In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Friday, May 17, 1935, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about Twin Cities residents participating in a new liquor letter club, where they would deliver letters, accompanied by pints of liquor, to their friends, with other club members then doing the same for them.
A pair of Renton boys, ages 12 and 13, were arrested in Packwood after they ran away from their homes and stole three cars in the process, according to the Thursday, May 17, 1945, edition of The Chronicle.
And in the Monday, May 17, 1965, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that a wild duck had been found in a Chehalis man’s Offut Lake summer home after apparently flying down the home’s chimney and getting stuck inside.
A Look Back in Time is compiled using Chronicle archives at the Lewis County Historical Museum along with digital archives on newspapers.com.
Friday, May 17, 1935
• Less than two years after prohibition’s end in the Great Depression, the “dying send-a-coin craze” was gaining popularity again, The Chronicle reported. Only instead of sending coins as gifts to each other, people were now sending liquor letters instead, and a club had formed in the Twin Cities area. Upon receiving a liquor letter, the recipient was to make three copies of it, leaving the top name and address blank, and signing the bottom with their own name. “A sample letter reads: ‘This chain was started in the hope of supplying you with a lot of good whiskey.’” The copies would then be delivered to three friends of the recipient whose names would be written on the tops of the letters, along with one pint of whiskey. “Let your conscience be your guide as to quality (no bootleg) … The scheme already has expressed itself in liquor store sales here and in Chehalis. And is it working? A Chehalis man was reported to have received 39 pints of genuine brain paralyzer yesterday. And he was a tee-to-taler!” Various names had been suggested for the local liquor letter club. “First letters have been headed ‘Prosperity Club,’ but the game has nothing to do with prosperity. Appropriate titles are ‘Delirium Tremens Society,’ ‘Toper’s Fan Mail,’ ‘Guzzler’s Club,’ ‘Cork Puller’s Correspondence,’ and ‘Headache Presents.’ The chain’s motto is, ‘In God We Trust — You Bring The Pint.’”
• Robert Thompson of Centralia successfully spoke with his brother Gordon Thompson — who was working in Japan at the time — over the phone the previous evening, The Chronicle reported. Gordon was “employed in the National City Bank’s branch in Osaka, Japan. The Centralian reported his brother’s voice was heard as plainly as if the call had been placed locally. It was 7 p.m. when the call was received in Centralia, and Gordon informed his brother that it was 12 o’clock, noon, today, in Osaka.”
• Jury deliberation in the trial of Joe Bryan, charged with first-degree murder, was set to begin in Lewis County Superior Court, The Chronicle reported. Bryan was one of two men accused of the murder of Pe Ell gas station attendant William Walker. The other man was Bob Brandon, who was still on the run at the time. In Chehalis, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Lloyd Dysart demanded the death penalty during closing arguments. In December 1934, Bryan and Brandon stole a car from a Raymond resident and then got into an argument with Walker at the Pe Ell gas station while trying to get gas. Eventually, gunfire was exchanged, with Walker being fatally shot, though Bryan was also wounded. Brandon left Bryan behind and fled in the stolen vehicle, which he later abandoned in Chehalis. Bryan’s defense attorney, James Stinson of Chehalis, argued for acquittal on the grounds of insufficient state evidence. “It was expected the case would go to the jury tonight.” Bryan would end up being found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Brandon would later be apprehended in July in St. Louis, Missouri. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge and was sentenced to 25 to 35 years in prison.
Thursday, May 17, 1945
• Two boys, ages 12 and 13, were in Lewis County Sheriff’s Office custody after they ran away from home and stole three cars in the process, The Chronicle reported. “The boys ran away from their homes in Renton, taking the car of the parents of one of the lads. They drove to Morton, where they stayed at the home of a friend, who notified their parents. When the parents arrived, the boys hid in the brush.” They then took off on foot, making it all the way to Randle, where they stole a second car owned by Rev. John Turner. “This was wrecked a few minutes later three miles east of Randle.” They found another car owned by D. A. Young and stole it, too, but the car ran out of gas near Packwood. There, they spent the night in a barn near the home of Asa Combs and built a bonfire in the woods, “which led to their discovery.”
