This day in history: More uranium discovered on Spokane Indian Reservation; drug company warned of nonexistent flu epidemic
There were no new cases of influenza on record at the health department, the Spokane Daily Chronicle reported on March 19, 1925. (Spokane Daily Chronicle)
From 1975: Midnite Mines Inc. announced that it had uncovered new uranium deposits on its claims on the Spokane Indian Reservation.
This came on the heels of an announcement a week before by the mine’s co-owner, Dawn Mining Co., which said that it had sold 400,000 pounds of uranium oxide to a West German purchaser.
The mine was about 50 miles northwest of Spokane. Dawn also operated a uranium ore processing plant at Ford, Washington.
The new deposits were discovered after 16,000 feet of diamond drill holes had been sunk on the mining claims.
From 1925: The Joyner Drug Co. of Spokane ran an alarming advertisement that read, “There IS Another Flu Epidemic – Be Prepared.”
This was guaranteed to cause consternation, since the memory of the 1918-20 Spanish flu epidemic was still fresh in everyone’s mind. The store recommended buying “Joyner’s Cold, Grip, Influenza Capsules.”
The next page had some reassuring news. “Although it has been reported that there is an influenza epidemic in the city, we have no new cases on record at the health department,” said the Spokane health commissioner. “it may have been that there are a number of slight cases in the city. Most of these are cases of severe colds that should receive proper attention.”
The city’s high schools reported 200 absences for illness, but these were apparently cases of severe colds.