100 years ago in Spokane: National prohibition chairman appeals to churches for petition help

The national prohibition committee chair, Virgin Hinshaw, has appealed to church leaders across the nation to set aside June 8 to preach about the dangers of alcohol and then circulate petitions advocating prohibition, which would then be sent to senators and Congress members.

Hinshaw also asked churches to enlist other organizations, such as young people’s societies, lodges, commercial clubs, chambers of commerce, granges, colleges, merchants’ associations and prominent individuals to send petitions as well.

From the business beat: F.V. Hurley sold his interests in the Greanough-Hurley company and retired from the business.

D.F. Hallahan has assumed the offices of vice president and general manager of the company. The deal involved one of the largest wholesale and retail grocery houses in the city and was closed over the weekend.

Hurley told the newspaper that the retirement may be temporary, but “for the next six months, I intend to devote eight hours a day, seven days in the week, to golf. That is all I know at present.”

From the military beat: Florence B. Levi, of San Francisco, was the first woman in the Western states to enlist for duty with the Marine Corps, entering in September 1918.

She served in Missoula, then was transferred to Spokane’s recruiting office. Miss Levi had been recommended twice before, but the advancement came after the third recommendation submitted by Lt. Charles Gorkum of the Spokane recruiting office.

From the obituaries: The death of city pioneer Mrs. Nelson Durham from heart problems made the front page of the Spokane Chronicle, owing to her work in many areas, including a shelter called the Women’s Hotel, her work for All Saints Episcopal Cathedral and with the Red Cross during the Spanish-American War.

Her husband, a son and two daughters were at her side when she passed away at home at the age of 59.

The newspaper wrote: “The death of Mrs. Durham marks the passing of a woman to whom many public affairs owe much of their success.” Mr. Durham was a prominent newspaper editor and author of the multivolume history of early Spokane.