Glance at the Past

107 Years Ago Jan. 25, 1914

• Harry Mulson, the genial and accommodating proprietor of the Grand Hotel of this City, after having charge of the Grand since January, 1895, retires about the first of next month to be succeeded by H. C. Chapman of Mason, Nevada, a man coming well recommended who has leased the Grand for three years. The passing of Mr. Mulson to private life removes an old landmark from the Mendocino Coast. He is one of our old and respected pioneers and the traveling public, thousands of whom he has entertained during his eventful career, will regret his passing into other channels. Mr. Mulson has been in the hotel business over 40 years.

• A party consisting of W. R. Lentz, C. F. Schaeffer, W. S. Chisholm and Henry Whipple is at work repairing the telephone line between here and Humboldt County. The heavy storms of the past month have put the line in a deplorable condition and will practically necessitate the building of a new one. On a six mile stretch above Garberville, the wire is broken in 50 places, at different places the poles have been shattered by the wind.

• The steamer Arctic arrived in port on Monday with several car loads of mail. Owing to the rough weather she was forced to lay outside all afternoon. She sailed yesterday afternoon with a complete cargo. This speedy work speaks well of the officiating of the shipping department.

77 Years Ago Jan. 12, 1944

• One particularly fine catch of shark was made by Noyo fishermen last week when Bill Lewis, Harvey Isabell and Bill Kelley came into Noyo River depot in the launch Doreen with 174 sharks valued at just under $4,000.

• It was announced today that a shop course will open in the evening high school on Monday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. under the direction of Mr. Edward Jewett. It has been one of the most popular classes in the evening school. All those interested in the evening classes will be charged $2.

• Sgt. Irwin Kemppe is in the Army Air Corps at Macdell Field at Tampa, Florida. He is the son of Fred Kemppe and Mrs. Willis Dimmick, of Fort Bragg.

• Ed Sverko, John Incerti and Will DePriest have joined the U.S.N.R. and are in boot training at San Diego.

• Jimmy Dennison, son of Burney Dennison, of Fort Bragg, has been heard from and is at present stationed in the South Pacific. Jimmy is with the Seabees and keeping himself real busy. Jimmy’s wife is employed in Oakland by the Southern Pacific.

55 Years Ago Feb. 3, 1966

• A colorful chapter in Fort Bragg’s history ended Monday evening Jan. 31, with the passing of Ward Henry Ries, 82, in a local hospital. He was born in Goodrich, Mich., Aug. 3, 1883, and was the star player on the Goodrich school baseball team. This led him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League. His baseball career came to an abrupt end in 1903 when, in a game between the Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds, he broke his arm. Ward arrived in Fort Bragg aboard a schooner in 1907 and worked for the Union Lumber Company until 1911 when he became a deputy sheriff. In his 40 years as a deputy, he worked under three sheriffs, Ward’s ability to apprehend criminals was evident in the exciting tales he would spin. He also had a hand in steering many a troubled youngster to the straight and narrow. In 1927, he became a stockholder in the Standard Bottling Company of Fort Bragg. The recent craze for bottle collecting gave him a warm chuckle … and bottle collectors groaned when he told of the thousands of old bottles destroyed years ago.

• At Coast Theatre: “The Cincinnati Kid” starring Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson,