130 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 1892
Jackson Bros. Are putting up an addition to the rear of their building and intend to open a bakery in connection with their lunch counter and billiard rooms.
125 Years Ago
Nov. 5, 1897
A sad accident occurred in the switch yards of the Burlington in this city last Saturday morning at nine o’clock. S. R. Cannon, a young man who had recently been transferred from the Deadwood line to this city, jumped from the foot-board on the back of the tender of the switch engine and ran up the middle of the track towards one of the switches. He stumbled and fell, but regained his feet, only to fall a second time (it is believed from fright) and passed under the foot-board and brake-beam before the engine could be stopped. He was gently removed and taken to the office of local railway physicians. Drs. Bellwood. There it was found that he had been badly doubled up when the accident occurred, sustaining internal injuries, and the adhesion of the collar bone being torn form the ribs. The unfortunate fellow rallied nicely from the shock and it was hoped for a time that he would survive, but internal hemorrhage could not be stopped and death ensued in a few hours.
120 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 1902
The life of another young man in the fullness of youth and strength was snuffed out yesterday at about eleven o’clock. He is a victim to the world’s greatest industry, the railroad, and his name is Peter W. Bascky. The unfortunate young man left here last Saturday morning on No. 46, had started back west at Ravenna on an extra, and been almost continuously on duty up to the time of his death. He was brakeman for Conductor Volney Richards, and had been sent out near Whitman to flag against a stock extra east, in charge of Conductor King, Engineer Hagerman. Bascky seems to have fallen asleep on the track, or possibly he may have fainted. Anyhow he raised his head from the rail just in front of the engine, when first seen by the engineer. He was hurled several feet, and the head terribly crushed. He was born in the state of Illinois, being twenty-two years of age. One brother is employed as a fireman out of Alliance. The family surviving consists of four brothers, one sister and the parents, and their home is in Crawford.
115 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1907
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Lawrence returned Wednesday morning from Denver, and as a result of their visit, the statement is made that some very extensive equipment was purchased for the Alliance Electric light plant and is expected here the first of the next week. The work of building the foundation for the new machinery was commenced yesterday, and it will be installed and running just as soon as it is possible to do the work. The machinery purchased is an Ideal engine of 225 horse power, and this is to be direct connected with a monster new generator of 225 kilowatts capacity, the two weighing twenty-six tons. This will mean a capacity of about 8,000 lights, and with the present plant retained for emergency uses, it means that Alliance is to have very soon an electrical plant truly metropolitan and a credit to almost any city.
110 Years Ago
Nov. 5, 1912
To the clothes line thief and the hen-coop robber, is now added the purloin er of coal oil. Archie Gregory of Toluca Ave. is the man who has classified this latest brand of dishonesty. Saturday, he missed his two oil cans from the back porch and, after searching the whole premises over, he gave them up for lost or stolen. Monday morning, he found the empty cans in an alley, nearly a block from his home. Not only had all the oil been emptied, but the cans were battered out of shape and good for no further use. He supposes that the thief, after carrying the cans home and emptying them, brought them back near the house, to avoid suspicion. Mr. Gregory says that he does not mind the loss of the oil so much as he does the destruction of the cans.
105 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 1917
It cost the telephone company $40 and the time of two men in automobiles for a day to trace out the trouble to the Bridgeport toll line this week when some practical joker wired the four lines together near Angora and lead the circuit to the guy-wire. This is the second time that tricks of this sort have been staged and the company proposes to sift it to the bottom. The federal authorities have been notified as it is a federal offense to bother a telephone circuit in time of war.
100 Years Ago
Nov. 3, 1922
Lester Westring, a “floater” who blew into the city last night, was arrested in the railroads yards and lodged in the city jail on a charge of carrying concealed weapons. When searched, a .22-caliber automatic pistol was found in his possession. He was arraigned in police court this morning, pleaded guilty to the charge and was given a fine of $50, which was suspended on condition that he leave town within one hour. He complied with the conditions and took a “tie pass” for other quarters long before the time limit had expired.
95 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1927
Art Wiker fell off a ladder and plunged the distance of three stories to the ground while painting the Harvey apartment house on Fourth and Sweetwater Saturday morning. He fell over 30 feet and narrowly escaped serious injury. He received a severe gash on the forehead and was shaken up. It is believed that the ladder on which Mr. Wiker was working slipped in some manner and he lost his balance.
90 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1932
If you were a giant 60 feet tall and wanted a wrist watch, you could be accommodated. The Gruen Guild has made a Giant Gruen Quadron, an exact duplicate of the smart precision movement, but it’s about 100 times as large. It has the same number of ruby jewels, weighs 50 pounds and cost more than $8,000 to make. Eighteen months were required to make it. The big watch is on display at Thiele’s this week. It will interest you, as it has many thousands of people in the principal cities of the United States.
85 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 1937
Glen Daly, 35, of Butte, Mont., and Joe McCormick, 36, of Akron, Ohio, were sentenced to ten days in jail by Police Magistrate Wayne Huston Monday afternoon after they entered guilty pleas to shoplifting charges. Judge Huston stipulated that the sentence was to be served on an alternate bread and water diet of three days and three days of regular jail fare. Daly was charged with taking a $24 suit of clothes from the Montgomery Ward store Saturday afternoon during the height of the Fall Festival crowds. He was arrested later by Officer P. L. Armstrong. Daly was wearing the suit, part of it under his other clothes. McCormick was charged with taking a $16 overcoat from the same store. Police are looking for the owner of two pairs of ladies gloves which were found on Daly.
