March 29, 2005 Looking Back is a regular feature of the Modoc County Record, a weekly newspaper, published in Alturas, CA. The following is transcribed from the March 10, 2005 issue. Looking Back 111 Years Ago 1894 J.T. LAIRD has always kept his store doors open, but the other night some hungry individuals entered and stole a quarter of beef. Times are changing, and J.T. says he plans to keep his store locked from now on�. Twenty-six hundred head of sheep are ready for shearing at Amedee at a rate of four cents a sheep�. The Dorris brothers have an old mare that crossed the plains in 1860 on the ranch. She has become so frisky, they have had to quit working her because she runs away as soon as she gets harnessed�. Peter Heard and William Toney came over from Lake City with a four-horse team and managed to return in the same day. That is quite an undertaking this time of year. 91 Years Ago � 1914 JOHN WALLS of Alturas is heading up a citizens complaint against the NCO and a show-cause order has been issued for the company to reduce its highly excessive freight rates�. A big schooner of beer and a hot sausage will cost only five cents at D.W. Thomas shop in New Pine Creek�. The Hess mine has 18 employees getting the mine in shape and it could produce some quantities of gold before long. 71 Years Ago � 1934 THE WPA has granted approval for the construction of the dam at West Valley. This is good news for the ranchers at Likely who have long awaited the storage of water for irrigation purposes�. A heavy rainfall was most welcome this week, but temperatures have since returned to near 80 and the drought continues. We spent Easter weekend at Three Rivers, CA, attending a large wedding. On Easter Sunday we again hosted our family of kids grandkids, and one great-grandchild, to Easter brunch that we started hosting nearly 50 years ago. The location was several hundred miles from our usual spot, but still they insisted on coming. Our grandchildren believe that this is one of our most important times for the clan gathering so I guess that we are stuck with this ritual until we leave this earth. It is still nice to have this gathering of the clan, though. See you all again next week, I hope. Ron Morgan