Past Pages for Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014

140 years ago

Murphy execution (continued from Friday). The Horrible! Carson thronged by a villainous crowd, red mouthed and gaping to see a miserable hanged! Yesterday morning Carson was alive with loafers and the scum of creation — or rather of Gold Hill and Virginia City — which may be worse. And the glorious “pards” of Carson united with them. A hive of dirty drones. The inhumanity of man to man was well developed in them. They were pimpishly dressed and acted accordingly. Greasy black suits and red cravats. Bootblacks, prostitutes, bruisers, hoodlums, horribles, degenerate individuals. Murphy characterized them as barbarous, ignorant and gross. Murphy was described as insane. “To hang an insane man is plainly in face of the law.” The scaffolding was erected at the base of Lone Mountain. They are disappointed. Reprieve until Dec. 24. (Continued on Sunday.)

130 years ago

Jack Campbell, of the Walker Lake Bulletin, advances several excellent ideas why the State Prison should be moved to Hawthorne. He says the climate is such prisoners would remain even if not guarded, therefore dispensing of warden and guards. So far, Hawthorne is a long way ahead of Reno in the promise of economy.

100 years ago

Arthur Bordewich of the State Printing Office has become the first subscriber to the community tree to be erected Christmas Eve. Other donations have come from the Appeal and Mrs. T.D. Van Devort. All donations were for $1 each.

70 years ago

At a regular meeting of the James R. Lockett Camp No. 3, United Spanish War Veterans, the newly elected officers were installed: William H. Orton, commander; George B. Russell, senior vice commander; George Foley, adjutant and quartermaster; Bert Selkirk, officer of the day; R.T. Benn, officer of the guard; Guy Spencer, color bearer; and Walter J. Hunting, William Lundy and Lawrence Maloney, trustees.

60 years ago

Children will have a place to skate in Carson City this winter if it is possible to flood the skating pond, Mayor Wilbur Stodieck said today. In the past a firehose has been stretched across the road to fill the pond, but since the street has been paved, this can no longer be done. To fill the pond, the firehose has to run for 36 hours and second street cannot be closed that long.

50 years ago

It was a routine day at the office for Gov. Grant Sawyer on his 46th birthday. Sawyer, chairman of the national governor’s conference, was Nevada’s youngest governor in 40 years when he took office at 40.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.