Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

November 22, 2000, Page 13

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

The Good Old Days

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

November 1885

 

A proposition has come before the Neillsville City Council for the issuing of bonds to the amount of $121,000 to establish a permanent and effective system of protection against fire.

 

Various opinions have been voiced among our citizens as to the best system for protection against fires.  One man, honest in his opinion, thinks that a steamer is the cheapest and best, as another is positive that a hind-engine is the most effective apparatus.  Another wants a large tank placed on the highest point in the city, while his neighbor favors the purchasing of one or two additional chemical extinguishers.

 

For the past year, members of the city council have been investigating and studying the various systems of protection against fire.  The almost unanimous decision was in favor of a water works system.  Alderman Taplin and Lindsay along with C. M. Breed made up a committee which visited several cities to investigate their systems of fire protection and reported back with the most feasible plan for this city.  The committee made the tour of inspection and has met with the city council, reporting unanimously in favor of erecting the Holly direct pressure system.

 

Civil engineers connected with manufacturers of water works machinery have made estimates of cost on a system for our city at $12,000.

 

The city council proposes to purchase some land near O’Neill Creek to build upon it a fire-proof building for one or two boilers.  Both boilers would have steam capacity sufficient to operate steam pumps with a capacity to furnish one million gallons per day direct through pipes laid in the ground.  Hydrants will be attached to water mains for the purpose of attaching a hose to be used in case of a fire. There could be 15 hydrants and the 1,000 feet of hose would reach three blocks, any direction, from each hydrant.  A large pump will be placed in Colburn’s mill for temporary use.  The system will be extended just as fast as the city finds itself able to purchase and lay pipe.

 

Hein & Beaulieu shipped nine tons of products from the Neillsville Cheese Factory last Thursday.

 

The following statistics have been furnished by the Clark County School Superintendent Neff: Total number of districts in the county, 96; number of school houses 98, the districts of Humbird and Dorchester has two school houses, each.  The total number of children of school age is 5,130 and the per cent of attendance is 72.2, which is less than it should be.  Only 82 of the schools are supplied with a dictionary and only 53 have possession of the valuable instruction tool, a world globe.  The average wages paid male teachers is $43.37 per month and the lady teachers receive an average of $28.99 per month.

 

Frank Blaisdell, general agent for Warden, Bushnell & Co., of Chicago, made the largest sale of machinery ever known in Clark County.  Charles Cornelius, the enterprising machinery dealer of Maple Works, purchased 65 Champion machines.  That amount makes in all, about four carloads of machinery.  Cornelius has decided to sell 100 machines during the year of 1886.  If anyone could reach that number of sales, it would be Cornelius.  Blaisdell informed us that this sale to Cornelius is the largest ever made by their company in this portion of the state.

 

The Neillsville City marshal gives notice that all cows found running loose, night or day, will be put in the city pound.  The time for allowing milch cows to run at large during the day, expired the first of last month.  They have been allowed to run at large this summer and a month longer this fall when they were entitled to pasturage in the streets.  Owners must see to it that their stock is immediately restrained and kept in a shed or barn during the winter.

 

C. E. Bussell has made a proposal to the Clark County Board of Supervisors, to survey and establish permanent government corners in the highways of Clark County.  The establishing of permanent corners is a matter in which every land owner in the county is interested.  This matter should be considered before the next board meeting and the work then be provided for.

 

The building of highways has obliterated many of the witness marks of former surveys and it is now a difficult and often times expensive matter to get the boundaries of land.  Many highways have been found to be several rods off from the proper lines, while in other cases highways have been fenced in by adjacent land owners.  Costly litigations are liable to arise under the present conditions and would be a matter of justice to land owners for the board to provide permanent corners.

 

Many disappointed settlers are returning from the West.  A Kansas newspaper states the following note was found attached on a deserted earthen dug-out shelter in Meade County recently: “Four hundred miles to Kansas City, 50 miles to fuel, 250 feet to water, six inches to h—l; God Bless our home.”

 

November 1935

 

Many persons who have considered themselves eligible for old age pensions will be disappointed.  Clark County officials recently had a meeting with George M. Keith, state supervisor of pensions.  No aged persons who have children able to support them, cannot obtain pensions, or can persons who own income bearing property get on the pension roll, it was pointed out. 

 

At the Monday session of the Clark County Board the old-age pension program was adopted with an appropriation of $32,500 for pensions and $2,500 for administrative costs.  A pension board consisting of John M. Peterson, district attorney, Judge O. W. Schoengarth and W. E. Roberts, county relief commissioner, was appointed to direct the payment of pensions and employ the personnel of the office.  An advisory committee composed of three board members; William Zank, William Deuermeyer and Elmer Anderson, chairman, was appointed to work with the pension board.

 

The old age pension ordinance goes into effect upon publication which is expected next week, but it is doubtful whether certificates will be issued before the first of the year.

 

It is estimated that about 2,500 persons in Clark County are 65 years old or older and the amount of money appropriated will not take care of more than 20 percent of that number.  The others, it is believed, will not be eligible for pensions, having children who are able to support them or are possessors of income bearing property.

