FROM THE FILES

125 Years Ago

Adams County News

January 4, 1899

America surprises the world and gets its own gait for everything. England required several hundred years to rid herself of the bad blood brought about by the War of the Roses, while a third of a century has wiped from the hearts of Americans all hatred and bitterness of the greatest civil war.

Local and Personal

Dr. F. R. Burroughs received a telegram last evening from Lamona on the Great Northern calling him to Crab creek to attend the sick child of Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Lamona.

The mercury registered 15 below zero at 7 a.m. this morning.

The baby child of city treasurer W. L. Olmstead that has been a sufferer from brain fever and is slowly recovering.

Sherman & Cochran finished a 312-foot well for H. D. Morgan on New Year's Eve with a depth of water over 20 feet.

100 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

January 3, 1924

Walter Rosenoff injures eye

Walter Rosenoff injured his eye last Saturday afternoon while working on his father's car. He was repairing the windshield when the tool he was using struck him in the eye. It was feared for a time he might lost the sight of the eye, but later it was found that the blow had not struck the eyeball square. So after giving it rest and care, the eye will probably be all right again. Walter is a student in high school and plays saxophone in Brady's orchestra. As the orchestra had many dances scheduled for the holidays, it was a most inconvenient time for an accident. Walter has had to stay in a dark room this week.

Ritzville's first paper

issued in May 1885

Edmond S. Meany, professor of history at the University of Washington, has just prepared a study of "Newspapers of Washington Territory," which has been reprinted as a booklet from the Washington Historical Quarterly. In it we note that the first paper published at Ritzville was the Adams County Record, established by G. E. Blankenship, the first issue appearing May 12, 1885. It continued for a year and a half. The next paper was the Adams County Times, first issued July 2, 1887, by W. E. Blackner. It continued into statehood days, became The Ritzville Times and was consolidated with the Washington State Journal in 1910, forming what is now The Journal-Times.

At the Rex Theater:

"The Poor Relation" featuring Will Rogers.

75 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

January 6, 1949

Schoesler succeeds

Edwards as mayor

H. E. (Husky) Schoesler became mayor of Ritzville at approximately 9 p.m. Tuesday-midway through the city council meeting-as R. E. (Skinny) Edwards stepped down after completing two four-year terms as the city's chief executive. Accompanying Mayor Edwards into the peace of private life were Councilmen Ed Kusler, Bruno Sielaff, Art Browiak and John Muir. Taking their seats as newly-elected members of the council were Tony Eichner, Frank Laird, and C. V. Stanfield.

At the Cozy Theater, Lind: "Sorry, Wrong Number" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.

At the Ritz:

Cary Grant, Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House."

50 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

January 3, 1974

Fire hits Susie

Razey residence

A fire Wednesday morning heavily damaged the home of county auditor Susie B. Razey at 204 W. Cherry Ave. The blaze apparently was started by a short in a heat cord wrapped around a water pipe in a corner of the house. The flames spread up a wall and into the attic. City fire fighters extinguished the blaze within a few minutes after it was reported at 7:45 a.m. The fire fighters knocked down part of the wall on fire to get at the source and to extinguish flames dancing in the attic. They used salvage tarps to protect furniture inside and removed some furniture from the building. City fire chief Thom Kembel said the ceiling and wall were damaged heavily, but damage to the interior

and furniture was not extensive.

Tot suffers bump on head in accident

A two-car accident on a snow-slickened Ritzville street Dec. 27 left Cletis Galbreath, 2, with a bump on the head. Cletis was a passenger in a car driven by his mother, Mrs. Gary Galbreath, Scott Road. The other driver was Melvin Kagele, Route 1. Police Chief Donald Koehler said Kagele's auto was westbound on 7th and Mrs. Galbreath's auto southbound on Jefferson. Kagele tried to stop his auto, but it slipped past a yield sign and struck the Galbreath vehicle in the left front corner.

25 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

January 7, 1999

Bronco grapplers back on the mats

Ritzville Bronco wrestlers took to the mats only once during the Christmas break as they finished 14th in a 17-team field at the Tri-County Classic at Central Valley High School on Dec. 29. "Illness, injuries and family vacations have taken a toll on us," said Bronco Coach Mike Lynch. "We have always had a couple of individuals who have competed well for us and won individual titles, and perennially had three or four kids in the top four. But we only had one top-four finisher this year."

- The Journal