• Centralia police were conducting a manhunt for a suspect who had held up and threatened to shoot “aged resident” John Masters of Centralia the previous day, The Chronicle reported. At around 10 p.m. the previous day, a man who identified himself as “Roy,” with his face covered by a blue handkerchief, knocked on Masters' door. When he answered, Roy pulled a gun and said, “put up your hands — this is a stickup, and I want money.” Masters told him he had no money in his house, upon which Roy threatened to shoot him. Masters slammed the door on him after this and locked him out. Roy circled Masters’ house, reportedly shining a flashlight into the windows, but eventually left.
• U.S. Army Corporal Charles O. Webster of Rochester received a Bronze Star Medal from Army Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, The Chronicle reported. He was given a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in carrying out his duties at a forward air base in World War II’s Pacific Theater from May to July 1944. He was in charge of trucks and heavy equipment for his aviation engineering battalion during an assault on an Imperial Japanese-occupied island air base, and successfully completed the debarkation of all of his equipment under heavy enemy fire. During the island’s conversion into a U.S. air base, he stayed on-call 24 hours a day, making vital repairs to keep equipment operating. “His outstanding accomplishments reflect credit upon himself, his unit and the service,” a citation accompanying the award said.
• The Chronicle featured an Associated Press story about twin brothers, Loyd and Floyd Phillips of Castle Rock, who had both recently died serving in World War II’s Pacific Theater. Having been drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, both brothers were members of the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, fighting in the Philippines. “Loyd S. Phillips was killed Feb. 25, and his brother, Floyd, April 21. They had been with the first troops to enter Manila and release internees from the Santo Tomas (internment) camp.”
• A six-bedroom “modern house” with a large chicken coop and orchard on 10 acres of cleared, level land in Tenino was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $3,500.
Tuesday, May 17, 1955
• Udo Drentwett, an 11-year-old German boy who had moved to Centralia the year prior, was finally home again after running away from his mother Zita Kaiser’s home a second time, The Chronicle reported. Drentwett had run away on Saturday, and wasn’t found until Monday. Upon being discovered, he told police “he had not had a bite to eat since running away.” Centralia Police Chief Otto Rucker fed Drentwett a meal consisting of two steaks along with all “the trimmin’s,” before returning him home. The first time he ran away, “he just stayed away one night, sleeping in a shed near his home, and then going to school in the morning.”
• The Community Unity Club’s history committee was preparing to give a report on the Hub City’s history at the Centralia High School auditorium at 8 p.m., The Chronicle reported. The report presentation was set to be led by Serena Armentrout and included many historic photographs. “Community Unity leaders are working for a large turnout, as a delegation from Seattle will be visiting to obtain first hand information on how a community works to better itself.”
• The Chronicle featured an Associated Press story about the U.S. Navy conducting a nuclear weapons test in the Pacific Ocean off the U.S. West Coast. “The Pentagon said that from early indications, the test involved no hazard to the American mainland, any island peoples, or any consumers of fish. The announced purpose of the test was to further develop new anti-submarine weapons.” While the test’s specific location was not disclosed, it was said it took place several hundred miles from the coast in an area not normally travelled by surface vessels outside of commercial fishing fields. It was also the first nuclear test not conducted in either the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, or at the desert testing grounds in Nevada. “Speculation among military experts was that this test was intended to gather data on what an atomic explosion could do at depths at which submarines operate when in escape and evasion tactics.” It was estimated the Soviet Navy had at least 375 submarines.
• The Lewis County Poggie Club was preparing to hold its 20th annual Poggie Club salmon dinner on Friday in the Chehalis Civic Auditorium, The Chronicle reported. The dinner was meant to “acquaint the public with the scenery, streams, lakes, forests and mountains of Lewis County and surrounding areas,” and featured fresh baked salmon cooked using a secret recipe. The event was also the kick-off of the rest of the Poggie Club’s summer activities, which included participating in clam digs, visiting streams and rivers in East Lewis County and exploring Goat Rocks, participating in the Southwest Washington Fair and berry picking.
