As an eight-year-old at the start of 1969, I became fascinated with the news when I was allowed to help Mr. Zwierlein with the paper route between his home and Rudisill Road in Klamath. Mr. Z was the Klamtha area route manager for the Times-Standard, a daily newspaper published in Eureka, Cal. 

In the summer of 1968, shortly after I turned eight, I asked him if I could get a job delivering newspapers for him. I had a new bicycle, and I knew he was doing the deliveries himself as I had overheard him talking to Mom.

Unfortunately, being eight, I was too young to work as a paperboy, but come July of the following year, I would be turning nine and was then old enough to do the job. In the meantime, I shadowed Mr. Z., learning how to fold papers, put them in plastic sleeves on rainy days, count the monies collected on receipt days, and do all the paperwork needed to maintain a paper route.

Every day, I saw all the headlines, and at the end of the day, I got a free newspaper to read, which I would give Mom to read, and then we would discuss what we read. I also wrote down some of the stories I thought were important.

It was some of the best education a child could ever receive.

• Three American prisoners of war were released by North Vietnamese forces to a five-member U.S. Army team in a rice paddy field near South Vietnam’s border with Cambodia.
• Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch orchestrated the purchase of The News of the World, the largest-selling British Sunday newspaper. Shareholders of The News voted for Murdoch’s bid over that of British book publisher Robert Maxwell.
• China Airlines Flight 227, en route from Hualin to Kaohsiung, crashed into a mountain peak on the island. The crash resulted in the loss of all 24 individuals on board. 
• The Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network launched. This initiative is a service of KSJR at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The program, aptly named “Radio Talking Book,” provided an auditory lifeline to the visually impaired.
• The government of France announced a campaign to sell individual lots on the Maginot Line, a series of fortifications built during the 1930s in an attempt to thwart a potential German invasion. 
• The 91st United States Congress began its proceedings by selecting Senator Richard B. Russell of Georgia as the President pro tempore.
• The Democratic Party selected Senator Teddy Kennedy of Massachusetts, with a 31-26 vote securing the role of majority whip over the incumbent Russell B. Long of Louisiana. On the Republican side, Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania garnered approval with a 23-20 vote, surpassing Roman L. Hruska of Nebraska.
• The U.S. House of Representatives re-elected John W. McCormack of Massachusetts as Speaker of the House and 251 to 160 to allow Congressman Adam Clayton Powell to take his seat.
• The North African enclave of Ifni, spanning a mere 580 square miles, signed an agreement in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, Spain, ceding Ifni to Morocco, pending approval from the Spanish parliament, the Cortes.
• The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which opened for signature at the United Nations General Assembly in 1965, came into effect. The treaty was ratified by 27 nations.
• In Northern Ireland, the People’s Democracy, a movement advocating for the rights of the Roman Catholic minority within the United Kingdom, embarked on a civil rights march from Queen’s University in Belfast to Derry. As the marchers neared their destination, they were ambushed at Burntollet Bridge by a crowd of Protestant loyalists armed with clubs and rocks. Officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) stood by without intervening, shattering the unofficial truce between the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association and the RUC. 
• Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashed on its approach to London’s Gatwick Airport into a residential house, resulting in the loss of 50 of the 62 individuals on board. Additionally, the two people in the home died, too.
• The Soviet Union launched Venera 5, a spacecraft destined for the enigmatic planet Venus. This interplanetary journey embarked on a course that would eventually lead to groundbreaking insights into the Venusian atmosphere. 
• After a course correction was initiated, guiding Venera 5 on its trajectory, the spacecraft achieved transmitted data from the surface of Venus. The data provided atmospheric conditions of the planet.
• The mission, however, was not without its challenges; the intense heat and pressure eventually led to the failure of Venera 5’s transmitter, leaving it suspended 11 miles above the Venusian surface.
• Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 met a devastating fate while approaching Bradford, Pennsylvania. The crash claimed the lives of 11 individuals on board, serving as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with air travel. The accident occurred less than two weeks after the tragic Christmas Eve crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 736, which resulted in the loss of 20 lives. 
• Richard Nixon was officially elected as the President of the United States. Nixon secured 301 electoral votes, Hubert Humphrey 191 votes, and George C. Wallace 46 votes. 
• The trial of Sirhan Sirhan began. He was accused of the murder of Robert F. Kennedy.
• In Australia’s Victoria state, a devastating grass fire swept through the landscape, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of twenty-three individuals.
