Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI June 11, 1992, Page 24 Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon. Index of "Oldies" Articles

Oldies                    

By Dee Zimmerman

With this being Dairy Month in Wisconsin, it seems only fitting to have a dairy cow story on the “Oldies” page. 

In the year of 1954 a dairy cow named “Molly” had the misfortune of falling into an abandoned well.  The cow belonged to Albert and Luella Mohr, who farmed in the Town of Pine Valley.

One morning at four o’clock Luella got out of bed to care for one of her children.  At that time she heard cows walking around the house, which meant they had broken through the cow lot fence.  Upon going outdoors to investigate the situation, she and Albert heard some splashing noise also.

Between the house and barn there was an old abandoned dug well.  A new well had been drilled and was being used for the family and farm water supply.  The old wooden planks, which covered the old dug well, had rotted and when the cow stepped on the platform her weight caused the planks to break.  Looking into the old well, they found Molly.

Then came the problem of how to get the cow out of the well…. Zilk’s garage, which was located on the corner of Division and Hewett Streets in Neillsville, owned a large wrecker and they were called to the Mohr farm.  After some organizing, help of friends and the wrecker assistance, Molly was hoisted out.

As the picture shows, with Luella and Albert pulling at her head, two friends helping at the other end, she was gotten up on her feet.  Other than some bruises and scrapes she was fine and able to join the rest of the cow herd.

When the county was first settled, shallow 15 or 20 foot wells were dug which were ample for the farm family water supply at that time.  As time went on, the farms got larger, with more livestock, and the wells became insufficient for the water needs.  Then larger and deeper wells were drilled, abandoning the old shallow wells.

(Correction on last week’s Oldies Page:  Photos were that of Ken Olson’s sister, Ellen (Olson) Johnson.  Also Irene Bradford in photo, not Florence.)

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Compiled by Terry Johnson

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

“The smallest inheritance tax ever paid in probate court of Clark County was recorded here last week.  It amounted to just four cents.”

Jimmy Neville, Eugene Opelt, and Veland Schofield were riding in a pickup truck which overturned near the Alvin Schutte farm, four and one-half miles south of Neillsville.  According to bystanders at the Schutte farm, one of the youth was “flipped completely” over the telephone wires strung beside the road.  All three youth were thrown from the vehicle.  Schofield had serious injuries, but the other two were not seriously injured.

“A faulty speedometer constitutes an ‘extenuating circumstance,’ but it is not a defense against a speeding charge, County Judge, Richard F. Gaffney ruled in his court here last week.”

Work progressed on the Listeman Arboretum.  Helping in the Arboretum project were conservation students from the Wisconsin State University-Stevens Point.  Besides safety helmets, the students wore hockey shin guards as protective gear.

This appeared on the editorial page: “In Springfield, Ill., the state senate has passed a bill prohibiting women from inducing men to buy drinks for them in taverns by winking or crossing their legs.”

FIFTY YEARS AGO

A story about the graduating class of ’42 noted that this class began as kindergartners on the first year that D. E. Peters served as superintendent.  D. E. Peters was still superintendent in 1942 and presented the diplomas to the graduates.

“Reddy Kilowatt, your electrical servant” advised homemakers in the N.S.P. ad, telling them what swift work he could make of their ironing chores.  “Helping you with your ironing each week is one of the jobs I like best at your house,” he said.

The Camouflage Engineering Corporation of New York was surprised, after hiring a woman who was a portrait painter, to find that “women are capable of learning the subject of camouflage.”  The company announced that it would hire more women in the future. 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

“Augusta merchants have gone over to the strickly (strictly) cash basis and will do no more credit business.”

“Linster Bros., Ben Thoma and Emil Poppe have bought Chevrolet cars from Naedler & Reinhart.”

“Wausau motorcycle enthusiasts have formed the First Wisconsin Motorcycle Machine Gun Company.”

“John Kuepper has traded the Columbia Hotel for a fine farm near Shawano and will move onto the farm at once.  His father will run the hotel until the new proprietor can take possession.”

“A joy ride to Greenwood and Loyal Saturday, wound up with an auto turning turtle and the intervention of the sheriff, and the young people who engaged in the ride have every reason to rejoice that they had a lucky escape from serious injury in the auto accident.”

In York Center news:  “The farmers now are busy as bees and as happy as larks, but not anymore so than Hoolie Happigan.”

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

“If this Democratic Congress keeps on, the only cent left in the Treasury will be a bad smell.”—L. B. Ring, editor.

From the “Wit and Humor” column on page 3: “Uncle – ‘What is your favorite dish, Karlchen?’  Karlchen – ‘Suet dumplings; for they always make me so ill that I can’t go to school the day after.’ – Anekdoten Bibliothek.”

Quoted from “Texas Siftings”:  “He – Did I leave my umbrella at your house last night?  She – You left an umbrella, but I don’t know whether it was yours or not.”

“Smoked Cigarettes on a Powder Chest: Paris, May 26. – Four soldiers have been fatally injured at Chalons by an explosion of gunpowder.  They, with two others, were conveying a chest of gunpowder to the camp-fire grounds, and on the way stopped to rest, sitting down on the chest.  Without thinking of the powder they began to smoke cigarettes, and almost instantly the explosion occurred.”

Page 7:  “A Difference.  ‘I wish you would give me that gold ring which you have on your finger,’ said a village masher to a country girl ‘for it resembles the duration of my love for you – it has no end.’  ‘Excuse me, sir,’ said the girl, ‘I keep it because it is likewise emblematical of my love for you – it has no beginning.’”

Ad:  “Reids German Cough and Kidney Cure.  The Best Remedy in the world for all maladies arising from a cold.”  SYLVAN REMEDY CO., Peoria, ILL.

“Ground was broken yesterday for the Unitarian church basement, on Fifth St, corner of Clay.”

“An individual with long hair and enormous sombrero, perhaps a Mexican bandit, was about town yesterday.”

“The race track at the Fair Grounds has always been eleven feet lower at the south end than at the north, and the Society this year is doing the necessary grading to make it level, or nearly so.  Fast horses will do better on the leveled track, especially as the home stretch has heretofore been up hill work, literally—the very place where weary with effort, the horses need to be favored, not handicapped.”

Fourteen-year-old Elmer Taylor, adopted son of the jeweler H. E. Taylor, drowned in the Black River just north of the railroad bridge.  A search party was formed and the river was dragged all the way to Ross Eddy.  Not a trace of the boy was found.  “The agony of Mrs. and Mr. Taylor is too great for words; the suspense and uncertainty as to where and when the body will be found, being almost more than can be borne.”