Past Pages March 5

130 YEARS AGO

Hank Monk and temperance: When Doctor Banks McKenzie the famous temperance agitator arrived in Carson, Hank had given the him a solemn promise never to look "upon the flowing bowl again."

"Are you all right Hank, have you held up?" said the Doctor. "You bet-Doc-to r ... I haven't taken a darned drop since I see ye. It's been awful hard ..." said Hank. The Doctor, looking him straight in the face said, "I can smell your breath right now." Hank responded, "Oh, that's rock and rye used for cough. Why a child kin swaller gallons of it with impunity."

Hank then turned and said, "Well Doc. I've been drinking pretty steddy ever since I saw ye last. I didn't want to tell ye for fear of hurtin' yer feelins."

120 YEARS AGO

Rooster barometer: In the possession of John Pulkinghorn is a remarkable rooster that indicates the approach of rain and of snow and its depth - normal color of feathers are tan, but before a rain they turn black - half a day prior to a snow fall, the feathers turn whitish and change pure white before first flakes.

70 YEARS AGO

Advertisement: Carson Theater: "Pride of the Bluegrass" - no horse can match his speed ... no man can match his courage with Edith Fellows, James McCallion. Also "Devil's Island," with Boris Karloff.

50 YEARS AGO

Advertisement: Carson City Nugget: Monday special buffet - all you can serve yourself - 98 cents, Wednesday fried chicken buffet - all you can eat $1.25. Now appearing in the Theater Lounge - The Newton Brothers (Wayne Newton)

20 YEARS AGO

Carson City will buy itself some time, in complying with two out of three conditions imposed by Paul Larquier, owner of the V&T shops, postponing the wrecking ball until after

April 1.

10 YEARS AGO

Crude oil prices - West Texas crude settled at $31.69 a barrel. Daily closing prices for crude oil have been at the highest levels since 1991.

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