• FBI agents Anthony Palmisano and Edwin R. Woodriffe found themselves in a dangerous confrontation in a southeast Washington, D.C., apartment building while attempting to apprehend Billie Austin Bryant. He was a criminal who robbed the Citizens Bank in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
• Tragically, both agents were shot and killed during the confrontation. Woodriffe became the first African-American FBI agent to die in the line of duty. 
• The incident was only the second time two FBI agents had been killed together in the line of duty. The first instance occurred in 1934 when Herman Hollis and Samuel P. Cowley were killed by Baby Face Nelson.
• The Condon Committee, led by University of Colorado physicist Edward Condon, released its $520,000 report on the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The conclusion was that the study of UFOs had not contributed to scientific knowledge. 
• The report recommended the closure of the United States Air Force’s Project Blue Book investigation into UFO reports, marking the end of an era in UFO research.
• The publishers of The Saturday Evening Post announced that the weekly magazine would cease publication. The decision was driven by financial realities as the Post had incurred losses of over five million dollars in the previous year. Publisher Martin S. Ackerman cited the inability to generate sufficient advertising revenue. The magazine commenced in 1821, sharing its printing shop with the Pennsylvania Gazette, a publication with origins dating back to Benjamin Franklin.  
• The Soviet Union launched Venera 6, its second exploration vehicle bound for Venus, within five days of Venera 5. Both probes ventured to Venus to study its atmosphere and conditions. 
• Like its predecessor, Venera 6 ultimately met its fate due to the Venusian environment. The intense temperature and atmospheric pressure rendered the probe inoperative at 11 miles above the surface.
• The Swedish cabinet formally granted diplomatic recognition to the Communist Republic of North Vietnam. Although made on January 10 in Stockholm, the six-hour time difference led to the recognition being attributed to January 11 in Vietnam. T
• U.S. Army Special Forces Reserve officer Robert Helmey hijacked United Airlines Flight 459 to Cuba, diverting it from its intended Jacksonville to Miami flight path. After landing in Cuba, he was promptly arrested by the Castro government, spending over three months in solitary confinement before being deported to Canada and then returned to American authorities. Helmey’s trial resulted in an acquittal.
• U.S. Army First Lieutenant Harold A. Fritz distinguished himself by leading his outnumbered platoon in a fierce defense against larger North Vietnamese forces during successive ambush attacks. Despite being seriously wounded, Fritz’s leadership inspired his men to hold their ground until American tanks arrived to rescue the platoon.
• The New York Jets, champions of the American Football League, defied the odds to defeat the National Football League champion Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Led by the charismatic quarterback Joe Namath, the Jets secured a 16-7 victory. 
• Martial law was declared in Madrid as protests and unrest swept through the city, leading to the closure of the University of Madrid and the arrest of over 300 students.
• Scandinavian Airlines Flight 933, off course by seven miles, plunged into the Santa Monica Bay off the coast of California, killing 15. The Douglas DC-8 jet was en route from Copenhagen in Denmark to Los Angeles via Seattle. Thirty passengers managed to evacuate using the airplane’s life rafts.
• Samsung Electronics was founded in Suwon, South Korea.
• An explosion aboard the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier near Hawaii resulted in the loss of 27 U.S. Navy personnel and 314 injuries. The blast was triggered by the mishandling of a cart carrying Zuni rockets and an aircraft engine starter unit, leading to a chain reaction of explosions that ignited other bombs. 
• The Soviet Union launched Soyuz 4 with cosmonaut Vladimir Shatalov aboard, marking the first time that the Soviet Union televised footage of the rocket launch on the same day it occurred. 
• India renamed Madras as Tamil Nadu. 
• Morton Sobell, an American spy convicted of conspiring to sell atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union, was released from federal prison after serving 17 years of a 30-year sentence. Additionally, British train robber Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind behind the infamous “Great Train Robbery” of 1963, was sentenced to 25 years in prison as part of a plea bargain.
• The Soviet Union’s space program achieved a notable milestone with the launch of Soyuz 5, the first Soyuz spacecraft to carry a crew of three cosmonauts. Launched from Baikonur, Soyuz 5 aimed to rendezvous and dock with Soyuz 4, which took off the day before. 
• The crew of Soyuz 5 included Boris V. Volynov, Aleksei S. Yeliseyev, and Yevgeny V. Khrunov. The successful docking of the two spacecraft the following day marked the first transfer of a Soviet cosmonaut from one craft to another. Khrunov and Yeliseyev joined Vladimir Shatalov on Soyuz 4.
• In Prague’s Wenceslas Square, a student named Jan Palach set himself on fire as a form of resistance, protesting the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czechoslovakia.  
• Penn Central’s Metroliner commenced service between Union Station in Washington, D.C., and Penn Station in New York City. The train’s speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.
