Past Page July 20

130 YEARS AGO

Litter: A Guinea pig kept in the Western Union telegraph office gave birth to a litter of four. Mr. Farrell sent the announcement over the wires and in less than half an hour the event was known in every telegraph office in the United States.

Virginia and Carson: The Gold Hill News describes the appearance of Virginia City - The old Lahambra Theatre, corner of Union and C streets in Virginia is having its interior dismantled, rooms in Virginia that rented at $15 a month, can be had for $3, some prominent business houses have been attached and closed by the Sheriff. This shows a sad state of affairs in Virginia, but not reached such a pass in Carson.

120 YEARS AGO

Barometric locks: There is a boy in Reno whose hair always curls a day or two before the before the arrival of a storm. People in his neighborhood always know when to prepare for rain.

70 YEARS AGO

Ormsby boys ordered for training: William Shewan heads new list of Ormsby county youths of 21 years who registered for military training as determined by the drawing at Washington. Others include Clark Joseph Guild Jr., Ellis Whitfield Vansickle, Ivan William Christensen, Robert Alva Allen Jr., Andrew Harold Butti.

50 YEARS AGO

Photo caption (donkey baseball): This is how it done as (Roger) Murdock tags a reluctant "20-30" man from donkey to donkey. Some of Friday's Donkey thrills included a cantalope-spattering surprise "hit" by Murdock and a "round-the-world" chase by multiple donkeys and men.

20 YEARS AGO

Washoe Lake has dried up for the first time in a half century. The last measurable trace of water disappeared during a June windstorm, usually has 18 feet of water.

10 YEARS AGO

Photo caption: Alfred Speckman talks with officers after he crash-landed a Model 172 Cessna near the wastewater treatment plant on North Edmonds Drive and East Fifth Street. No one was seriously injured.

• Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.