Historical News items of Lincoln County Pioneers

George Kastler returned to Sprague Wednesday after having spent four years and four months in the Klondike and Alaska gold fields.

Mr. Kastler, though an elderly man, made the trip in over the Ashcroft overland trail and suffered innumberable hardships. He withstood the trip much better than many others and managed to reach his destination. He has a fund of stories of northern life which he takes great pleasure in telling to his old friends and shows with pride a sack of nuggets he brought back with him. The most of his time he worked as a cook in the mining camps, but he owns two claims in the Rampart district upon which he has done some prospecting and from which he expects to realize handsomely in the future. ------------------------------------

R. D. Anderson, the Times' man met with quite a painful accident while hunting last Sunday and in consequence thereof will do most of his work one-handed for a while. The gun he was shooting exploded in the right hand barrel just where the left hand grips the barrels when shooting. The explosion tore off the little finger, badly lacerated the third finger and powder burned and cut the inside of the hand. Fortunately the accident happened while the victim was only four miles from town so medical assistance was procured in a short time. The injured members are doing as well as could be expected and if no complications set in we hope to be able to turn out a better paper than this one in the future.

Tuesday noon the little sixteen months old boy of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Rutter met with an accident which may disfigure the boy for life. While Mrs. Rutter was getting dinner she placed a pan of hot grease on a shelf in the pantry and in some way the little fellow went in and upset the contents over its face. Mr. and Mrs. Rutter are having more than their share of misfortune. During the winter their two older children were very sick with pneumonia, the older one dying, while the other is just recovering from his long siege of sickness. Charles, the little one who met with the accident, is the child that won second prize at the county fair here last fall. The parents have the sympathy of their many friends and acquaintances*

On Friday afternoon the engineer of train 258 reported that he had run over some object on the track this side of the lake. Marshal Barry and Undertaker Buchanan went to the spot and found the body of a man lying face down lengthwise of the rail one leg and one arm and a part of the trunk on one side of the rail and the balance on the other. The body had probably lain there 10 to 15 hours . In the pockets of his clothing were found a Montana stationary engineer's license issued to P. A. Johnson, also a letter addressed J. Lenz, Beverly, Wash., which had been forwarded to Ephrata. The name Lenz was also written in a pocket dictionery(sp) which he carried. He was a man about 30 to 35 years of age, about 5 ft 10 inches tall and dressed in a laborer's clothes. A small sum of money was also found. Coroner Adams was notified and came over Saturday morning. After looking the case over he decided that an inquest would not be necessary and ordered the body buried.

On Saturday morning word was received by the officials here that the body of an unknown man was laying under the big S. P. & S. trestle east of Sprague. Coroner Adams, Undertaker Buchanan and Drs. Hamley and Elmore went there bringing the body to Sprague. The body was found between the center and the Lamont end of the trestle. Death was in all probability caused by a fall from the bridge a distance of 65 feet. There were two bruises on the hip and the back was broken. The man seems to have been caught by a train and losing his head fell to the ground instead of seeking safety on the side platforms which are numerous all along the trestle. He carried an American Federation of Labor card issued by the Spokane branch in the name of Hugh O'Donnell. He was a man of about 35 years of age, about 5 feet 7 inches tall was fairly good clothes and had $2.60 in money.*

---G. E. Huffman last week received a shipment of eleven of the finest Hampshire sheep that have come into this territory in some time. This shipment was purchased in eastern Oregon and arrived in excellent shape being added to a previous shipment of fifteen from Michigan. Mr. Huffman recently succeeded his father, G. W. Huffman, as proprietor of the Spring Valley Farm and is stocking it will some of the best livestock he can secure, including the Hampshire sheep, Poland China hogs and Rhode Island chickens, all purebred stock.

---Sheriff J. A. Level and Deputy F. B. Rennie were in town today on business. While descending the hill above Fort Spokane the car skidded and turned over, smashing up the top some but otherwise seemed to be all right. One of the passengers was slighting injured--Lincoln Herald

---Cliford Hurdstrum, who is motorman on the Lincoln mill truck, went to Davenport after a truck load of freight Saturday. While there the electric motor of the Big Bend mill became damaged to such an extent that it had to be taken to Spokane for repairs. As there were no other trucks in Davenport available at that time the manager prevailed upon Mr. Hurdstrum to take it to Spokane. When about 18 miles out from that city on the return the truck had to be towed back to the city for repairs so freight has been at a standstill for several days.

