Newspaper snippets about Wasco County from miscellaneous newspapers across the country
May 8, 1883
Daily Kennebec Journal, Augusta Maine
Hon. Thomas S. Lang, formerly of Maine, has become editor and one of the publishers of the Wasco Sun, published in Dalles City, Oregon.
January 26, 1884
Reno Evening Gazette, Reno Nevada
A fire at the Dalles, Oregon, destroyed a large portion of the town.
October 30, 1884
Evening Observer, Dunkirk New York
Portland, Ore., October 30-Monday night at Dales, Oregon, a small wood building caught fire and was destroyed. Yesterday morning the firemen, on looking through the ruins, discovered the body of a man in the ashes. It is supposed to be that of the owner of the building, as he was known to be alone.
Two young men, Joseph D. Walker and Thomas Gordon, living in Wasco County, who had been long been on bad terms, met on Monday. An old quarrel was renewed and several shots were fired on each side. Gordon was shot through the head and instantly killed. Walker was also seriously wounded, but is in custody. The trouble arose over the disputed possession of a tract of land.
September 3, 1891
Lincoln Evening News, Lincoln Nebraska
Disastrous Fire At The Dalles
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 3-A disastrous fire, fanned by a high
wind, is raging here.
The fire broke out at 1 p.m. in Skibbs' restaurant and spread
with great rapidity. The fire is now under control, but sixteen blocks have been
burned away. The loss is estimated from three quarters of a million to a million
dollars. The blow to the town is a very one.
September 4, 1891
The Salem Daily News, Salem Ohio
EIGHTEEN BLOCKS BURNED
The Losses by the Conflagration at The Dalles.
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 4-Wednesday's disastrous fire
rendered over 1,000 persons homeless and entailed a financial loss of nearly
$1,000,000. Many of the sufferers lost everything they had in the world and the
mayor has appointed a committee to receive contributions for the sufferers. The
fire burned over an area of eighteen blocks and destroyed among other buildings
the opera house, the Vogt block, the Methodist, Baptist and Congregational
churches, Gibbons, McAllister & Co's implement warehouse, the stores of Fillion
Bros. and E.P. Fitzgerald and between 500 and 600 residences. Many persons were
sheltered last night at the Cosmopolitan and Umatilla houses, which fortunately
escaped the flames. So far as can be learned only one serious accident occurred.
This was to J.P. Pitzgerald, who was severely burned about the body and hands.
The Mayor has placed the city under martial law. All suspicious characters were
put in jail. The loss is now estimated at $665,000, though it is possible these
figures may be exceeded. The insurance, as near as can be ascertained, is
$275,000.
August 11, 1893
Democratic Standard, Coshocton Ohio
O.D. Taylor, manager of the Inter State Investment company at the Dalles, Ore., was arrested on the charge of embezzling $500,00.
October 15, 1894
Reno Evening Gazette, Reno Nevada
A BIG ROBBERY
The Dalles, Ogn., Oct. 15-Saturday night at midnight, robbers entered the office
of the Pacific Express in this place and relieved the strong box of about
$14,000 in cash. For some time the banks here have been obliged to obtain large
amounts of silver from Portland to pay fishermen and farmhand their wages. This
money always came on the 11 o'clock night train and the robbers evidently know
this fact. Agent F.M. Hill, after hauling the strong box from the train to the
office, went out on the street for a short time and when he returned twenty
minutes later, found the contents of the box gone, with the exception of about
$1,000 in silver.
The authorities were notified at once and the matter
kept secret, but up to the present time no clue to the perpetrators have been
obtained. The most plausible theory advanced is that the robbers secreted
themselves in the back room of the express office and waited for the agent to
leave the building, as no doors or locks were forced open. They must have known
also that the messenger, who sleeps in the office, was at a dance.
October 16, 1894
State Press, Iowa City, Iowa
STOLE THOUSANDS
Robbers Plunder an Express Office at The Dalles, Ore.
They Secure About $15,000, and Make Their Escape Leaving Behind Them No Clew
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 16-The Pacific Express company's
office in this city was robbed Sunday at an early hour of $14,000 or 15,000. The
money was sent here from Portland and arrived Saturday night. F.N. Hill, express
agent, and two officers took charge of the money as soon as it arrived, thinking
it to the express office. Details of the robbery are very meager. It is thought
that the robbers came here on the train with the treasure box, and knew where it
was consigned and its contents. Following it up after it arrived, they made easy
work of capturing it. Charles Tibbitts, the company's driver, sleeps in the
express office, but on the night of the robbery he was attending a ball and did
not return until 1 o'clock. The robbery was evidently between 11:30 and 12:30
while Tibbitts was absent. There is no clew to the robbers.
November 3, 1894
The Weekly Herald Despatch, Decatur Illinois
A TREMENDOUS SENSATION
Caused at The Dalles, Ore., by Arrests for The Pacific Express Robbery
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 29-Frank Kline, son of ex-city Marshal
Kline, and Otis Savage, whose father was circuit judge of this district for
years, have been arrested for the Pacific express robbery of $14,000. All but
$400 was recovered. Five thousand dollars was found in the house of the
ex-marshal. The arrest has caused a tremendous sensation. The police were first
put on the scent by a prisoner in the Portland jail. He confessed to having a
been a party to the conspiracy to rob, and said the arrangements were made
several months ago. He referred the officers to convict in the state
penitentiary at Salem, who had been sent up since the plan was concocted.