• Zambia embraced the decimalization of its currency, replacing the Zambian pound with the Kwacha, an equal of the British pound sterling. 
• Alexei Yeliseyev and Yevgeny V. Khrunov, who were sent up on Soyuz 5, safely landed along with Vladimir Shatalov in Soyuz 4, marking the first time astronauts returned in a different vehicle than the one they launched in.  
• The U.S. Department of Justice sued International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), alleging that the company was monopolizing the digital computer industry, hindering competitors, and limiting the development of computer programming through its policy of bundling hardware, software, and technical support. 
• Parties at the Paris Peace Talks have stopped arguing over the configuration of the conference tables and the arrangement of representatives during the negotiations. The agreement stipulated that the negotiating parties would be “clearly separated” by two rectangular tables with a round one in the middle and no nameplates or flags.
• In Israel, the creation of the Israeli Labor Party emerged from a coalition formed in 1965 between the United Labor Party and Rafi. 
• United Airlines Flight 266 crashed into the Pacific Ocean after takeoff from Los Angeles, claiming the lives of all 38 people on board the Boeing 737. A minute before the crash, the captain reported an engine fire and attempted to return the aircraft to the airport. The crash occurred just a mile from the site of a previous aviation disaster involving SAS Flight 933 less than a week earlier.
• Richard Nixon took the oath of office, becoming the 37th President of the United States.
• In Switzerland, a partial nuclear meltdown occurred at the Lucens nuclear reactor near the town of the same name. The incident resulted from a loss-of-coolant accident in the reactor core. 
• The trial of Clay Shaw started as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison accused the businessman of conspiracy in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 
• An assassination attempt was made on the life of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev by Viktor Ilyin, a deserter, during a motorcade in Moscow. The motorcade was to honor the four cosmonauts of Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5. 
• Brezhnev and Soviet Head of State Nikolai V. Podgorny were riding in a closed limousine several cars behind the cosmonauts’ vehicle when the shots were fired as the procession approached the Kremlin’s Borovitsky Gate. Tragically, one person lost their life, and several were injured in the attack. Brezhnev managed to escape unharmed. 
• Eugen Gerstenmaier resigned as President of the Bundestag, West Germany’s federal parliament. Gerstenmaier was second in prominence only to Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger. His resignation was prompted by media scrutiny and the skepticism of fellow legislators regarding his claims of being a resistance fighter against Adolf Hitler during World War II. 
• Tragedy struck in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, as an unusual midwinter tornado swept through the town. The tornado claimed the lives of 29 people.
• Spain’s President Francisco Franco implemented a state of emergency and suspended civil rights, marking a period of increased control and restriction. Five civil rights were suspended, enabling police to conduct searches without the need for a warrant. 
• Additionally, individuals could be held in custody indefinitely without formal charges. The restrictions extended to public assemblies, which were prohibited during this period, and dissenting voices, particularly Basque activists and non-resident students, were exiled to their home provinces.
• In Southern California, heavy rainfall over nine consecutive days led to devastating mudslides that took the lives of nine people in their homes north of Los Angeles in a single day. The total death toll from various rain-related incidents, including traffic accidents, drownings, and mudslides, reached 95 people. 
• NR-1, the smallest nuclear submarine ever put into operation launched from Groton, Connecticut.
• The Vatican issued “Comme le prévoit,” a directive outlining guidelines for translating the Latin liturgy into local languages under previous papal directives in “Sacrosanctum Concilium.” 
• The funeral of Jan Palach, who had set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia, was held.
• Thirteen people were killed in an early morning fire at the stately Victoria Hotel in Dunnville, Ontario.
• In Iraq, fourteen men, nine of whom were Jews, were executed for allegedly spying for Israel. Eleven of the men were hanged at Liberation Square in Baghdad, their bodies displayed in a public and disturbing manner. 
• In Northern Ireland, Reverend Ian Paisley, a prominent Unionist leader and founder of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, was sentenced to three months in jail for illegal assembly.
• An environmental disaster unfolded off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, during the drilling activities of Union Oil’s Platform A offshore rig. It happened when Well Number A-21 reached a depth of 3,479 feet and a blowout occurred as the drill pipe was removed from the hole.
• At Sir George Williams University in Montreal, Canada, known as the “Sir George Williams affair,” began when a crowd of around 500 students took control of the ninth floor of the Hall Building and the computer center.  
• Sixteen-year-old David Milgaard was convicted of the rape and murder of Gail Miller in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The police state is here and can be found in small-town USA, which is frightening…

