Turning Back the Pages
30 Years Ago – February 15, 1980
Central City Public Works Director Bob Dietz managed to get the Austin Weston 88H grader balanced on three wheels and a blade on the road to the Belcher house. He hit an ice patch which caused the large grader to slide almost off the road and down the 15 foot embankment. Dietz managed to stop just 3 inches short of both rear tires going off the edge. It took six hours, a crawler and a tanker truck to extricate the snow pusher from its precarious perch. No damage to man or machine.
The icy roads have really been slippery recently. Even Linold Begg’s state highway truck skidded off Highway 119 near the Double L as he was sanding the road.
Central City Police Chief Jim Osendorf submitted a written resignation to the Council during their executive session immediately following the public portion of their meeting February 6th. There were heated exchanges between Osendorf and the Council members over lack of adequate funding for training, supplies, equipment and pay for Central City officers and reserve officers.
Gasoline prices in Colorado are escalating at the average rate of two cents per week, according to the latest survey taken by the Rocky Mountain AAA Auto Club. The highest price recorded in the survey was $1.34 per gallon. The averages statewide with self-serve in parentheses: Regular, $1.15.8 ($1.10.1), Unleaded $1.19.8 ($1.14.7), Premium $1.22 ($1.17.6).
Officer Doles responded to a complaint involving theft of gas from the Black Hawk Grocery. Suspect was accused of prepaying for $2.00 but actually taking $7.85 worth of gas. Officer Doles apprehended and transported the suspect back to the grocery where she paid the $5.85. No charges were filed.
That other newspaper you may have seen around, The Little Kingdom Come, is celebrating its tenth anniversary in a gala event at the Gold Coin this Saturday.
Central City’s attorney, Devitt, told the City Council a recent Supreme Court case lent approval for an admission tax on sports events, entertainments, displays, etc. and that some cities in Colorado are using this type of taxation now. He felt the council should consider attaching such a tax to Opera Association functions, fund raising activities for local events and exhibitions and displays.
Anyone interested in building a float for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, commemorating the “ladies” of Central City, should contact Phyllis Bennett.
60 Years Ago – February 17, 1950
“Madame Butterfly” and “Don Pasquale” are the operas for the 1950 season. The longest musical season ever attempted in Central City will be scheduled for this summer with 33 performances of the two operas to take place in the old Opera House during the four weeks between July 1st, the gala Opening night, and July 29th.
The new Register-Call steps and those at the school did not cost the taxpayers of Central City a copper penny which is a decided tribute to the Mayor and Councilmen. Where did the necessary filthy lucre come from? Could it have been from the source that had caused so much dissention last year? Yes, readers, it came from the so-called “one arm Bandits” and the tinkling “dominoes” that the self-elected Messiah has apparently banned.
Past Repast: Quick Italian Spaghetti-1/2 pound salami, lard or drippings for browning, 1 cup chopped onions, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 ½ cups tomato juice, 1 cup water, 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, ¼ chopped green pepper, 6-8 ounces uncooked spaghetti-Brown onions and mushrooms lightly in drippings. Cut ½ of salami into 8 thin slices and grind or chop the other half. Blend into the onion mixture the chopped salami and flour. Add tomato juice, diluted with water and seasonings. Simmer 25 minutes. Add parsley and green pepper and cool five minutes longer. In the meantime cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender. To serve, make a ring of the cooked spaghetti on platter and pour spaghetti sauce in center. Circle with sliced salami. Serves 6-8.
So now they are threatening to feed the surplus powdered eggs and powdered milk to the striking coal miners. That should make them go back to work, if nothing else will.
Miss Ida Mae Robins writes from Stockton, California, that she met and had a friendly chat with Pancho Gates, while he was in that city with the Skating Vanities.
Accumulated snow depth and the water content of the snow in the Clear Creek basin shows a slightly below average reading for the year at 7.6 inches water for 30.0 inches of snow. The average reading at this time of year for the past 13 years had been 8.0 inches water for 35.0 inches of snow.
The local U.S.O. Campaign of 1949 made 119 percent of quota, which the State Manager of U.S.O. states is the highest percentage of the counties in Colorado and one of the highest in the entire country,
American industries last year used 100 million Troy ounces of silver and it is estimated that consumption will be equally high during 1948.
Paris fashion designers say the fashionable color for women’s dresses this spring will be young potato. (With government prices support?)
90 Years Ago – February 20, 1920
Steam has been flying from the Iron mine this week, adding another to our list of working properties in Russell.
Whereas, the prevailing sickness is of a serious and fatal character, it is Resolved, by the City council of the City of Central in the interest of the public health, that the public schools, Sunday Schools, Churches, Play Houses, Lodges, Societies, pool halls, and all places where our citizens are accustomed to meet and congregate, are hereby directed and ordered to close and remain closed until further notice.
James Rule came up from Denver Tuesday noon, bringing up the truck, which had been in Denver since the last storm. He left Denver Monday morning and got as far as the Booten ranch where he encountered snow drifts and spent the balance of the day shoveling a way through them, being compelled to go back to the ranch and remaining all night. Tuesday morning he left for Central, arriving here at noon, tired out from his experience.
The presidential mill keeps right on grinding out one impossibility after another.
Cure for Flu: (From a subscriber) Take a big onion and grind it up just as fine as it can be ground, as fine as meal or mush. Then go to bed and eat this ground onion with a little salt. Put it on a cracker, if you desire. Drink a glass of cold water while you are eating the onion. This remedy can do no harm and onions do stimulate the mucous membrane. It should be worth trying anyway.