80 Years Ago
Nov. 3, 1942
Most Nebraska drivers will be limited to “A” rationing books, allowing four gallons of gasoline a week, D. F. Felton, state OPA directior, announced today, outlining the forthcoming mileage rationing program. Supplemental books will be issued only to those needing them for essential driving. In Alliance registration offices will be opened in the three elementary schools, Central, Grandview and Emerson.
75 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 1947
As the city expands the need for a high school cafeteria will become more acute, High School Principal Roy E. Nelson said. Now many children have to travel as far as a mile from high school home for their noon meal. Cafeterias in the North Platte, Hastings and Kearney schools are serving luncheons at a cost of approximately 45 cents each. Part of the expense in maintaining a cafeteria is subsidized by the federal government.
70 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1952
Boy Scouts of Alliance and Hemingford today joined other Scouts throughout the nation in doing their bit to “get out to vote” next Tuesday. Scouts from the Panhandle district today were making the rounds of the residential areas of Alliance, Hemingford and Hyannis to put door-knob hangers on every door. The project was being directed by Scout Executive Gene Koeller, and Scout leaders.
65 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1957
Gov. Victor Anderson Thursday night commended Nebraska nurses for their part in making Nebraska “the place where people live longer than in any other state.” He addressed the annual convention of the Nebraska State Nurses and Nebraska Student Nurses Associations. Thirty-six nurses were recognized for 25 years service in the association. Among them was Mary Stewart of Alliance.
60 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1962
The Alliance plant of the Good-All Electric Manufacturing Company of Ogallala closed operations Wednesday and 55 feminine workers terminated their employment here. Eight of the women have tentatively accepted an invitation of the parent company to transfer to the Ogallala plant, which will henceforth manufacture capacitors formerly produced here for radios, television sets and other electronic devices.
55 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 1967
The area’s first snow since the True Temper Corporation started making skis in Alliance provided a chance for a test of the product here today. Tom Pittendreigh, a True Temper employee, opens a virgin slope on the Highway 2 overpass embankment on his way to work. A native of Massachusetts, Pittendreigh expressed surprise at the earliness of the snowfall compared to New England.
50 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 1972
Frontier Airlines announced new schedules and aircraft for Alliance commencing December 1 and will also increase personnel in Alliance back to a staff of three according to Ed Gerhardt, director of local service marketing for the Denver based airline. The new service will include the 19-passenger Twin Otter 300 aircraft recently purchased and this plane will replace the 15- passenger Beach 99 now serving Alliance.
45Years Ago
Nov. 2, 1977
Charles Lierk, pharmacist with Thiele Drug, was elected president of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce at the meeting of the board of directors Tuesday night. He will succeed Bob Carr. Other new officers elected are Jerry Beagle, vice-president; and Ed Taylor treasurer.
40 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 1982
John Ryan uses a chain saw to carry out the traditional board cutting ceremony at the grand opening of his new Coast-to-Coast store on Box Butte Avenue. With a host of local business people looking on, Dan West, president of the Chamber of Commerce Blue Coats, and Ron NaSal, Coast-to-Coast district manager. Along with the Blue Coats, the Chamber Ambassadors and their chairman, Dorotha Peltz, were also at the ceremony.
35 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 1987
Karen Shelmadine, Krestie Tolstedt, Ivan Polyakov, and Carrie Ransom served Mexican food Saturday during the Alliance Middle School volleyball tournament. Almost $1,000 was raised from the food sales. The money raised from the tournament fees and the food will go toward the purchase of bleachers for the gym.
30 Years Ago
Nov. 3, 1992
Several possible burglaries were reported to the Alliance Police Department between 1:49 a.m. and 6:25 a.m. Tuesday, said Police Chief Robert Jatczak. The businesses broken into were Dairy Queen, Eastside Texaco, Clothespin Laundry, Freeze Frame Video, Western Corral and the Eagles. Officers discovered open doors at Eastside Texaco and Freeze Frame Video. The other incidents were found by individuals arriving for work. Total damage caused by the break-ins is estimated at $15,000. Jatczak said that the total value of items taken, including cash, has not been estimated.
25 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 1997
Students in Jody Mischnick’s eighth grade homeroom class load 13 boxes of food Monday afternoon to take to the food pantry. The food was donated by AMS students last week as part of a Cans Can Help Campaign. The middle school and its adopt-a-school partners set a goal to collect 10 cases of food.
20 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 2002
Two candidates will square off this coming Tuesday in the general election for the Box Butte County Sheriff position. Republican incumbent Richard E. Bauer, 56, is a lifetime resident of Box Butte County, other than the 20 years he served in the U. S. Army. Democratic candidate Robert Kufalk, 46, has lived in Box Butte County for three years, but feels he has a close bond with the county.
15 Years Ago
Nov. 2, 2007
Box Butte General Hospital Auxiliary donated $11,209.71 for a new power procedure table in the Multi-Specialty Clinic. The table is being used by Ear, Nose and Throat specialist Dr. Jeanne Beck. “This table will do just about everything, “she said. “It is very much appreciated.”
10 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 2012
Box Butte County Deputy Justin Trout was honored as Officer of the Year by the Nebraska Sheriff’s Association for his bravery and professionalism during the hostage situation at Thiele’s Pharmacy on June 12.
5 Years Ago
Nov. 1, 2017
Cynthia Horn invited all of the pastors from the community to Good Samaritan last week to show her appreciation for their years of service at the skilled nursing facility. Pastors, residents, employees and volunteers enjoyed pie while they listened to music provided by some of the pastors themselves.