Past Pages for Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013

140 years ago

(Murderer, continued from Tuesday) From the hurried written account, all the men and 15 ladies were present to witness the hanging. One of those let her sympathies in favor of the prisoner to be so demonstrative that she had to be checked by her friends (continued Thursday).

130 years ago

Doc Benton has a rat trap in his stable which is probably the only thing of its kind in existence. Just above the stove is a hollow place in the ceiling where in cold weather the rats congregate and warm their tails by letting them go down the large crack. At times there are as many as six. Benton rigged a contrivance that shuts together on the tails and then dropped via trap door where the terriers/cats can receive them. One day, a Carson Valley farmer got under the trap and pulled the string to see what it did and was astonished when four big rats fell on his face.

100 years ago

For several months past, a black fox has been seen wandering about the Marlette Lake section, but no one has been able to trap or shoot him. It would be a windfall for somebody to nail the little rascal as his skin brings $1,200 on the market.

70 years ago

Nevada motorists, truck and bus drivers are ignoring the requested 35 mile per hour speed limit, a survey by the department of highways revealed today. Drivers are not only exceeding the 35 mile per hour limit, but are driving faster today than they did in 1942.

50 years ago

Carson City is digging out from one of the worst snow storms of the season today. The storm dumped nearly a foot of snow in some sections.

30 years ago

Washoe Valley could be in for another major slide, according to the U.S. Geological Society and U.S. Forest Service geologists. Up to one million cubic yards of debris is posed to tumble from Slide Mountain.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.