• A four-bedroom home on 29 acres of land with a barn, chicken coop and two-car garage in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $17,000. A newly decorated “extremely large” four-bedroom home in Centralia was listed for rent for $50 a month.
Monday, May 17, 1965
• A wild duck had apparently flown down a chimney and got stuck inside a Offut Lake summer home owned by Alex Coburn of Chehalis, The Chronicle reported. “Frank Justman, a neighbor, discovered the wild duck sitting on the kitchen window sill. Justman looks after the Coburn home in his absence, Coburn said.”
• Lewis County Public Utilities District (PUD) crews were finishing up restoring power following a Sunday storm “that struck at times with gale-like force,” The Chronicle reported. While no property damage was reported from the storm, the PUD, “with much of its widespread service network in wooded areas, had some grief.” Outages were reported in Mineral, Winlock, Toledo, Onalaska and near Centralia.
• Although there were no fatalities or serious injuries, six car crashes occured in the Twin Cities over the weekend “and sent damage figures soaring,” The Chronicle reported. Two of the accidents were the same kind of accident and even occurred at the same intersection. Stanley Collier of Ethel and Stephen Laughlin of Salem, Oregon, were involved in a two-car rear-end collision at the intersection of Gold and Summa streets in Centralia at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Then, another rear-ending accident happened at the same intersection on Sunday at 1:45 p.m., involving Marie Sareault and Mearlia Hobbs, both of Centralia.
• Tenino High School junior Joanna Seeley won first place in the Olympia Junior Chamber of Commerce’s safe driving “road-e-o” girls’ division, The Chronicle reported. “She received a $25 scholarship, $25 savings bond and a trophy. The latter will remain in the local school’s trophy case.” A total of 51 students from throughout the region participated, including three others from Tenino — Carl Nutt, Tom Young and Steve Fransen. Seeley was set to represent the district at the state “road-e-o” at Walla Walla in June.
• A four-bedroom tri-level home that was “new, custom built,” in Chehalis was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $31,500. A two-bedroom unfurnished home on Gold Street in Centralia was listed for rent for $40 a month.
Saturday, May 17, 1975
• The Washington state Highway Department was planning an upcoming bid process in June for a construction project improving access ramps at the Mellen Street exit on Interstate 5, The Chronicle reported. The announcement was made by state Sen. Gary Odegaard and state Rep. Hugh Kalich, both of Centralia. “Improvement work involves clearing, draining, surfacing and pacing of existing one-lane, variable width, on and off ramps at the interchange.” Installation of overhead lighting was in the works as well, and the cost of the project was estimated to be between $1 million and $1.25 million.
• Onalaska residents were preparing to vote on a nine-part school levy in an upcoming special election in July, The chronicle reported. The first part of the levy was meant to keep the school operations and staffing levels as is according to Onalaska School District Superintendent Patrick Martin. “‘The proposition allows no revenue for expansion,’ said Martin.” The other parts of the levy were meant to fund the purchase of two new school buses, a new covered play area, a new storage building, teaching materials and supplies, capital outlay and to hire a new foreign language-English teacher for the next two years. “Martin stressed the importance of part one of the proposition, saying, ‘If this levy fails, it could be the end of Onalaska schools as we know them today.’”
• Randle Water District commissioners held a meeting at the Randle Fire Hall earlier that week to discuss the ongoing construction of the district’s new water system, The Chronicle reported. Construction was nearly complete, and Randle Water Commissioner William Fischer “said the district’s new reservoir is complete now and water lines are installed. There only remains some electrical work to be done.” The new water system was meant to serve both the Randle community and White Pass High School.
• A three-bedroom home in the Chehalis School District with a two-car garage and a “view of Rainier,” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $43,700. A one-bedroom furnished home in Centralia was listed for rent for $110 a month.
