ago
Hither and yon: Dusty. These periodical winds are conducive to health, no doubt, but they blow up a powerful blast of vagrant real estate.
The thirsty wayfarer finds waiting for him the ebullition of luxuriance which, drawn from a soda water machine, wakes the languid frame to a newer and fresher existence. All that makes him linger so fondly is the gurgling sound of Thaxter Drug Store’s fountain.
130 Years Ago
Gypsies: There’s a little band that come around to tell fortunes and swap horses. They are now camping down on the Carson River. Next to being an editor and going to shows free, we would prefer being a Gypsy and camping out on the Carson River.
120 Years Ago
Indian basketwork: The Nevada Indians have reclaimed the art of basket making that cannot be surpassed for beauty of workmanship. The gourd shaped water jars and large open baskets all come under the same head and are woven as fine as cloth.
Abe Cohn has been the headquarters for the basket buyer, and he has a bevy of squaws staked out on the hill who make his baskets. He has a gem in the shape of a large wear jar woven of willows and covered with pitch to hold water.
70 Years Ago
Soapbox derby: Four local youths will enter their homemade vehicles in the Soap Box Derby in Reno. Buddy Miller will drive for the Dutch Mill, Eugene Ross will steer Melody Lane, Ed Walker will be behind the wheel for Capital Motor Sales, and Ben Moore will pilot State Motors. About 40 racers from Reno, Sparks, Carson City and neighboring communities are expected to enter.
20 Years Ago
Archaeologists at Fourth Ward School: Bert Young who is a member of Archaeology Research Services, led the dig in a small sandbox as part of “Seen and Not Heard: Preschool Kids on the Comstock ...” Meg Burns said they are having a ball. She is a teacher and coordinator at the Storey County Preschool. The children have been exposed to six arts including weaving, puppetry, ceramics, music, photography and dramatic improvisations.
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Trip to Lake Tahoe: We arrived at Glenbrook via the Lake Bigler (Tahoe) road, and it is in excellent condition. We met Captain Pray at his ranch. It presents a fine appearance, and the men on it are busily engaged in cutting hay. Clover and barley are also raised on this ranch. He took us to his saw, planning and shingle mill, situated on the eastern shore of the lake. Timber is towed from the California side of the lake by steamer that runs every other day from Tahoe City.
140 Years Ago
Lake Bigler: Referring to the attractiveness of our beautiful Lake — “Beautiful when called either by its original and proper name of Bigler, or its ridiculous and meaningless name of Tahoe.” H. A. Chadwick of the International Hotel has just returned from Lake Tahoe and pronounces it one of the foremost of the land. It is more beautiful than the celebrated Lake of Como and in a few years large and elegant steamers will ply from point to point.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: An anti-mustache movement has set in London. (Exchange). Same thing here; girls will set their face against a mustache whenever they get a chance.
120 Years Ago
Something new: Underwood’s cooked mackerel in mustard, Gold Medal lobsters and all brands of sardines cheap at Chas. H. Kelly Co., Arlington block.
70 Years Ago
Hardware store sold: Sale of George H. Meyers Hardware company to Thomas (Laddie) Furlong has been made. Furlong said he anticipates no changes in the operation of the establishment. He will be aided by Donald G. (Frenchy) Bergevin and Charles Felesina (now Secretary of State’s office).
20 Years Ago
Bear surprise: A 160-pound black bear surprised Telegraph Street resident Dennis Danforth, who lives near Carson High School. He saw the black animal’s hair stuck in the fence. He thought it was another dog, but when he glanced over the fence, a bear stood up and made a wolf sound.
Friday
150 Years Ago
A bear story: Wils Day, at the Canyon Creek Crossing, traveled to Clear gulch one day this week to find a bear. He went on horseback so that he could easily catch the bear after shooting him. Soon the coveted game showed up. Taking a good aim, Wils blazed away, and at the same moment his horse went from under him — and the bear took off in the other. Nothing has been seen or heard from either animal since. Wils says the horse is out of practice.
130 Years Ago
Monster turtle: The U.S. Fish Commissioner’s car was wrecked by a broken rail near Mill City and had monster turtles aboard. The men who were clearing away the wreck tied two ties to one of the monsters, and it walked off with them with no difficulty. A man weighing more than 200 pounds got on the back of the turtle, and it walked away with him. It wandered around in the sagebrush while the men were working and returned to the car when called by a whistle.
120 Years Ago
Public pound: Horse owners were busy recovering their stock at the public pound. There were 40 horses and 20 remain — some fine trotters. The horses will be sold at auction ...
70 Years Ago
Sunday sermon: Minden has turned into a small community reminiscent of the turn of the century, and a portion of the street that the Minden Inn is on have been altered to the extent that a portion of the Southern Pacific runs up the middle of the road. One of the featured players in the film delivered the day’s sermon at the Carson Presbyterian Church. He was Porter Hal, who is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, Calif. The theme of the sermon — “No matter what line of work one follows, he should strive to do a good job and set an example for others in that profession.”
20 Years Ago
Chamber of commerce: Goldfield, once Nevada’s largest city, opened its first Chamber of Commerce on U.S. 95 a half block west of the County Court House. The Chamber is located in a 1908 church rectory. The Chamber and the Goldfield Historical Society offered to lease the rectory for $1 a year with the promise to stabilize the structure.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
