Thieves break into A.M. Nichols Supply Co.

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
In this week’s installment of “History on Main,” historian Leonard Cash picks up where he left off last week in newspaper records from 1916 on the A.M. Nichols Supply Co., located on lots 4 through 6 on Block 10 (the current Perkins’ Tavern building). 
An article from the Nov. 30, 1916, News Journal reports that the supply company was busy “unloading a car of canned goods and a carload
of sugar.” 
“Owing to the advance in food prices, this shipment amounts to over $2,000 more than it would have cost thirty (years) ago,” the article says. 
According to Cash, these carloads were only about half the size of the carloads today. 
A carload of apples from Yakima, Washington, arrived at the store, around Dec. 15, 1916, and on Jan. 4, 1917, the paper reported that the store received a shipment of seven carloads of building material and one car of building paper. 
“This goes to show that Weston County is fast becoming populated and that times are prosperous here,” the article says. 
Because of a 640-acre homestead law, the Feb. 8, 1917, issue reported that Nichols’ store was busy supplying the orders and demands of building material for the new homesteaders coming in.
A few months later, the company rearranged its window display to a spring theme, according to the Feb. 22, 1917, edition of the paper. 
“The A.M Nichols Supply Co. have their windows artistically arranged with a display of garden and flower seeds. It won’t be long now before everybody will commence to make gardens,” the article says. 
Later, the paper reported on March 15, 1917, that the company had the spring garden and field seeds on display, so the farmers were instructed to come when they could to buy while supplies lasted. 
The following issue of March 22, 1917, announced that one car each of wire, lumber and sugar, as well as two carloads of implements, were delivered to the store. 
During this time, Nichols was excavating his house on Wentworth Street, and according to the March 29, 1917, paper, he bought the former Presbyterian church “more recently occupied by J.F. Hart as a garage.” Cash said Nichols used the building to store his hearse for some time. Later, Cash said, a man by the name of Dixon bought it and remodeled it into an apartment until it burned down in 1945. 
The April 26, 1917, issue reported that the supply company was under construction because an addition on the shedding in the lumber yard was built due to the increase in stock supplies. 
“It will be several thousand feet of lumber and some of the new farming machinery that company is receiving daily,” the article says.
According to records from June 28, 1917, and July 19, 1917, the Newcastle Commercial Club rented a suite of rooms on the Nichols block to create a clubroom. 
“Several hundred dollars’ worth of new furniture have been purchased, and the rooms when entirely decorated will be a very nice place for the members to hold their meeting or to entertain out of town visitors,” the article says. 
On Aug. 2, 1917, the paper reported that thieves had broken into the store. 
“Monday night while town folks and visitors were enjoying the revels of the evening thieves cut both screens of the business office of the A.M. Nichols Supply Co. stores,” the article says. 
They ransacked everything they could, taking all the loose change in the drawer (including pennies), as well as knives, watches and hardware. The amount of property and money stolen totaled $200.
“That it was not the game of boys, who had been reading wild novels, but the deliberate work of one or more men, was made manifest by the fact that one of the party had changed his socks in the official precincts. It is thought the burglars were tramps passing through Newcastle and who would sell their loot in distant towns,” the article says. 
Fortunately, the thieves were caught in Sheridan, and J.B. Hoss Smith, who plead guilty, was sentenced by Judge Raymond to 13-14 years in the Rawlins penitentiary, according to a news report from Aug. 9, 1917.
Nichols, who had been building a home on Wentworth Street, had finally moved in by Aug. 30, 1917 (for more information on this house, check out Cash’s previous “History on Main” series on lots 1 through 3 of block 10). The article added that Nichols was serving as the town’s mayor at this time. 
In the December 1917 issues of the paper, it was announced that Roy Means was to become the new meat cutter, effective in January, at the meat department of the supply company because John Walter had vacated the position. 
The Nichols building was home to several business offices, and according to an article from Jan. 10, 1918, Wykota Oil and Refining Co. and Union Oil Co. established offices at the Nichols building. 
Nichols, who was a businessman, contractor, rancher, mayor and state legislator, was also a real estate agent. The Feb. 18, 1918, paper reported that Nichols was informed by his Casper agent that one of his city lots had sold for $300. Cash said Nichols had several properties for sale in Casper. The lot cost him only $20, the article said, so “it is easy to see what will be worth in Newcastle when oil is found.” 
An article from Feb. 28, 1918, announced that B.D. Emily, who was representing the Beatrice Creamery Co. out of Upton, made arrangements to set up a cream station at Nichols Supply Co. 
“Farmers can now send their cream to Newcastle and receive the highest cash price for the same,” the article says.
Another article from the same issue reported on a carload each of roofing paper, coal and a variety of feed. But the workers were busy unloading because the store could only keep the cars for a limited time.  
According to the March 21, 1918, paper, Harold Schauer arrived from Denver to accept a position in the butcher shop. Ray Means, who used to work at the meat market, said he would remain in Newcastle and might decide to start his own business. The article added that the supply company was starting “something new in our city and will be of interest to all.” The company was displaying a chart each week in the window with “full and complete details of the latest event of the week.” 
On July 4, 1918, in an article titled “Big Crash in Crockery,” the paper announced that $300 worth of fine German crockery (imported before the start of World War I), which sat on the shelves for a couple of years in Nichols’ store, was donated to the Red Cross picnic at Boyd, where shooters could purchase shots. All the money was to be given to Red Cross.  
“The only stipulation Mr. Nichols makes is that every piece must be broken, and none can be taken away from the grounds in condition for use. This will be a lesson to all who are at the picnic in what treatment should be accorded German made goods now and hereafter,” the article says. 
Additionally, Cash said that the German books at the school were burned.
Over a month later, the paper reported on Aug. 29, 1918, that L.W. Parker and his wife were moving into Nichols’ building. 
An article from Oct. 10, 1918, said that due to the scarcity of help during the war, Nichols’ wife accepted a position in the China department as all-around clerk, so the men could “assist in licking the Kaiser.” Lloyd Nichols, her son, was transferred from Utah to Prescott, Arizona, where he worked at the hospital in the Whipple Barracks. 
Next week, Cash will continue going through his
records on the life of
Nichols.