The Mosquito Strike
A local builder halts construction on his new home, citing labor costs against a fierce infestation of pests.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Win. Keeler is building a handsome modern home on his ranch a short distance south of town. Work has been temporarily suspended, as Mr. Keeler did not feel able to pay the union scale to workmen who were compelled to spend half their time fighting off mosquitos. When the beasts vamose the finishing touches will be put on the building.
“Work has been temporarily suspended, as Mr. Keeler did not feel able to pay the union scale to workmen who were compelled to spend half their time fighting off mosquitos.”
While construction delays are common in today's housing market due to material shortages and rising costs, this snippet highlights the raw, physical reality of early 20th-century development in the Okanogan Valley. The intersection of labor negotiation and environmental nuisance captures a unique friction between human progress and the frontier landscape.
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