---M. L. Dipple arrived here Saturday and has rented a portion of Sandy's Garage in which he will install a complete tire vulcanizing plant.....Mrs. Dippel accompanied him here but because of being unable to secure a residence will not move here immediately.

---Miss Madge Jones, deputy in County Assessor G. S. Brown's office, left Thursday morning for Seattle by way of Spokane where she will be joined by her sister, Miss Edith Jones. They will spend about a week in Seattle and other coast citizens. While in Tacoma they will be the guests of Captain and Mrs. Savage.

---A. Chalmers car, owned and driven by J. T. Lyse ran off the grade about nine miles from Davenport, near Rocklyn Wednesday afternoon. The driver was uninjured. The car stuck in the mud so Mr. Lyse found other means of getting back here and left the car there over night.

The Women's club abandoned its plans to have a picnic at Woodland park last Thursday and instead the lunches were brought to the Community church dining rooms an served there. A crowd of more than fifty gathered around the tables to enjoy the spread. After supper the retiring president, Mrs. W. R. Lee, introduced the president elect, Mrs. D. M. Stang and the new officers took charge of the club's affairs. Musical numbers were rendered by the Misses Mildred Myers and Edna and Mabel Hay, after which those off the company who were so disposed joined in singing popular songs until the gathering broke up. The new officers for the year are: Mrs. D. M. Strang, president; Mrs. W. E. Plunkett, vice president; Mrs. W. A. Buckley, secretary; and Mrs. Geo. Mehrer, treasurer. *

John Level, pioneer Lincoln county sheriff, returned to Davenport Saturday afternoon after six months absence during which he visited in Montana, California and Oregon. Mr. Level retired as deputy sheriff last January and went immediately to Montana to visit his daughter. Then he went to Antioch, Calif., where he worked for Joe Gemur, former Davenport hotel man. Mr. Level left California last month and drove to Portland, Ore., where he remained for a time before coming to this city. While in California he saw a number of former Davenport, residents. He reports that C. W. Simmons, who left Davenport last winter to go into the monument business at Long Beach, Calif., is now in the oil business.

Car licenses issued to date in this county total 2780, according to Harvey Turner, automobile license deputy in the auditor's office. There were 2710 licenses issued in this county up to July 1, 1922. Automobile licenses may be obtained for half price after August 1, according to a law passed by the last legislature. September 1 was formerly the date for the half rate going into effect. All car drivers must have a driver's license by August 1, or they will be liable to arrest.

FRANK McDONALD was injured early Sunday in a car wreck on the Wilbur-Grand Coulee highway when his auto struck a soft shoulder of the road on a curve and overturned. He suffered severe lacerations and was taken to Wilbur for medical attention. EDWARD NORDINE, also in the car was not injured.

Last Thursday was the birthday anniversary of Mrs. Emil Zimmerman, and in honor of the occasion, a group of her friends held a surprise party for her at the Zimmerman home. Cards were played during the evening.......Those attending were Mr. and Mrs. William Wolfrum, Mr. and Mrs. William Guhlke, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Wilke, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Bumgarner, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leipham, Charles Straub, and more...

Mrs. James Huck entertained last Thursday at a luncheon honoring Miss Martha Lenz, who recently resigned her position with the clerical department of the Washington Water Power company here, and left for Odessa. Miss Lenz is to be married Sunday to Roy Sassman of Port Angeles, formerly of Davenport. Guests at the luncheon were member of the Young Professional Womens' club of this city.

Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Weipert were hosts at a Sunday dinner and a family reunion at their home honoring Mr. Weipert's brother Ray Weipert and his nephew Chris Ziemantz who left Monday for their homes in Los Angeles, Calif. Guests besides the honoroed guests were Mrs. and Mrs. Ray Kurtz, Mr. and Mrs. Hershel Weipert and their daughter, Virginia of Spokane, Mrs. A. O. Pitts, Ritzville, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Weiper, Miss Ruth Marion Weiper, Marjorie Wiepert, Richard Weipert, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Goodman, Betty and Buster Goodman, Mr. and Mrs. __ Patton. *

Used with permission. All items typed as is from the newspaper, spelling errors, oddities etc. included, by Rella : )

A special thank you to Barbara Curtis for finding and submitting these items.

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This page last updated on February 04, 2010.

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