Today's Looking Back can be found here.

The 1910 News-Miner generally followed a standard form: The front page was dominated by national and international news, while the second and third pages were filled with local items — usually no more than a paragraph or two apiece.

Then there would be a page devoted to sports, the second halves of stories that couldn't fit on the front page, and various other specialty items depending on the day of the week. There might be church listings on Saturday, more international news, entertainment news, or something else, depending on what was available. In short, it wasn't all that different from today's News-Miner, except in size, scope, and the quality of the writing. (I know what you're thinking — today's writers are much better, not the other way around.)

In any event, here's the local items on page two of Feb. 22's paper, listed in no particular order, and with the Looking Back item excluded:

PECULIAR ACCIDENT PUTS CLAIM OUT OF BUSINESS

Stick of Wood Intended for Firebox Hits Water Glass on Boiler and Puts Claim on the Blink—3 Above on Fairbanks Creek Inundated With Water Because of the Accident Aforesaid.

The claim of Kelly & Porter, 3 above on Fairbanks Creek, is out of business today as the result of a peculiar accident.

The fireman was about to throw a stick of wood in the firebox and did not gauge his distances properly, whereupon the stick of wood collided with the water glass on the boiler, smashing it. All the steam in the boiler escaped through the broken glass, melting 13 boxes of candles in the boilerhouse and putting the pumps out of business. With the pumps not working, the water took advantage of the fact and filled the workings of the property, with the result that all the work done in that shaft is a dead loss, as are the thaw points, tools, etc.

Jim Kelly is in town today, and says that soon they will have worked out the claim and have 400x1,200 feet of bedrock removed from its resting place. They will move to 3 below, where they will clean that claim of all the gold there is left in it.

***

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY IS GENERALLY OBSERVED

Stores and Banks Closed Today, and Nothing Doing in a Business Way—Masons, of Which George Washington Was a Member, Will Celebrate With a Grand Ball This Evening.

Today is the anniversary of George Washington's birth, and the town of Fairbanks is taking a holiday to celebrate it.

The schools are closed, the banks are closed, the stores are closed, and business is at a standstill. The avenues of news are closed as tightly as a drum, and the newsgatherers are sparring for wind until tomorrow comes and people get busy once more.

Last night was a stay-late night all over the camp. The wives of the business men were all out to card parties, and the men were at the Club. Some of them didn't care how late they stayed out, as they could sleep all day today. Dick Wood played pool at the Club until Mrs. Wood had to come after him, and Eddie Suter would have been there yet if the other fellows had stayed to keep him company. Johnny Kelly played Chinese solitaire at the Tanana Club until 5:30 this morning, and lost $18,000 (in his mind) before the "Chinaman" tired him out.

Today the draymen are moving the contents of the various homes and resorts to the Auditorium, dolling it up for the Masonic Ball that will be held there this evening. All the furnishings of the N.C. messhouse have been moved to the hall, and the beautiful near-palms which distinguish the Pioneer Cafe have been borrowed by the Masons for tonight, that Max Smith and Hunter Scales may stand under them at the ball and sing the Palm Song from Florodora. Fred MacFarline has spent the day in the parlors of the massage artist, getting limbered up for the night's work. The ladies of Fairbanks are filling the hairdressing establishments and the dressmaking parlors as we go to press, preparing for the great social event of the season—the Masonic ball tonight.

That is about all the thrilling news we know.

***

CASPAR FISCHER WAS IN LONDON

After Touring Ireland, Impressario Inhaled the Fogs of London.

HAS SOME NEW PLANS

Will Be Here by the Middle of the Next Month, Ready for Business.

Caspar Fischer, under date of February 2nd, writes the R.C. Wood Co. from New York that he has just returned from London, and that he would leave New York for the Coast on the 7th.

Caspar says he has all the latest dope in light operas and music and that there will be something doing here when he returns.

***

FAIRBANKSANS AT THE GAME

When Snohomish Played Aberdeen, the Home Guard Rooted for Them.

BECAUSE OF THE PLAYERS

McClair and McLaughlin Played With the Sonhomish Aggregation.

Last fall in Seattle, Snohomish played ball against the Aberdeen team, which team was a member of the Coast League.

Learning that McClair and McLaughlin, old-time players here, were working with the Snohomish aggregation, a bunch of Fairbanksans went to see the game. Among them were Judge Kellum and Messrs. Koon, Fischer, Frank Monroe, Laurence, Parsons, Lee James, Jr., and the way the local fans boosted for the Snohomish team was the cause of their winning the game, so Billy Koon says.

***

BILLY CASEY AND HIS FARM

Jack Sale, Who Is a Farmer by Trade, Gives a Technical. Description.

TWO ACRES IN SPAGHETTI

Balance Is Sowed to Barley, for Brewery Purposes, According to Him.

Being curious as to the farm Billy Casey has bought Outside, our agricultural editor asked Jack Sale, an old farmer, about it, and learned that:

The farm is in area eight acres deep. It was all sowed to barley, but when Billy sold his interest in the Arctic brewery he plowed up two acres of the barley and sowed the tract to spaghetti that he might furnish his Fairbanks' visitors with Icelandic cocktails during their visit to Casey's Cache.

This may not be true, but Jack seemed serious when he told the story.

***

ENGINEER A BUSY CREEK

Many Plants Working in That Very Good Creek, and Something Doing.

TAKING OUT THE GOLD

When the Final Count is Taken Engineer Will Be Among Those Present.

W. F. Whiteley, of the R. C. Wood Co., is back from a trip over the creeks, and reports that Engineer looks like the fountain head of industry these days.

"W. F." says that there are plants scattered all over the creek, and that smoke is rising from the smokestacks everywhere. The miners of Engineer are very much encouraged with the outlook there, and will work to beat the record during the coming season.

***

JOE MORROW COMING FAST

Made Donnelly's From Valdez in Four Days of Quick Going.

THINKS THAT IS SOME

Apt to Be Here Any Day Now, Coming on the Kennedy Stages.

Joe Morrow, who has been visiting his people in Chicago, is nearing town on his way back.

From Donnelly's Roadhouse Joe wired Harry Karstens that he had only traveled four days to reach that point and that he is "going some" on his way back to the old camp and the paying-teller's window in the First National.