Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The 1910 mania for land – especially on and around the Coeur d’Alene Reservation – was illustrated by the scene in front of the area’s land office.

At least 25 men were waiting in line outside the office – days before the land would be thrown open for settlement.

“They have six nights to wait before the opening, and if they stand in line that long, they will be pretty well worn out,” noted the Chronicle.

From the divorce beat: A local farm woman was in court requesting a divorce from her longtime husband.

The grounds?

“He wasn’t no worker,” she said.

She said he never got up the gumption to work their perfectly good farm. The divorce was granted.

From the accident beat: A man recovered after being shot in the foot by a female companion while target shooting at Minnehaha Park.

He refused to divulge the identity of his companion. He said he had jokingly held up his foot and said words to the effect of, “Shoot this!”

So she did.

In other words, he said, it was all his own fault.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1876: Colorado was admitted as the 38th state. … 1907: The U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force.