Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Colville correspondent reported that agents of the French government were on the Colville Reservation, buying up horses to replace those killed in the horrifying devastation of the European war. 

“Many of the natives are made prosperous by this business, for it is ‘cash up’ and no barter and the prices are quite satisfactory, with a range from $80 to $125,” said the paper.

The writer noted that this was certainly a change from the early days of horse-trading between Indians and white visitors, when “almost any trifle or bauble would purchase an Indian cayuse.”

When the first explorers came, they found the Inland Northwest to be remarkably well-stocked with horses. The story quoted an early fur trader as saying that herds of 1,000 to 1,500 horses were sometimes seen. 

“These horses come from New Mexico and are of Spanish race,” said the trader. “We even saw some which had been marked by a hot iron by Spaniards.”

From the war beat: The paper ran a list of Washington, Oregon, California and British Columbia residents who were on board the Lusitania, sunk by a German submarine. 

Uncertainty still reigned about how many of these passengers had survived.