125 years ago
March 30, 1894
Montesano will have a liege of the cholera, black death or something worse this summer if some of the alleys are not cleared of their filth.
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Reports from the harbor mills are to the effect that eastern orders for lumber are coming in at a very satisfactory rate, while the California markets are improving. We predict a very brisk business in the local lumber industry this season.
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Edmund Croft, of Markham, writes an interesting character sketch of Lord Rosebery, the new premier of Great Britain, with whom he was a classmate in Eton (one of the most famous schools of England) for the last issue of the Ocosta Pioneer.
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Chicken thieves are abroad again. The pilferers seem to have either tired of the canned fruit they stole during the winter, or run short on their supply. At any rate they took three chickens (all there were) Sunday night from C.N. Byles, and on Monday night visited the roosts of Mr. McKinney, taking several fowls. Some one may yet get hurt if they are caught in their devilry.
100 years ago
March 28, 1919
The Montesano Eagles are working toward reorganizing their band, and the efforts being made seem likely to be successful, as Eagles doings generally are. The practice Sunday night at the Eagles hall was participated in by ten pieces and those in charge say there are several more they expect to have in the band.
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Grandma Graham has called our attention to the fact that the birth of a baby boy to her daughter, Mrs. W.H. Lamb, on March 4, has been overlooked by The Vidette.
75 years ago
March 30, 1944
Thirty-five sailors, whose “boot” training gave them little preparation for service as hard-hitting infantry under Japanese mortar fire along-side of hardened U.S. Army doughboys and marines, made history under the command of Lt. George Schramm, of Montesano, during the recent attack on Makin Island. They held fast, killing many (of the enemy) in the process, while re-dispersal of misplaced troops could be completed, in a surprise Japanese counter-attack that threatened the whole expedition for a while.
“That was perhaps the highlight of my experiences so far in this war,” Schramm said.
A number of battle trophies have been secured by Schramm. Among them are a Japanese battle flag, a rifle and various types of ammunition. A display will soon be made of them at Harry Latimer’s Montesano Hardware company’s store.
Schramm is to be honor guest of the Montesano Chamber of Commerce at the noon meeting this Friday at the Goodie Garden.
50 years ago
March 27, 1969
Scott Vessey, 9-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John V. Vessey of Montesano, didn’t have a very long round between visits to the doctor last Thursday evening.
He had just returned home from a call at the physician’s for the treatment of a minor foot ailment and decided to climb a tree in the backyard. This was a mistake.
He fell, breaking his foot, and now has it in a cast for the next month.
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Boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14 are invited to “Earn cash selling Vidette subscriptions in this second annual campaign. The grand prize for the top salesman will be a portable stereo. Cash commissions of $1 will be paid for each new subscription and 75¢ for each renewal. Can you top last year’s top salesman, Linda Studer of Montesano who earned a total of $93.75?”
25 years ago
March 31, 1994
From a field of 30 applicants, county Coroner John Bebich earlier this month selected Edward Fleming, 48, a 25-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol, as a deputy coroner for the county.
Fleming, a native Harborite, received some 739 hours of instruction in law enforcement during his Patrol stint and investigated over 4,500 traffic incidents, as well as having received over 200 hours of investigative training.
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Pearl Capoeman Baller, 39, was the first woman in the history of the Quinault Indian Tribe to be elected chairman.
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Montesano Police Officer Steve Needham, the Department’s D.A.R.E. officer, handed out 52 diplomas to the Simpson Avenue sixth grade graduates early last Monday, and in the afternoon, he repeated the performance at Beacon Avenue School as 70 sixth grade students graduated from the program.
The Washington Air National Guard joined this sixth year graduation by sending a four-man UH-58 Scout helicopter to both ceremonies.
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Students at Beacon Elementary School earned a chance to “pie” their principal at an assembly last Friday by taking part in “No TV Thursday” four consecutive weeks during the months of February and March. Students not watching television were eligible to enter their name in a drawing to win a chance to get even with their principal. Principal Loucks received a couple dozen pies!
10 years ago
March 26, 2009
To a kid growing up in 1950s Montesano, it’s the little things that take on epic proportions, like the resonant clang of the courthouse clock tower at 5:30 each evening, signaling the end of afternoon play.
Port Townsend author Mike O’Connor’s newly published book, “Unnecessary Talking: The Montesano Stories,” recalls memorable episodes from his childhood spent growing up in the shadow of the courthouse.
“The book is based on all true incidents, with a little poetic license,” O’Connor said. Generally, things are told as the author remembers them happening, though the last names of most characters are changed.
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Grays Harbor Count is grappling with an expected $1.5 million shortfall in this year’s budget. Commissioners sent a letter Friday to county employees offering early retirement to eligible employees as a way to cut costs.
Commissioners also are in negotiations with employee unions to consider other possible solutions, such as unpaid furloughs, unpaid days off or reduced work hours.
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With four Elma pitchers combining to hold Tenino hitless, the Eagles needed only a steady stream of runs in the middle innings to produce a 10-0 nonleague boys baseball mercy rule victory over the Beavers on Saturday at Eagle Field.
“Jace Shelton, Tony LaDuc, Tate Shelton and Ryan Malmstrom all threw very well,” Elma coach Scott Rowland said of his quartet of pitchers that held Tenino hitless.
“We played solid defense,” Rowland said. “Which was a change from our (season opening) loss to Hoquiam earlier this week. This game was much better, the kids were a little more focused.”
Compiled from the archives of The Vidette by Karen Barkstrom. She can be reached at kbarkstrom@
thedailyworld.com or 360-537-3925.
