Peaks of the Past: A Valley Retrospect

(Information was gleaned from issues of the Wet Mountain Tribune, all from the fourth week of October.)

100 Years Ago-1918
By request of President Wilson and the National Council of Defense, The Young Men’s Christian Assoc., the Young Women’s Christian Assoc., The National Catholic War Council, the Jewish Welfare Board, the War Camp Community Service, the American Library Assoc., and the Salvation Army will unite in a joint campaign for $170,500,000 with which to carry on their various lines of work among the soldiers of our Allies. The date of the campaign will be Nov. 11-18, inclusive.

Custer County’s quota is $3,375. Surely we can do this much for our boys in the ranks. Let us put our shoulders to the wheel and push our quota over the top.

A quantity of concentrates from the Buffalo Hunter Mill at Silver Cliff is being loaded for shipment this week.

Word has been received here that Arthur Jamison, a former county boy is seriously ill of pneumonia in one of our eastern camps.

All counties in the state went over the top in the Liberty loan drive. Custer County’s quota was $52,750 and purchased $56,300 worth of bonds. We are now ready for the various drives to follow.

J.A. Saxe has been appointed potato inspector for this place. John knows spuds when he sees ‘em, and he will have full authority to enforce the rules and regulations promulgated by the food administrator of Colorado.

A telegram was received here Tuesday evening announcing the death in France of Fred Morin. Pneumonia was the cause of death which occurred on the 3d. inst. The mother, brother, and sister of the deceased reside on a homestead five miles east of town and sad news was immediately broken to them by Hunter Ray who made the trip solely for that purpose. Mr. Morin was an exemplary young man, who gained the admiration of all he came in contact with during his residence in this county from whence he went to the war. The announcement of Fred’s death came as a severe shock to all. While he died of disease, the young man was in the fighting on several occasions, according to word received here some time ago.

80 Years Ago-1938
These are busy times for the Tribune staff as we print three extra pages at home, thanks to the numerous political ads.

Mrs. Rose Mae Koogle and Mrs. Frances Kettle entertained at a party in honor of the high school teachers last Friday evening at the Kettle home.
Maynard Drake, Robert Herlyck, and John Marker pleaded guilty to charges of arson and robbery in District Court last Friday, after District Attorney Eagleton had filed a direct information charging them with robbing and burning the store at San Isabel City.

Judge James L. Cooper sentenced Marker and Herlyck to serve an indeterminate period of time in Buena Vista reformatory, while Drake was released on probation.

The three were taken into custody by Sheriff Jones early this month after the latter had conducted an investigation at the scene of the crime. The sheriff had questioned the three boys after the discovery of certain clues in the partially burned store building and had obtained an admission of their guilt.

C.C. Garret is stuccoing his store building in Silver Cliff, adding much to the attractiveness of his store.

A demonstration of interest to many Custer County farmers will be held next Tuesday afternoon at the E.G. Hastings farm near Cold Springs when Paul Richards, county farm supervisor for the Custer County Agricultural Conservation Association will make a survey of contour lines on the Hastings Farm.

Contour farming, which is an approved practice for the conservation of sloping farm lands, is being widely used throughout the country and the local conservation association hopes to show its practicality for use on many Custer County farms.

One of the chief values of the practice lies in the fact that it not only prevents erosion, but it makes it possible for the farmer to receive maximum crop benefit from rainfall, in that it prevents a too rapid runoff of moisture.

All Custer County farmers who are interested in this method of farming are urged to attend this demonstration. Remember the date- Tuesday, November 1, at one o’clock in the afternoon.
50 Years Ago-1968

Clarence W. (Bill) Schneider EMFN is spending 20-days delay en route from San Diego, Calif., where he has recently completed 22 weeks Electrician Mate schooling, to his new assignment aboard the USS Little Rock (CLG-4) at Gaeta, Italy. On his way home from California, Bill stopped for a one- day visit.

The National Industrial Conference Board points out that if the same percentage of the population votes in the 1968 presidential election as did in the 1964 one, there will be about 75 million votes cast. This total will be approximately three times that of the 1920 election, the first in which women were able to exercise the franchise.

Overall, NICB reports about 93 percent of the civilian population of voting age will be eligible to vote in the presidential election of 1968, New York maintains a slim margin in terms of the estimated population eligible to vote, but California will cast slightly more votes for the president if voter participation in both states continues the patterns of 1964. About 10 percent of the voting population will be eligible to vote for the president for the first time in 1968.

25 Years Ago-1993
The Wet Mountain Rotary Club recently completed constructing a new sidewalk entrance to the post office

Several years ago, the club put in place the fence and grass in front of the post office building. At that time there was no curb or gutter in front and the primary entrance was from the parking lot next to the building. After the curb and gutter was installed it became apparent a more convenient entry for some would be from the street side.

Lorraine Barbieri is the school’s new nurse, but she’s not new to nursing. Barbieri has been in the profession since 1963.

10 Years Ago-2008
Kudos to lifelong resident Jerry Livengood for being named the 2008 Water Commissioner of the Year for Division Two.

Earlier this year private Cody Becker reported to Ft. Carson to be trained and then sent overseas in service of our country.

However, while participating in training operations on March 3, 2008, the armored vehicle in which re was riding lost traction and tumbled over.
After helping his sergeant, who was caught by a backpack strap, Becker was thrown about inside the vehicle. The impact crushed Becker’s spine and he was paralyzed from the chest down.

Learning of the tragedy, Valley veteran Charles Bogle went into action. Bogle, a member of local American Legion Post 170, along with other Veteran’s organizations, presented Becker with an IBOT. An IBOT mobility system is a powered wheelchair that allows the user to climb and descend stairs, conduct conversation at eye level, and travel over uneven terrain.
An IBOT costs $25,000 and Becker was the first wounded Colorado vet to receive one.

1 Year Ago-2017

The CCHS gridders traveled to Kiowa Friday night and came back with an overtime victory 48-46. The game was a seesaw battle in which the lead changed numerous times and had each team leading by two scores at different times in the game.

-Tracy Ballard