Natrona County Tribune, 1909

Sore subject -- "JUST A LITTLE PEEVISH.

"The editor of the Douglas Enterprise seems to be quite peevish because the Casper school board called off the Casper-Douglas High school foot ball game on account of a student in the Douglas schools being sick with the scarlet fever, and because the TRIBUNE advertised the fact 'to the world,' and the Enterprise takes a knock at us thiswise:

"'... We do not believe there has been a year for the several past that Casper did not have one or more cases of the same disease in her midst, but Douglas people did not think it necessary to make capital out of it.' ...

"The game had been widely advertised, and people were intending to come in from the country. ... Several hundred tickets had been sold. ... (T)hose having charge of the game could not notify everybody that the contest had been postponed, and the TRIBUNE, which enters nearly every home in the county, and which is widely circulated along the railroad between Douglas and Lander, was asked to publish the fact that the game was called off, and state the reason. The publication was made in order that a great many people might not come here to see the game and then be disappointed, but it was not done to hurt Douglas."

Casper Tribune-Herald, 1934

Cash crops -- "NUGGETS FOUND IN CHICKEN CRAW LEAD TO MINE DISCOVERY

"CHEYENNE -- Morris Willadsen found tiny gold nuggets in the craw of a chicken he was cleaning so he decided he'd keep his eyes open.

"He cleaned more chickens on his ranch 21 miles west of here and in their crops he found more flecks of gold averaging in size from that of a pin head to about the diameter of a pencil.

"One day he was mowing hay in his meadow on the banks of Crow creek. The blade of the machine dug into the bank and tore away a chunk of rock. He noted it contained what looked like gold ore to him and off he sent it to an assayer. High gold content was the report.

"Since then Willadsen has opened up a streak of ore which is about 3 feet wide and 15 feet deep and obtained specimens that run as high as $67 a ton in gold and silver."

Casper Tribune-Herald, 1959

Dumb luck -- "Car Makes Shambles At Service Station

"The defiant teen-ager rolled up his sleeves and threatened the state highway patrolman in the emergency ward at Memorial hospital last night. ... He was led away to a bed, suffering cuts and possible rib fractures.

"Percy Molesco, 16, of 1147 North Grant, was lucky. His 1956 auto had gone out of control, at excessive speed, northbound on Highway 220, jumped a curb, and crashed into the gas pumps at Paul's Standard Service Station, 2155 CY Ave.

"The car bounced off the gas pumps and in rapid succession, like a billiards shot, these events took place.

"It hit a car owned by Clifford B. Brookshire of Paradise Valley, who was getting gassed up at the pumps.

"The battery flew out of the auto and hit another car at the station with a resounding thud; no damage.

"The car caromed off the west gas pump and hit another parked vehicle next to the tire rack, owned by Paul's Standard Service.

"Then it hit a '59 Buick in the right rear end as it was taking on gas. The car was owned by Fred Christiansen of Gillette. Mrs. Christiansen, walking out of the ladies' rest room, was knocked to the pavement, but not seriously hurt. The car was 'totaled out' for damages.

"Molesco was ejected from the runaway car and hit the garage door of the service station.

"His passenger, James Kennedy, 16, of 109 East J, was hurled from the car a second later and struck the tire rack where the car came to rest. He escaped serious injury. ...

"(O)bservers said there were some empty beer cans in the wreckage and some others not opened.

"The runaway car was considered a total wreck."

Casper Star-Tribune, 1984

Cut off at the knee -- "Three-legged cat can't convince Rep. Cheney

"Editor:

"C.C. Bowser went to visit his congressman. C.C. Bowser went in a cage. C.C. Bowser is a cat.

"He is a cat that lost a leg to a steel jaw leghold trap. He is one of few animals lucky enough to survive battle with the leghold trap.

"Bowser went to 'show and tell' his congressman, and yours, that H.R. 1797 should pass; that it was long past due. H.R. 1797 would ban the use of the steel-jaw, leghold traps throughout the U.S.

"It would not ban trapping.

"The three-legged cat owner's visit to Congressman Cheney in Cheyenne recently was unsuccessful.

"Not only was no commitment forthcoming to support passage of this needed legislation, but Cheney is a sponsor of another bill which would permit trapping in selected national parks, two of which are in Wyoming.

"JEANNINE R. STALLINGS, Cheyenne"

"A Look Back in Time" is made possible with the help of Western History Archivist Kevin S. Anderson at the Casper College Western History Center, which is open to the public. Quotation marks surround stories as they appeared in the Casper newspapers 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago, with their original grammar, punctuation and spelling, unless otherwise noted. You can contact Corryne at corrynedrake@gmail.com.