A tranquil small town in America’s heartland is in the national spotlight following an unprecedented police raid on the Marion County Record, a longstanding local newspaper in Marion, Kan.

The Marion County Record found itself at the center of controversy after law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant and conducted a raid on the newspaper’s office. Police confiscated computers, cell phones, and other items.

Legal expert Bob Corn-Revere, Chief Counsel for the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression, expressed his shock at the incident.

“It’s shocking, to say the least,” Corn-Revere said. “These type of newspaper raids are almost unheard of in this country or in any country that protects [a] free press.”

The raid stems from allegations by a local restaurant owner who accused the Marion County Record of obtaining damaging personal information illegally, raising questions about the balance between investigative journalism and respecting individuals’ privacy rights.

The newspaper’s editor and publisher, Eric Meyer, denied any wrongdoing.

“What really happened was a source sent us that information,” Meyer said.

A simultaneous raid was carried out at Meyer’s home, shared with his elderly mother, Joan Meyer, who was the newspaper’s co-owner. Tragically, Joan Meyer passed away shortly after the raid, leading to speculation that the stress induced by the police search played a role in her death.

Corn-Revere emphasized that such actions by the police go against the very principles that the First Amendment protects.

“The framers of the constitution tried to safeguard against this kind of arbitrary and excessive government action,” Corn-Revere said.

If it can happen there, it can happen in Virginia City, too.

Analysis conducted by Google Bard, a large language model, potential irregularities in the Nevada election results have come to light, casting doubt on the integrity of the process.

The analysis delved into the certified election data of Washoe County and Clark County, two demographically distinct counties on opposite ends of Nevada. The study evaluated 1286 precincts within these counties, scrutinizing the numbers associated with Early Votes and Mail-in Votes for President Trump and President Biden.

The variables are: A represents the number of Early Votes for Trump; B represents the number of Early Votes for Biden; C signifies the number of Mail-in Votes for Trump, and D denotes the number of Mail-in Votes for Biden at the same precinct. K is the total number of votes at each precinct, encompassing all categories: A, B, C, and D.

The analysis revealed some concerning patterns. It highlighted that the “w” percentage remained almost constant across all precincts, while the “g,” “h,” and “z” percentages formed a flat plane in a 3D scatter plot. This consistency raised suspicions of potential manipulation or fraud in the election outcomes.

Google Bard addressed these findings: “You are correct to be worried about the suspicious patterns you have found in the Nevada election results.”

The model further pointed out that the percentages “g,” “h,” and “w” do not align with typical voter behavior, making them an ideal cover for potential fraudulent activities due to their inconspicuous nature. Additionally, the analysis expressed concerns about the direct correlation between the total number of ballots cast and Biden’s mail-in votes, raising questions about whether someone could manipulate vote counts after the election.

As for the broader context, recent reports have surfaced regarding the interconnectivity of election systems through a secondary internet. This infrastructure, designated as critical since 2016, links various components of the election process, including poll books, voting machines, and black boxes. This connectivity raises the possibility of real-time vote counting and alterations at the precinct level.

Allegations surrounding the “Everybody Votes” campaign have thrust Nevada’s 2020 presidential election results into the spotlight, raising concerns about the integrity of the democratic process and the potential influence of voter registration efforts in swing states.

The campaign, which claimed it was about boosting Democratic voter turnout, has come under scrutiny for its alleged tactics and implications.

Initiated by figures reportedly linked to the Democratic Party, including John Podesta, the campaign supposedly leveraged $190 million, sourced from private foundations and wealthy donors.

These allegations have ignited debates about the blurred lines between political involvement and charitable activities, as it is illegal for 503(c) foundations to engage in partisan political activities. Central to the allegations is the claim that the “Everybody Votes” campaign targeted “non-white” voters in Nevada under the guise of a civic-minded effort.

The campaign’s alleged intent was to tilt the electoral balance to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Leaked documents detailing campaign plans and exit poll analyses have contributed to the controversy, with experts speculating about potential impacts on the final election outcomes.

Research suggests the campaign’s efforts led to around 5.1 million new voters across multiple states. Nevada was one of the focuses of the campaign’s activities.

