125 years ago

Nov. 6, 1891

Bessie, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Bacon, narrowly escaped poisoning herself last Monday evening. In some manner, she got a hold of a box of rat poison and getting the cover off had her face and hands covered with the stuff before it was discovered she had the poison.

Emetics were administered as soon as the doctor could be got there and every precaution taken to counteract the effect of the poison, in case she had swallowed any, although the parents think she did not take any. She is all right now, but it was a narrow escape.

• • •

S.L. Lamb, whose farm is on the lower Satsop, near the mouth, had an oat crop this year a little ahead of any other so far reported. It averaged eighty-seven bushels to the acre by measure, which would be somewhere between 96 and 100 by weight. The above something of what Chehalis county bottom land can do.

100 years ago

Nov. 3, 1911

Rumors of planting salmon for trout a mistake — state and county work together

Charges current here for some time that the state fish hatchery has been sending sockeye salmon here as trout fry, are answered by State Fish Commissioner L.H. Darwin in a letter to E. P. Casey, Aberdeen, Darwin takes occasion to say that no salmon have been planted here under the guise of trout. He also praises County Game Warden L. J. Esses for efficient work. Silver trout in reality are sockeye salmon which years ago lost their instinct to go to salt water, according to the statement of Darwin.

75 years ago

Nov. 6, 1941

Pigeon prefers Montesano

Recently, a Seattle pigeon decided to see the country, so he hopped a Grays Harbor train one day and started on his journey. He left the train at the first town, however and remained a day or two. The train crew noticed him alight on the train again and he moved on to the next town.

Finally, after such stops, he got off in Montesano. He was here three or four days, long enough to find a mate. Then, one day, he took the passenger train clear back to Seattle, without a stop.

A. L. Napper and Roy Jackson both felt sorry for his mate who moped about the Northern Pacific station in a disconsolate state. Then, to everyone’s amazement, her husband circled down from the sky, apparently having given up train travel as too slow.

That is all there is to the story, except you can see the pigeons down at the station almost any day. It looks as though the Seattle pigeon is here to stay.

50 years ago

Nov. 3, 1966

Dark hours, dark bikes: Danger

A mounting number of citizen complaints about near-accidents involving cars and bicycles has prompted the Montesano Police Department in cooperation with William Rosier Post No. 2455, to take action.

This Saturday, November 5, for the third time this autumn, law officers and VFW volunteers will conduct bike-taping sessions to enhance the safety of youngsters’ vehicles. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at both Wheeler school in Montesano and Olympic View in Brady.

Officer Charles Mero of the MPD said one of their chief concerns is the alarming lack of visibility as motorist come upon paper boys making deliveries in the dark of early morning and late afternoon.

“All of these bikes certainly should be well-taped, front and back,” he stressed.

At the two previous sessions, when fluorescent tape was applied and bikes were inspected, just over a total of 100 boys and girls appeared.

“This represents a small percentage of the bikes in the area,” Mero said.

The law officer observed that dangerous “buddy riding” on bicycles has resulted in a number of recent complaints to the police department.

Mero stressed that Washington’s motor vehicle laws include a section on bike regulations, including safety precautions which must be taken. Moreover, he noted, the responsibility for compliance rests squarely with the parents of the children.

25 years ago

Oct. 31, 1991

No ordinary fish tale

One of the largest salmon caught along the Chehalis River in recent memory was landed last week by a wheelchair-bound veteran fisherman.

Bill Titus, of Elma, owner of Airport Upholstery, landed the 51-pound, 49-inch long king Chinook mid-day Thursday. The fish fought for over half an hour before succumbing to its fate.

Titus said he was in “mortal shock” when he realized how big the king salmon was. “It looked like a seal.”

Bill and his brother Larry left from the Monte boat launch below the Chehalis bridge early Thursday morning with another companion, Ron Willis. During the first three or four hours, they hooked six bites, but landed only three silvers. By then, it was time to take Ron home, so they headed back to the launch and Ron got off.

Bill was ready to head back upstream when a man at the dock, Keith Parker, mentioned to him there might be good fishing downstream about half a mile, just under the powerlines at the mouth of the Wynoochee River. Bill thought there might be something to this advice.

“I know how they like to hold up there,” he said. “The king tends to be a lazy fish,” always looking for a way to get out of the current at high tide.”

Bill and Larry floated down to the spot and started fishing. At about 11:15, something tugged on Bill’s line “We knew it was a king, but had no idea how big,” he said. When the fish popped its head out of the water briefly during the fight, the fishermen couldn’t believe how big it looked. By the time they were hauling it in 30 minutes later, Larry looked at the net they had on board and said he didn’t think there was enough room for the fish in it.

Larry had quite a time just pulling it out of the water. “It was all I could do to lean over and pull it up,” said Bill.

It’s the largest fish he’s ever caught, Bill said. Titus has been fishing the Chehalis and Satsop for 17 years and he’s been out about every day this season. He said it’s the biggest salmon he has any knowledge of having been caught and recorded along the Chehalis in years.

Other local fishermen agreed. Jan and Jim Christensen, owners of the Monte Square shop where Bill bought his bait, said it was the largest king they’d seen in five and a half years of business.

“That’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen off the Chehalis,” said Jan. “He was just thrilled,” she said of Bill when he brought the fish in to have his picture taken.

Bill used a 3.5 inch magnum wiggle wart with metallic gold and fluorescent red colors to hook his king.

“It’s a once in a lifetime event on this river,” said Jim.

Titus said there was an impromptu celebration after the fish was landed. “Everybody who heard about it came to look,” he said.

Titus, 44, who also works occasionally as a river guide, was stricken with polio when he was seven years old, but it hasn’t crimped his fishing style. His boat is specially adapted to his needs.

Nor does the story end there. Bill sliced the fish in half and put it in the freezer for canning. He returned to the river the next day and only about 100 feet from his big catch the day before, he landed a 34-pounder. Then on Saturday, he picked up a 35-pounder.

“This is my best season ever,” he boasted.

10 years ago

Nov. 2, 2006

Preacher Slough Road still county-owned

Montesano’s shoreline activist Jay Sterling probably wouldn’t go so far as to say his prayers have been answered when it comes to Preacher Slough.

But at least the Grays Harbor County Commissioners have postponed a decision on vacating the road until the state Department of Natural Resources can more definitely outline its plans for the acreage it owns along the Chehalis River, he said.

“At least everyone is talking now,” he said.

The area is accessed off Highway 107 and is popular with local and tribal fishermen. But it’s also popular with mud boggers, which prompted the state to ask the county to give up its right of way to the lower portion of the road.

The county’s engineer counter proposed that since the state is the only property owner in that area, that the entire road be vacated.

That prompted Sterling and others to attend a hearing Monday, urging the county not to give up ownership at least until the state unveils plans to preserve public access to the area.