100 years ago in Spokane: ‘Dead’ World War I soldier declares himself alive; Spokane Club saves itself

A World War I soldier listed as dead by the war department showed up very much alive at Spokane’s Victory loan headquarters.

“I don’t want any monuments erected to my memory,” said Pvt. John W. Ristau. “When I reached home last Saturday I found my father in possession of my death certificate.”

Ristau, who lived on the Moran Prairie, believed records were messed up when he had been wounded in September 1918.

“When I returned to my company later my comrades were dumbfounded,” he said. “They had buried someone whom they thought to be me, and said they could believe anything when they saw me walking into camp.”

Ristau died in 1958 and was buried at Moran Cemetery, but you can still find his name on some lists of World War I soldiers killed in action.

From the feuding organization beat: The Spokane Club, which was on the verge of losing its prized home at Monroe Street and Riverside Avenue, raised enough money to pay off its mortgage along with other financial penalties.

The Elks Lodge of Spokane had been in position to take over the property until the club came up with about $140,000.

When the Union Trust Co., which represented the Elks, filed an additional claim of nearly $11,000, the club promptly paid that, too – though only under protest.

“Oh, that won’t fuss us,” said Thaddeus S. Lane, the Spokane Club’s president. “We’ve got $20,000 more than we need anyway, and if the Elks can think of any other little thing which they will want I imagine we will be able to raise the money all right.”

The Elks had planned to renovate the club into its temple had the club not paid what they were owed.

Fred M. Skadan, exalted ruler of the Spokane Elks’ lodge, said having been paid, the lodge would pursue the construction of a new lodge elsewhere. He said he was “delighted” that the club would remain in “its beautiful home.”

“The mortgage held by the Elks on the Spokane Club building was purely a business investment. The mortgage has been taken up and the Elks have been paid, so every one should be satisfied.”

From the traffic beat: Hillyard (then a separate municipality from Spokane) approved a new speed limit: 20 mph on most streets and 12 mph through downtown.

From the suburban beat: More than 100 people gathered for an auction of property from the Orchard Avenue Irrigation Co., which had provided a free train ride to the auction.

The Orchard Avenue neighborhood is between Felts Field and Millwood, north of Trent Avenue.

The first buyer at the auction was Harry Ingram, who worked for Union Station in downtown Spokane. He paid $1,200 for a lot that included many fruit trees.

Jim Kershner is on sabbatical.