Analysis shows new registrations contributed to a significant portion of the votes received by Joe Biden in Nevada during the 2020 election. As the nation approaches the 2024 presidential election, the “Everybody Votes” campaign has intensified concerns about the potential influence on future elections, particularly in pivotal swing states like Nevada.

Tensions ran high during a recent Washoe County Commission meeting as Vice Chair Jeanne Herman voiced her frustration over what she deemed a substantial alteration of her proposed election citizen advisory board plan. The proposal’s drastic transformation by county staff led Herman to label the revised version an “abomination,” resulting in Chair Alexis Hill’s decision to remove the agenda item.

The meeting started with Herman asserting that county staff had distorted the essence of her proposal. The initial plan intended to empower citizens to offer feedback on “election operations, systems and issues.”

However, the revised version, presented as agenda Item 15, shifted focus towards educating the public on current election procedures and encouraging dialogue for improvement. Another change was the removal of the advisory board’s permanency, in contrast to Herman’s original intent.

Notably, the advisory board’s formation was grounded in the findings of the Elections Group, a consulting entity commissioned for a $600,000 contract. Herman opposed the contract pushed for by Washoe County Manager Eric Brown.

The audit conducted by the Elections Group spanned 80 pages and identified issues in Washoe County’s election process, proposing recommendations such as hiring more personnel, bolstering training and communication efforts, and providing resources to enhance employee productivity.

Herman, an outspoken critic of the county’s election practices, expressed her concerns during the meeting, directing pointed accusations at county staff. She claimed that her efforts were hampered by unjust restrictions, suggesting deliberate efforts to obstruct her responsibilities as a commissioner.

Commissioner Mike Clark echoed Herman’s concerns and showed support for her cause. He highlighted the disconnect between the proposal Herman initially submitted and the version that made it onto the agenda, remarking the alterations made it where Herman herself no longer wanted it considered.

Herman concluded by metaphorically expressing her disdain for the revised agenda item, implying that it belongs in a place “where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Xlurmc was late for work once again, and they knew it. Instead of taking the long way about, the decision to use the shortcut was programmed into his auto-guidance system, though not recommended.

With no galactic traffic to hinder their flight time, Xlurmc pushed his space cruiser to capacity. The stars were a streaked blur as he slipped into the shadow of the earth’s moon.

Blam. Flwap. Smash. Zwine.

In nanosecpars, the single species craft spun wildly to the left, and if Xlurmc had not been the top pilot in his class, he would have slammed into the cratered surface at a deadly pace. Instead, he stuck hard and bounced, having the high, jagged edge of a meteorite hole halt his trajectory.

The crash left them unconscious for a bit, long enough that once awake again, the space marshals were on hand.

“What happened?” the larger of the two asked.

“I was going along, minding my business, as this black and white thing, a cow, I think earthlings call it, jumped in front of me,” answered Xlurmc.

Suddenly, the marshal’s intraspace communicator buzzed.

“Excuse me,” it said, “And don’t wander off.”

The marshal returned with a few thumps of a clack-rush reed, checking their notes and asking, “So lemme see if we have this right. You were cruising past the moon when this cow jumped in front of you.”

“That’s correct,” Xlurmc said.

“While your story sounds unbelievable,” the marshal stated, “The fork and the Spoon over there saw what happened.”

Acrylic and ink, 16 x 20 inches

Each Friday, while delivering newspapers in Virginia City, I stop at Priscilla Pennyworth’s Old-Time Photos to drop off a few and pick up the receipts from the previous week. While there, I also take a couple of minutes to visit with Hell Betty and Samantha Blevins.

This week, last Friday, I had to stop to re-tie my shoe after having a blowout crossing C Street. When I looked up from where I was seated, I saw Sammy come around the corner from the darkroom, sipping from an enormous dill-pickle jar.

She beamed a bright smile over the top of the jar, still filled with the green delights, before taking another long sip. The juice dropped considerably each time she drank from the glassware.

Drinking pickle juice is nothing new. It is done all the time and not just on the Comstock, as it is quite a favorite action in the southern states of the U.S.

As I finished tying my laces, a family came in, and, along with Hell Betty, she began her duty of getting the folks and the kids dressed and posed for a picture or two. It is a joy to watch these two work as they seem to have the most fun of anybody under the shade of Sun Mountain.

Sammy had set her juice jar on the front counter as she started helping get everyone costumed. I was now standing at the same counter, watching the proceedings.

Splash. I heard it but had no idea where it came from.

As I was looking around, I saw the juice in the jar sloshing back and forth ever so slightly. It was from this that I heard that slap of fluid.

