150 Years Ago
The trip to Mono Lake — the large island: We rowed to the large island, about one mile. Eating our supper, we started around, taking the wrong road, but eventually reaching the hot springs. We camped at the foot of the hill containing the warm springs and headed for the springs after breakfast. For smoke vapor with no water, they are the most astonishing phenomena. They are volcanic in appearance, the hot springs burst out at the foot of the hill, near the lake. The place is honey-combed and through the holes, steam, smoke and vapor, rush out. In one of these small craters we found lava in a liquid state oozing out. It is a kind of mud which has been burned to a red color.
130 Years Ago
Mars. An Italian astronomer says that the planet Mars is peopled by intelligent beings that are trying to attract attention from dwellers on this planet. He is now engaged in experiments to discover what the messages mean.
110 Years Ago
Stage accident. The Bodie stage suffered an accident that killed two horses and left the stagecoach in the Walker River. The driver lost control of the stage and the rig backed over the grade and the coach and horses rolled to the bottom. The driver jumped and saved himself. The scene of the accident was Hoye canyon at a place called Slippery Gulsh Hill.
70 Years Ago
Genoa stamp. A plea has been made that the post office issue a special commemorative stamp in honor of the restoration of the historic fort and stockade at Genoa. Sen. E. P. Carville called attention to the face that the grave of Snowshoe Thompson is located a short distance from the Genoa site.
50 Years Ago
Ormsby youth attend Congress. Dave Reil and Martha Edmundson will be among the 22-member Nevada delegation to the National 4-H Club Congress held in Chicago. Reil is the state winner in 4-H conservation and Miss Edmundson is the state winner in 4-H leadership.
20 Years Ago
Roadblocks. John Butterworth, a Carson City resident who uses a wheelchair, appeared in Justice Court to testify on behalf of a friend in a civil case. He couldn’t get inside the courtroom. When he contacted the city, there was nothing they could do. Butterworth and Candy Roper, another wheelchair user, were appointed to the city’s American with Disabilities Act Compliance Team as advisors to determine what should be done first.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
