Past Pages Aug. 12

130 YEARS AGO

Caledonian Picnic (continued from Wednesday): The branches were filled with the green apples, quite hard as paving stones. Such a luxury, as seen by the Comstock Scottish children, that they left the roast chicken and currant jelly to fill their stomachs. The result was that many convulsed with the pangs of cholera morbus, but were cared for like a father by the good old farmer Treadway (continued tomorrow).

110 YEARS AGO

Friday and Saturday we will be treated to a new kind of show. It is Prof. Montague's Bird circus with trained cockatoos. It is said that cockatoos are handsome birds and are seldom seen except in zoological gardens. Prof. Montague has beautiful specimens and it must take great patience to train them to such perfection.

80 YEARS AGO

During a recent lightning storm near Tonopah, a bolt of lightning shattered the flagstaff surmounting the gallows from the Gypsy Queen mine and seared the ball off the top. After descending 30 feet, the current was diverted from the gallows to a radio antennae for 140 feet to the home of W.M. Ishmael, watchman for the mine. The whole wire down to the radio was fused and not a trace of the antennae could be found.

50 YEARS AGO

The Nevada highway department employees and families enjoyed the annual picnic yesterday at the 4-H camp at south Lake Tahoe. General chairman of the arrangements was Jim Rose. Pete Pierini was chairman of recreation, aided by John Biale, Mel Fodrin and Stan Pochop. Roger Gaughler provided the PA system and records. Tim Griffin supervised beach activities.

20 YEARS AGO

An uproar at the Silver State Raceway was quickly squashed Sunday night after eight sheriff's deputies soothed an unhappy crowd chanting "Refund! Refund!" About 150 dissatisfied customers who came to see giant diesel truck races threatened to tear the place down.

10 YEARS AGO

The fifth annual Carson Valley Tractor, Engine, Truck and Farm Show is set for this weekend.

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