Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

October 28, 1998, Page 36

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

The Good Old Days

   

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman 

 

Clark County News

 

October 1893

 

A stone foundation has been put under R. M. Campbell’s livery stable barn on the corner of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue.

 

G. W. Allen and D. J. Kinney, of Loyal, left Tuesday morning for the northwestern part of Lincoln County, where they will look over their timber interests.  They have recently purchased 74 forty’s of land and plan to look over another tract of land.  If they decide to purchase the second tract, they will own about 5,000 acres of valuable timber land in that area.  The nearest railroad is at Rib Lake but the owners believe the road will soon be extended.  It is estimated that the tract will produce 15,000,000 ft. of hemlock.  As tanneries are now locating in that region, it is believed the hemlock to be used will increase its value.

 

A tenant is wanted for the Ross Eddy farm to move on or about Nov. 12, 1893.  For details, apply at the Neillsville Times office.

 

The Dewhurst and Hemphill families are going to the World’s Fair this week.  Plans are that the fair will continue through November 1st.  Mrs. Tom Lowe and daughter, Genevieve will leave for the fair next week.  Mrs. O. P. Wells went to Chicago on Saturday to spend some time at the fair.

 

A fine bed of gravel for road building is owned by Pine Valley.  It is located a mile south of Neillsville, in the highway hill, which should be leveled down.

 

The sale of lots at Columbia has stopped.  The push put on by the state and Illinois has exposed the nothingness of things at the town’s site of no-where-land, between Neillsville and Merrillan – the harvest is closed.   A week ago, deeds to lots were arriving at the register of deeds office by the score, creating a great rush for recording.  The bubble burst and now calm pervades in Zassenhaus’ deeds office.  Lots were mostly sold at $5 to $10 each and were disposed of like hot cakes at Chicago, Janesville and elsewhere.  People who buy lots and lands off-hand without inspection, must expect to be nipped.

 

The church at Shortville will be dedicated on Tuesday, Oct. 17.  The services will be at 11 a.m. and also in the afternoon.

 

August Schoengarth has been altering and enlarging his house next to the brick yard.  When veneered with brick, it will be as stylish in appearance as any house in town.  (The house is located on Oak Street in the 300 block. D. Z.)

 

In the two 40 class horse race at Marshfield last week, James O’Neill’s Patchen Wilkes won, beating four other contestants.

 

Yesterday morning four families with a number of small children arrived here at the railroad station on their way to Columbia.  They were met at the train by men employed by the promoters of the scheme and taken out to the area of slashings.  It would have been sad to see their faces as they looked for the big factories, the thundering waterfall and hum of revolving spindles.  No doubt they will promptly return back to the homes they left.

 

The forest fires on Monday destroyed several logging camp buildings, kits and belongings, along Cawley Creek.  J. H. Reddan, owner of the property was in Brule County at the time the bad news was telegraphed to him.

 

A party of Northside Neillsville residents took pies, cakes and musical instruments out to the home of Milt Snyder and family in the Town of York on Thursday evening.  The Snyder family was greatly surprised and everyone had a good time.

 

Merikel’s shingle mill was moved Monday from this old location on Wedge’s Creek to George Bullard’s farm.  The mill will soon be in operation at its new location.

 

Last Thursday, Jim Lowe and Mrs. Minnie Fricky were united in marriage.  A charivari party was organized by some friends and they surprised the Lowe’s that evening, making it a noisy night for them.

 

Think of Dick and Bill Boon, Floyd Ruddock, Sid Brown and Joe Lavine hunting for two weeks in the keen countryside northwest of Christie and bagging only two rabbits!   Lime Ruddock says it’s so and all of you know better than to deny what he has said.

 

Boys will be boys and Halloween will come once a year.  The occasion is celebrated in some countries in a quiet, pleasant way.  However out here in the west, the fun takes a rougher turn.  Wagons, boxes, barrels, gates, etc. are moved about to grief of the sober folks.  One of Leason’s wagons was found on top of the livery barn on Fifth Street near Main Street corner yesterday morning.

 

Milford Satterlee and Nora Phillips of Pine Valley were married at the Methodist Parsonage, Oct. 30.  The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ans. Green, who were among the oldest settlers of our area.  The bride owns the old homestead near Ross Eddy and the newly married couple is living there.  Satterlee has been handing out cigars in celebration of their marriage.

 

October 1933

 

Emil Klemp, who pilots the mail over the star route between Merrillan and Wausau, with two stops in Neillsville daily, came into our city Tuesday with what appeared to be as a mysterious death or murder which whetted the appetite of Sheriff Homes.  A few miles out of Merrillan, Klemp came upon a car in the ditch with a body of a man stretched out near it.  According to Klemp a huge police dog stood guard over the figure lying on the ground.  The dog angrily bared its teeth when Klemp approached the ditch.  Afraid to take chance against the teeth of the animal, Klemp returned to his car and drove to Merrillan where he called the sheriff in Neillsville.

 

Within a few minutes the procession of officials left Neillsville driving to the scene of the catastrophe.  Led by Roland Haire, motorcycle policeman were Dr. M. C. Rosekrans, coroner; G. H. Lowe with his ambulance; Hans Walk and Harry Roehborn (Roehrborn) as the unofficial observer.