Never within our recollection during the 42 years that we have been at the head of this paper, have so many deaths of Gilpin county people been published in one issue as will be found in our columns this week.
Died: At Silver Plume, February 12, Mrs. Frank Rickard, of Nevadaville, aged about 60 years.
Died: In Central City, Feburary 14, Mrs. Ellen Rule, aged 72 years.
Died: In Central City, February 14, Mrs. Elizabeth Spear, aged 80 years.
Died: In Central City, Feburary 14, Edwin John Rowe, aged 31 years, of pneumonia.
Died: In Black Hawk, February 13, of miner’s consumption, Thomas Quinn, aged 67 years.
Died: In Gilpin County, February 16, Jacob Huverstuhl, of pneumonia, aged about 58 years.
Died: In Central City, February 16, Thomas O. Davey, aged 59 years, of pneumonia.
Died: In Black Hawk, February 17, Charles Jewell, aged 25 years.
Died: In Nevadaville, February 18, William Victor, aged 30 years.
Died: In Black Hawk, February 18, Preston Holbrook, aged 75 years.
Word has been received from elsewhere in Colorado of the deaths of former residents: James Coyle, Elmer Neilson, James Hitchens and George Converse.
Three Red Cross nurses have arrived from Denver to take care of parties in this city and vicinity who are down with the influenza.
George McFarlane and Harry Blake were successful in getting Dr. Tower’s car down from the mountain side, after it went over the embankment on Swede hill, and it is now at the foundry under the care of the former, who will give the broken parts attention and get it in shape for future use.
America is large and we have much room to spare, but not one inch for the cuss who seeks to overthrow the government of the United States.
In the national forests of Colorado alone more than 1,000,000 persons spent their vacations in 1919.
A divorce was granted Mrs. Elmaza Hartzel of Columbus, Ind. from
Henry Hartzel. His wife declared he never took a bath during the five months he lived with her.
120 Years Ago – February 21, 1890
You seldom pick up a paper from any part of the world without finding some mention of Colorado in it. If there is anything in advertising (and there is everything) Colorado will be a great state.
The opera house was filled to the front doors Saturday night to hear “The Mikado” by the local company. Receipts from both performances amounted to over $300 which will leave a handsome sum to apply to the Park Improvement Fund.
When you seem to be walking up hill all the time, and you seem to be walking around in a nightmare, it is a sign that you need a dose of something. At this high altitude the popular thing is a dose of quinine and whisky, or a pineapple cocktail.
A woman approached a man on Lawrence street last night, and with a well directed stroke of the hand knocked his hat off and walked on. It is not known if she hated him, or if she had a peculiar way of showing her regard for him. Spectators were much amused by the accident.
The school board of Black Hawk visited the public schools in a body this morning.
Postmaster Bray and his deputy, Palemon Wiley, have been kept on the jump to-day in handing out valentines to the young, gay, giddy and sedate of the city.
Mr. Luke Bennett is the fortunate possessor of a quadruped – horse kingdom, the owner of him laying claim to having made the fastest time on record from Central to Idaho Springs and return. The wager was that Luke couldn’t make the trip in three hours. He hitched his horse to a dog-cart and left for the Spa at 5:45 a.m., arriving there at 5:40 a.m. There he stopped 15 minutes for refreshments for his quadruped and something to sustain the inner man. On his return he left at 6:55 and reached Central at 8:22 a.m. thus winning the wager.
Some people know so little, and are so ill tempered, that they imagine when they die they will be all cross-bones and no skull.
Parties arrived last evening from Georgetown to examine a group of mines recently located on Sheridan hill near the head of Little Hamlin gulch, with a view to their purchase, should they prove to be as good as has been represented. The ore taken from two of them is said to contain an unusually high percentage of gold, silver and copper.
(Submitted by a woman) If the Lord did not occasionally make a strong-minded woman, what would become of the weak-minded men?
The quail in Northern Colorado are becoming quite numerous. It has required fifteen years from a small beginning to stock up the country quite well. Ten more years and they’ll be as numerous as blackbirds.
Born: In Black Hawk, February 15, 1890, to the wife of Henry Webster, a daughter.
Died: In Central City, February 9, 1890, of heart disease, Martha, wife of William Hocking, in her 63rd year.
The Salvation Army people drew out a large crowd last evening at their headquarters on Lawrence street, and Turner Hall was crowded to listen to the lecturer and the music of the Kicapoo’s Indian Medicine combination.
The happiest woman in the world is an old maid who is rich enough to take care of herself and have a house of her own.
Workmen have about completed the improvements that have been added to the new livery stables of Messrs. Williams and Olsen. The premises have been enclosed by a high board fence from the corner of the main stable fronting on Gregory and extending the full length along the west side of Spring street. This corner presents a business-like appearance.
Kansas has eighty-one female superintendents, and the people of that state are thinking of turning the whole school system over to the women.
Mr. Mark G. Kobey is closing out his grocer business in Nevadaville, preparatory to removal to this city.
When women enter politics they will never be found among the Mugwumps. A woman is never half-and-half.
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:29 pm
In your 30 Years Ago column, the name of the road grader that slid off the road was mis-stated. It was made by the Austin Western Co. of Aurora, Illinois of which my Grandfather was the head of Research and Development. I am not trying to be picky, just setting the record straight. Thank you. JMK, Black Hawk, Co.