This day in history
AUGUST 11, 2016
100 Year
Polzin brothers started the threshing season Wednesday when they threshed oats and wheat for D.P. Hershman. Yesterday they started to thresh for Malcom Bruce who has ten acres of wheat which he figures will run 40 bushels to the acre. Mr. Bruce will thresh his oats in about two weeks. Matt Ripatti, a well known and prosperous rancher of the Copeland district, was in the city Wednesday to make preparation to make final proof on his homestead. What might have proved to be a disastrous fire was discovered shortly after Tuesday noon on the county bridge across the Kootenai river by W.T. James. The fire had started from a cigarette or match thrown against the side railing and the wind had fanned the blaze so that a large hole was burned through the timbers and it was rapidly spreading. Mr. James and others on the bridge secured pails from Rosebaugh’s store and put out the fire. This incident should be a warning against careless throwing of matches, cigars or cigarettes on the county bridge. Notice to Water consumers – The Bonner Water & Light company hereby gives notice that no sprinkling of lawns and gardens will be allowed during the summer months from the date of this notice except between the hours of 6 and 7 a.m. and 6 and 8 p.m. Violations of this rule will result in the turning off of water without notice. – H.A. Gale, Manager
50 Years
A “joy ride” down the Kootenai river turned into near disaster last Saturday, when four young men attempted a trip by raft from Troy, Mont. to Bonners Ferry and ended up without a raft and stranded on some bridge pilings in midstream. The group started the wild ride down the river at noon Saturday and had a number of narrow escapes before finally ramming into the pilings about 9:00 p.m. about three miles upstream from Bonners Ferry. The youths were not injured, thanks to Ed Gross who, accompanied by John Jeffries and Sherman Brown, took his “jet” propelled boat to the scene and rescued the young men from their precarious perches in midstream. Fire destroyed an oil shed, granary and tractor at the George Oxford farm on the North Bench, about three miles north of Bonners Ferry, last Thursday night. Oxford said the blaze was discovered about 9:30 p.m. and he ran out of his house and saw gas barrels “exploding all over the place.” The garage was in flames but he was able to get a car and pickup out before the fire reached them. The flames spread so quickly, however, that he wasn’t able to get a small tractor out of the oil shed. A barn, full of hay, was saved due to the help Oxford received from the State Forestry fire crew and neighbors. It was reported there was evidence the fire was started by persons attempting to steal gas from the property.
15 Year
An anonymous resident and two local businesses have chipped in $700, boosting the reward up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons or group responsible for harming and killing pets that have plagued Boundary County since June. If it wasn’t for accepting a former high school friend’s invitation to a bear hunt in western Montana in 1998, 24-year old Jesse D. Short might never have wandered his way onto the grounds of Louisiana Pacific Corp. at Moyie Springs looking for work. Three years later, the Michigan native was promoted to LP’s management staff as front-line supervisor for the third shift in the studmill. After a $4,000 grant award from Burlington Northern and $2,800 donation from Riverside Auto Center, Boundary Search Dive & Rescue was able to purchase a 4x4 1990 Chevy Suburban last week. Other cash donations came from Wells Fargo Bank and Roundheels Sports with Steve Steele donating his time and labor to install the4 light bar and radios. After 21 years, the Gift Haus on the South Hill is announcing that they are going out of business. They will immediately begin clearing out all of their inventory of cards and gifts at half price.