100 years ago in Spokane: Restaurants go gluten-free for the day

Spokane already had held a successful “meatless” day at area restaurants, and now it held a “wheatless” day.

“Not only were white bread and rolls off the menus, but macaroni, spaghetti and similar dishes were not to be found.”

A few upset patrons said they would take their business elsewhere, but this occasioned no worry for proprietors, who knew that no restaurants were serving wheat products.

From the patriotism beat: Frank Miller, a Hillyard grocer, was arrested after he was accused of firing an employee who wanted to join the state guard.

However, Miller had the perfect defense.

When the case came to court, Miller himself had also joined the state guard. He was duly acquitted.

In fact, Miller was said to be “patriotic in every way.” Also, it was determined that the employee had been discharged for reasons other than wanting to join the army, and Miller had found him another job.

From the war beat: A British/Canadian recruiting mission offered Spokane area men the opportunity of joining “the crack infantry and cavalry regiments of the Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English forces.”

The region was full of men who were natives of those countries, including “many former members of these units.”