Historical News items of Lincoln County Pioneers 

Page 4...........News items listed chronologically......by date.......

RETURNED FROM ALASKA  New 4/23/08

The Sprague Times, Friday, August 29, 1902

   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 9ld 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.*

A Terrible Accident    New 6/12/08

The Lincoln County Times,  May 24, 1907

   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*

.TWO DEATHS    New 6/12/08

The Sprague Advocate,  April 28, 1911

   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.*

RESULTS IN CITY ELECTION   New 4/23/08

The Sprague Advocate,  September 09, 1920

   The city election passed off quietly last Tuesday only one ticket being in the field.  The count of ballots was as follows:

Mayor, Jno. I. Melville. Councilmen for 4 year term: C. S. Browne, 129; J. A. Dempsey, 131; w. R. Lee, 134.

Councilman at large for 2 year term: P.N. Smalley, 131.  City Attorney: Chas. D. McCarty, 124.  City Treasurer: John Moylan, 130.  City Clerk:  J. F. Hall, 133.  Matt Brislawn received 6 complimentary votes for Mayor and S. H. Boyles 7 for city attorney.

RESULTS AT LAMONT:

   The city of Lamont elected the following officers at the election Tuesday: Mayor , Geo. E. Howell.  Councilman for 2 years, F. Rosenzweig and M. W. Miller.  Councilman for 1 year, W. S. Weider.  Treasurer, James Phillips. *

New Officials of Women's Club Take Charge  

The Sprague Advocate,  September 08, 1921

   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. *