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Category: Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection

Random news – a little “judicious hanging” for the “dastardly scape-graces”

Random news – a little “judicious hanging” for the “dastardly scape-graces”

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: When the following Walla Walla story appeared in the Washington Statesman August 23, 1862, the town was newly incorporated and, with a population inching toward 1000, the largest city in Washington Territory. If there was ever any doubt that Washington was part of the Old West, this article will put that to rest. When a newspaper actually promotes a little “judicious hanging” you know you…

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Con Artists take note, you’ve got nothing on J. A. Fallgatter!

Con Artists take note, you’ve got nothing on J. A. Fallgatter!

From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Stories about con artists were a regular feature of early Washington newspapers. Some, like this article from the August 22, 1902 issue of The Lind Leader, are more amusing than others: J.A. FALLGATTER HAS SKIPPED OUT.  Proved to be a Grafter from Graftersville.– He Left Debts Galore.  J.A. Fallgatter, erstwhile proprietor of the Lind Art Studio, is gone– whither deponent saith not. He…

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Steve’s last post…

Steve’s last post…

Although this article was found at random in the January 23, 1914 issue of The Mason County Journal, the story actually concerns a man from Spokane, and one of the great unsolved missing persons cases in Washington State history. The subject in question had a perfect name for a Pacific Northwest character– F. Lewis Clark: WEALTHY SPOKANE MAN DISAPPEARS Santa Barbara, Cal.–F. Lewis Clark, one of the wealthiest residents of Spokane, Wash., heavily interested in mines, flour mills, real estate…

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On the Eve of Prohibition…

On the Eve of Prohibition…

From the desk of Steve Willis, former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: After the voters of Washington State had approved a state-wide prohibition of alcohol in 1914, the clock started ticking for drinkers. The last legal drinks could be consumed on December 31, 1915. By that time, the town of Starbuck was the last town left in a two-county area that was still “wet.” The following article found at random in the January 8, 1916…

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Random news – Meteors, or UFOs?

Random news – Meteors, or UFOs?

From the desk of Steve Willis, former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Through pure randomness I ran across a couple mysterious events experienced by Washingtonians in the north central part of the state in late December, 1921. One of the benefits of working in a library with the largest collection of Washington State newspapers in the world is that I can focus on singular events from a multitude of views. Such is the case with…

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The fugitive vanished into history…..

The fugitive vanished into history…..

From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The dry humor of this reporter is fun to read in the January 18, 1895 issue of The Wilbur Register. The random article found this week relates a drama that took place in northwest Lincoln County:   THE LAWYERS MADE HIM TIRED  So Prisoner Dawson Left the Court Room to Escape Them.  A young man named Tom Dawson has given our neighboring town…

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Never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn.

From the desk of Steve Willis, Former Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: My father was a master storyteller who had a saying, “Never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn.” I think some reporters must have that motto as well, or at least they did in 1890. The following article was found at random in the Columbia Chronicle, September 20, 1890. This was the newspaper for Dayton, Washington: A GASTLY FIND…

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The Philanthropic Ghost of Centralia Washington

The Philanthropic Ghost of Centralia Washington

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The random news for this installment was discovered in The Daily Hub (Centralia, Wash.), February 26, 1916. The following ghost story was top of the fold front page news:               CENTRALIA HAS VERY GENUINE HA’NTED HOUSE Ghostly Manifestations Defy Solution In Spite of Family’s Best Efforts– Spirit Is Apparently Friendly  Centralia has a haunted house.  This piece of news…

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Tramp Printers or Passing of the Old Time Print

Tramp Printers or Passing of the Old Time Print

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: The January 2, 1920 issue of The Oroville Weekly Gazette introduces us to an occupation that even in the 1920s had become antiquated by technological advances– the tramp printer, also known as the tourist printer or hobo antimony jerker: PASSING OF THE OLD TIME PRINT One day during the week this office had a call from that extreme rarity nowadays, a tourist printer. He was…

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UNUSUAL BIRD IS MADE A PRISONER

UNUSUAL BIRD IS MADE A PRISONER

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Edward Lear’s classic nonsense poem The Owl and Pussycat has such a charming conclusion:  And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon, The moon, The moon, They danced by the light of the moon.  Well, er, that’s not exactly how this piece of Random News ends. It is an article that will mortify birders and…

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