 

The Clark County Board adjourned Tuesday afternoon after being in session seven days, the longest meeting of any of the board sessions held within the memory of old timers in Clark County.  A number of difficult problems confronted the board, including old age pensions, relief measures and public works questions which required not only extended committee work but much discussion on the floor.

 

The total budget is $344,488.88 or $4,000 less than last year’s budget, despite a number of appropriations not made last year.

 

The relief department, which the state estimated would need $24,800 for the year, was granted only $15,000, which it said would last until the spring board session.  After that it was believed the federal government would discontinue relief projects.

 

The office of a county nurse will be administered by a board composed of Laurence Millare, County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sarah Rosekrans and Dr. E. L. Bradbury, county physician.  The nurse will be hired as soon as possible and applications for the position are being received now by the county board.

 

The Otto A. Haugen American Legion Post staged its annual rabbit hunt on Sunday, northeast of Christie.  They returned with 26 rabbits, which were prepared and served at their Tuesday night meeting in the hall.

 

The women of the Pleasant Ridge Church served their annual plum pudding dinner in the church dining room Thursday evening. A large number of Neillsville folks drove out to enjoy a meal that has long had the reputation of being one of the best to be served in this community during the year.  The outstanding feature of the dinner is the very fine plum pudding and contrary to opinion, this is not the old English-style dish. Rather, the recipe was originally brought to the Pleasant Ridge area by early settlers from New York State.  The sauce is made by placing sugar and butter in the center of the uncooked pudding; the entire pudding is tied in a bag and boiled in water for five hours.  Some of the modern cooks have learned that it is more economical to prepare the sauce separately, as much of the richness boiled out into the water it was being cooked in.

 

Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at Dorst’s Eat Shoppee in Chili.  They will be serving roast goose, or duck with dressing, cranberries, salad, a vegetable, warm rolls and plum pudding or pie. The cost is 50c per plate or groups of 4, $1.75.

 

There will be good dining at the Little Casino Restaurant located behind the Neillsville Bank. All day, Thanksgiving, they will serve a roast turkey plate lunch including mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberries for 25 cents.  You can also be served a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings. The Saturday and Sunday special, all day, both days, will be a goose plate lunch with apple sauce, etc, 25 cents, or an entire goose dinner.  Walter’s beer is available to be served with your meals.

 

Ellsworth Bollom and Miss Rose Scinto attended the Gonschorek-Thompson wedding in the Town of Longwood, followed by the reception in the Town of Mead on Sunday.  They also stopped in Greenwood to call on Gunder Eide.

 

The local Ford dealers report the following Ford car and truck sales during the past week: a 1-ton truck to Wm. Hiles, a 4-door sedan to Joe Bishop, a 2-door sedan to A. P. Murphy, a 2-door touring car to Russell Andrews, aviator of the Town of Sherman and a 2-door touring car to Alvin Ehlers.

 

Miss Mary Scherer of Eaton Township and Leonard Denk of Warner Township were united in marriage on Saturday morning, Nov. 23, 9 o’clock at the Catholic Church in Greenwood.  Rev. Weller performed the ceremony.

 

The bride wore a white gown and a shoulder corsage of pink roses and baby’s breath.

 

The couple left for Sheboygan Falls where the groom is employed.

 

Cy Bartlett, who has been employed at the grocery business here for many years has launched into business for himself.  He will open a grocery store in the Odd Fellow’s building next to Chapman’s Grill.

 

Skating season has started in Neillsville.  The O’Neill Creek pond is busy with youngsters who are enjoying the sport of skating.  The Northern States Power Company has strung lights above the ice which gives good illumination for night skating.

 

A temporary tool house and office are being put up near Panther Creek, for use during the building of the Schaefer Bridge.  R. C. Hinman of Glenwood City, one of the contractors on the Schaefer Bridge job, in the Town of York arrived Monday to begin work.  He will be staying at the Merchant’s Hotel.  A crew of 20 men from Neillsville has been hired to do preliminary work on the project.

 

While driving to his job at the Fullerton Lumber yards one morning, last week, a young man discovered that he wasn’t the only occupant in his car.  Keeping one eye on the road, he used the other to seek out the disturbance on the seat beside him. Suddenly, his attention required both eye and the use of both hands to meet the situation when three little mice persisted in being friendly.  With the driver thus occupied, the car sought the ditch and had it not been for the posts and guard rail at that point, the Fullerton Lumber Co. might have been short-handed that day.  Not wishing to repeat the experience, an investigation followed, which revealed a large family of mice that had a nest in the car cushion beside him.

 

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Behavior is a mirror in which everyone displays his own image. – Goethe

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A 1935 cartoon depicts the era of preserving and storing food items for the long winter ahead. Some of us can remember the basement of our homes looking similar to the above drawing – canning jars filled with vegetables and fruits, jams and jellies, a bin full of potatoes and another with apples, smoked hams and bacon hanging from the floor joists above and a barrel of cabbage for sauerkraut.  Only flour, sugar and a few other staples were purchased from the general store.  For those who lived on a farm, after the holidays, home butchering was done and meat was canned.

 

 


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