Officers at once went to Salem, and the story being confirmed, the arrests and
recovery of the money followed.
August 11, 1900
Idaho Daily Statesman, Boise City Idaho
POSTMASTER AT THE DALLES ARRESTED
ON A SERIOUS CHARGE
The Dalles: H.H. Riddle, postmaster at The Dalles who was
recently arrested, is charged with destroying and detaining letters addressed to
W.H. Wilson, Huntington & Wilson, and the county clerk of Wasco county. It is
alleged that on May 23 three letters addressed to W.H. Wilson were found by an
employee of the office in a waste paper box and taken to Mr. Riddle, and that
those letters have not been seen since. A few days later, May 29, two more
letters were found, one addressed to the county clerk, bearing the stamp of D.M.
Osborne & Co., auburn, N.Y., and one to Huntington & Wilson, stamped with the
card of George W. Hazen, of Portland. These envelopes bore a date four months
old.
November 19, 1903
Altoona Mirror, Altoona Pennsylvania
BIG FIRE IN OREGON
Wasco, Ore., Nov. 19-The store of the Oregon Trading company, one of the largest
stores in the northwest, was destroyed with the Wasco opera house, several
business blocks and some other buildings. Loss $134,000.
September 30, 1904
Daily Nevada State Journal, Reno Nevada
----------- LIKES RENO
Says Wheat Fields Are Better Than Gold But This City Is Best Of All
L.J. Clinger, of Dufur, Oregon, is visiting W.D. Woodcock of
this city. Mrs. Clinger, who accompanies her husband is a brother of Mr.
Woodcock.
Mr. Clinger lives in what is known as the great wheat belt of
Oregon. He lives in Wasco County, known far and wide as one of the largest wheat
producing counties in the world. He says that wheat and prices were never
better, but that the stock market has fallen to a discouragingly low state.
Wheat is over 70 cents and prospects for better prices while livestock are
without a living market.
Mr. Clinger says that Nevada's fame has traveled to his State
and that many are looking this way. He says, however, that the people living in
the wheat belt are contented and feel this year that their big farms are better
than gold fields. Many of the people are making trips to the World's fair on the
strength of the big crops and people generally have paid off their mortgages and
debts and are contented.
Mr. Clinger will spend several days in Reno and may find such
an interest in Reno as to invest in some of her real estate. in speaking of the
great gateway to the Nevada gold fields, he said:
"We webfooters think Oregon is the place. We have come to
consider it the greatest country under the sun, and it is in a measure, but I
can tell my people when I return that Nevada is all right. I am literally
astonished at the opportunities offered here. Your State is destined to take its
place in the lead among the great States of the Pacific West and Reno cannot be
kept back. It must become the leading inland town of this entire portion of the
country.
November 16, 1907
Centralia Chronicle, Centralia Washington
E. Greenwood, of The Dalles, Ore., is the city visiting his brother, P.E. Greenwood. Mr. Greenwood will locate here, providing he can find suitable occupation.
August 15, 1919
The Iowa City Citizen, Iowa City Iowa
Fire Stopped With Vinegar
The Dalles, Ore.-Resourcefulness saved the day when the ranch
house of J.H. Skelley at Mill Creek caught fire. The house is occupied by a
Italian family. Their waterpipes were frozen at the time and when they
discovered the fire they were at a loss what to do until they remembered a
barrel full of vinegar which had just been purchased. They knocked the head out
of the barrel, filling pails and dippers and succeeded in getting the fire under
control just as the contents of the vinegar barrel were exhausted.
September 29, 1920
Oxnard Daily Courier, Oxnard California
Miss Alice Kent of The Dalles, Oregon, is visiting here with Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Simmons of Donlon avenue for two or three weeks. She is traveling around the Southland and this is her first stop from her home.
May 11, 1921
The Chillicothe Constitution Tribune, Chillicothe Missouri
ALLEGED WIFE SLAYER FASTS EIGHT
WEEKS
The Dalles, Ore.-George D. West of The Dalles Ore charged
with having slain his wife three months ago has fasted nearly eight weeks. He
was removed from jail to a hospital after he had made an attempt to take his own
life by drinking acid.
October 2, 1928
Hayward Review, Hayward California
VISITS SCHOOLMATE
August Fruge of The Dalles, Oregon, has been spending the
past week at the home of Rev. and Mrs. J.A. Ten Broeck as the guest of their
son, Anthony Ten Broeck. The two were schoolmates during the time the Rev. Ten
Broeck had a church mission in Oregon. He left Hayward Monday for Palo Alto,
where he is to enter Stanford university as a student Tuesday.
August 9, 1929
Appleton Post Crescent, Appleton Wisconsin
A REAL WATCH DOG
Hood River, Ore.-A Wasco County farmer set his dog on guard
outside his chicken house to prevent thieves from stealing his fowl. Along came
William Mickie, 21, who was hungry. He walked into the chicken house, stole
eight hens, and walked out. The dog watched, all right, but never let out a
howl. The thief was arrested after the farmer spread an alarm.
October 1, 1930
The Monessen Daily Independent, Monessen, Pennsylvania
QUEER CASE
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 30-Authorities here are puzzled how to proceed against
Westley McKinley whom they captured "steering while drunk." They do not know
whether the penalties for driving while intoxicated apply to those whose machine
are now being towed by another.
©Shauna Williams, unless otherwise noted