 

Dr. Rosekrans, who holds the world dirt track speed record, arrived first and was surprised to find the dead man “alive.”  Further examination revealed the victim to be Martin White, who had evidently over-indulged in an intoxicant, became sleepy and ran the car into the ditch.  Tired, White crawled between the wheels and fell asleep. 

 

The wild, vicious dog was found sleeping peacefully on a seat in the car.

 

White explained that he was riding in the car with three women companions when a bumble bee flew through an open window, upsetting the driver who became distracted and drove into the ditch.  He didn’t know where the women had gone.

 

Before the officials left, the “Body” got into his car and drove away.

 

October 1943

 

Dr. H. W. Housley has sold his large residence on Fourth Street to the Perry-Jackson family. The Housley family will break its immediate ties with Neillsville and will take up residence in Madison.

 

William B. Tufts of Neillsville is now a lieutenant colonel.  The news of his promotion came to Mrs. Tufts. Tufts is now assigned to duty at general headquarters of the Southwest Pacific area, being a member of General MacArthur’s unit.

 

Lt. Col. Tufts entered the military service in 1935 as a lieutenant in the local Service Company, 128th Infantry.  He went into Federal Service with that organization on Oct. 19, 1940, when the Wisconsin National Guard was called to Camp Beauregard and Camp Livingston, La.  In April, 1942, Capt. Tufts, as he was then, went with his unit to the Southwest Pacific.  He has been there since.

 

In civilian life Lt. Col. Tufts is the secretary of Lynn Mutual Insurance Companies, having held that position for 14 years.  Prior to that, he had for several years been an examiner for the state insurance department.  He is a graduate of the School of Commerce of the University of Wisconsin.

 

Boys, as well as apples, fall from apple trees.  Steven Gault, little son of Mrs. Frank Sturgeon, was climbing an apple tree last Thursday noon when he fell to the ground and fractured his collar bone.  He is now recovering satisfactorily, but the doctor says it will be necessary for the shoulder to be taped nearly a month.

 

Clark County is short only about $100,000 in the third war loan effort.  The total of subscriptions up to last Saturday was $834,838.70

 

Twenty-one communities have filled their quotas some nearly twice their quota.  The campaign will be over as of Oct. 15, so there is still time to subscribe.

 

A federal order cuts local food stores to three times a week deliveries.  The effect of the order locally is to cut grocery deliveries in half giving local consumers one-half the grocery deliveries convenience during the war.

 

In the old days, pre-war, most stores delivered almost any time during the day, twice a day, was the rule.  So the new order, directing three deliveries per week, has the effect of reducing delivery service to less than one-fourth, as compared with standards of peace time.

 

Such a drastic cut reflects, of course, the urgency of the demand for conservation of tires, gasoline and vehicles.

 

Most of the food stores locally fall within the classification of dealers in fresh or frozen meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, fish and shell fish.  As to this classification the new order calls for a maximum of three retail deliveries per week or five wholesale deliveries.

 

The new order also effects (affects) milk deliveries, reducing them to four per week at retail, on alternate days, with six wholesale deliveries.  All wholesale deliveries, except of ice, are forbidden on Sunday.  Retail deliveries are also forbidden on Sunday, except ice, fresh milk or cream, or other related dairy products.

 

October 17, 1943, is a fateful date for people of Clark County.  It was on Oct. 17, 1940, three years ago last Sunday that the local Service Company left for camp, after having been mustered into the U. S. Service.  Upon that day began the long road which leads to Berlin and Tokyo.

 

To the men from Clark County in the fighting area the date of Oct. 17 means more than it can possibly mean to those who remain home.  To them it meant breaking ties of home, entry into the unknown and perhaps tragic experiences.  To them, too, it now suggests that later date, the date when they will return home.

 

The Neillsville Kiwanis Club honored nine boys from area local farms at Achievement Day at last Monday evening’s meeting.  The boys had participated in the Kiwanis sponsored project of raising calves.

 

The nine boys were Gallus Schmidt, Jerry Opelt, Bennie Harder, Wilmer Kroll, Charles Neff, Leo Kessler, Laurence Bohnsack, Earl Magnusen and Arnold Opelt.  Gallus Schmidt won first place receiving, $5; Jerry Opelt received second place, $3; and Bennie Harder, third $2.

 

Jerry Opelt responded for the boys, telling of the enjoyment the boys had in caring for the purebred calves and their appreciation for having been chosen to participate in the project.

 

The embargo on the sale of turkeys has been lifted by the war food administration because enough turkeys have been purchased by the government to meet the holiday requirements overseas.  The entire turkey need of the armed forces is about 35 million pounds, about 10 percent of the total U. S. Supply.

 

The Leason Windmill Company participated in a parade along Grand Avenue in Neillsville, circa 1880-1890.  The wagon being pulled by the team of horses may have been the one which was put on the Fifth Street livery barn’s roof by some Halloween pranksters in 1893.  In the background, at the far right is the Tragsdorf home, and in the middle is the Lowe house.  (Photo is courtesy of the Clark County Jail Museum)

 

 


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