150 Years Ago
Post Office hours: The most important mail from Virginia City brings overland letters and papers a few minutes before half-past four o’clock p.m. The postmaster sorts the mail and delivers them to the few who happen to be standing around the doorway. Then he closes the door and goes to dinner, returning at half-past six o’clock p.m. If he could wait for a five o’clock dinner — everyone would get their letters and papers. “What do you say, Postmaster? Will you do it?”
130 Years Ago
A woman’s dilemma: The Appeal gave a full account of how the editor’s copy was wafted up the chimney by the draft. Realizing that it would be folly to use the old chimney any longer, the editor cut a circular hole in the floor seven inches in diameter and fixed a stovepipe casing to it. The editor had but to drop his arm along side the chair and let the manuscript flicker down the hole into the hands of the compositor below. But then a girl came in to answer to an ad in the paper. As she spoke, she stepped into the hole in the floor, and her one leg was jammed down into the composing room. The compositors seeing the extraordinary sight fled the room and hunted up Constable Furlong. She was tightly wedged, and it required a united force of the typographical staff to extricate the screaming domestic. Once on her feet she went downstairs to the District Attorney’s office to “have the law on yez.”
110 Years Ago
Gov. Sparks’ grandson: A son was born to the wife of Benton Sparks, son of Gov. Sparks, at the home ranch in Washoe Valley. The governor is one of the happiest men in the state!
100 Years Ago
Anthrax: One of the cows at the university farm on S. Virginia Street, Reno, died. Veterinarians rushed to the scene by Dr. Mack and found after examination determined the animal had died from anthrax. Biting flies are playing an important part in the transportation of infection.
70 Years Ago
Nevada Adventure Trip: Hundreds of railroad and western historians and camera fans are expected in Carson City when an excursion tour will be run over the historic Virginia and Truckee railroad line. The trip starts in San Francisco. The Comstock Express will operate from San Francisco to Sacramento then Reno on the Southern Pacific and will continue over the Virginia and Truckee rails to Minden — bus to Gold Hill and Virginia City. Points of interest in Carson are the old Mint, Rinckel Mansion, State Capitol and the Brewery.
20 Years Ago
Mother Teresa: The Roman Catholic nun known for her tireless dedication died at 87. Weeping people stood in the rain before dawn outside the Missionaries of Charity home in central Calcutta. Pope John Paul II, President Clinton and other leaders praised her and her commitment to the poor.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
