Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Jared Herdlick, the socialist mayor of Hillyard, was nowhere to be found.

Herdlick had disappeared five days earlier and had failed to show up at City Hall, at his small box-factory business or at home.

This caused considerable consternation in town, but not in the Herdlick home.

His wife, mother and sister gathered on the front porch of his home and pronounced themselves blithely unconcerned.

“Of course we know where he is, and when he’s coming back, only we’re not saying anything about it,” said his wife. “He’ll come back when he’s good and ready, and we’ll do the explaining then.”

They were not telling the truth, as subsequent events would prove. They actually had no idea where he was.

From the bug beat: A Deer Park farmer was at the end of his rope after a “hard-shelled black bug” flew into his ear and couldn’t escape.

G.L. Weller said the bug continually nipped at his eardrum with its pincers, and made a wild buzzing at intervals two seconds apart. Weller couldn’t sleep and feared that the buzzing would drive him insane. About 48 hours later, he was brought to Spokane by auto, where a doctor was finally able to extract the offending insect.