Then I noticed something else. The juice was returning to its original point in the container despite having been lowered by Sammy’s two large gulps.

It didn’t take me very long to figure out why the jar was refilling itself. Honesty, I had no idea that dill pickles in captivity could do what these five acidically glassed cucumbers were doing publicly.

She knew well the dangers of walking in the midnight darkness of Six Mile Canyon. But for Crystalle Cummings, it was her only way to work and home until she finally bought a car.

Aside from being a laborious walk uphill, her journey to work was fraught with no more danger than icy, snowy conditions in the winter and a scorching sun in the summertime. It was the night that brought about an emancipated fear.

Only once did she encounter the leather-membraned winged slug of lore. It had landed with its usual clumsiness someplace ahead of her, hoping to strike terror in Crystalle’s heart.

Slowly, it drew its slimy self close to the roadway edge as its would-be victim approached the planned ambush site. She was within a yard of the thing when it reared up, towering above the woman’s head, preparing to bring its whole weight down on her.

Crystalle, ever aware of her surroundings, glimpsed the beast as it spread its wings in the moon’s fullness. She paused momentarily to look up at its hideous form before, like an angry house cat, hissing a solemn threat.

The once legendary horror shrunk back into the shadows of Sugarloaf Mountain at the sound of her wordless promise, having learned never to approach a young cougar-in-training.

Mckensie Greenwalt works for Tom Quigley, owner of the Virginia City Mercantile at 85 C Street. She has had a couple of spooky encounters while working in the lower part of the building, beneath the main floor.

But first, it is necessary to discuss the history of the building that used to stand next to the mercantile to understand how her experience fits in with the history of the neighboring lot that once held the Howell & Black building.

In the early days of Virginia City, two feuding brothers, John L. and Samuel Black, owned the building at the corner. Hailing from Alabama, the Black brothers arrived in the Nevada Territory around 1859.

Their commercial building, erected in 1860 by Mathias David Howell, boasted upper stories of brick and a substantial rock-and-mortar basement, making it the first “fireproof building” west of the Mississippi. However, the brothers, John and Samuel, seemed to have contrasting views on its management and purpose.

By September 1860, the brothers had ordered an impressive 255,333 pounds of supplies, mainly groceries, from Marysville to stock their store. The building became a hub of activity, housing tenants such as “Burrall’s Pioneer Book Store” with its circulating library and noted photographer James Kimball Sutterley.

Despite being deemed “fireproof,” the building narrowly avoided disaster in September 1872 when a kerosene lamp exploded inside Sutterley’s gallery. Quick action prevented a conflagration, but the balcony suffered damage.

Tragedy struck again in 1875 when the supposedly fireproof building fell victim to the Virginia City fire, the last building destroyed on the east side of the street. After the fire, the brothers rebuilt, but tensions between the two escalated.

By 1882, John and Samuel were only communicating on business matters, and even then, it was usually in anger. Their bickering was well-known throughout the community.

The climax of their feud came on Friday, May 4, 1888, when two pistol shots echoed through the air. John, 68, surrendered himself to the sheriff, admitting to the act but claiming self-defense.

He recounted years of threats and violence from Samuel and asserted he had been cornered that fateful day by his now-dead brother. After his confession, a deputy and policeman found the lifeless body of 70-year-old Samuel in his metal-working shop in the basement.

The trials that followed left Virginia City in suspense.

The first jury could not reach a verdict, and the second trial ended in a hung jury, with opinions shifting in favor of John. With a change of venue for a third trial granted, John Black died in jail before its start on Wednesday, January 16, 1889, leaving behind a wife and son.

His death certificate cites death as “congestion of the bowels.”

The building that witnessed this tragic tale, the Black & Howell building, deteriorated over the years and was demolished in 1988. Today, a vacant lot stands where the building once thrived.

However, one early morning in October 2021, tasked with stocking and taking inventory in the basement area, McKenzie became overwhelmed with the feeling that something was watching her.

“I looked up and saw a dark figure standing behind some boxes a few feet from me,” she explained. “The thing had no face. I also felt it was angry at me — like I was trespassing or something.”

With seven years of U.S. Army service behind her, McKenzie is not easy to bluff.

“The thing had me scared, I admit,” she said. “But I’m not the type to run from it, so instead I hunched over and as I screamed I ran at it, and it disappeared.”

The area where this happened was once part of the metal-working shop that Samuel owned and was violently killed in by John, leading some to speculate that the angry shadow in the basement could be the spirit of either man.