Clark County Press, Neillsville,

March 1, 2006, Page 12

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

March 1876

 

The time for paying taxes will expire March 15th.  All who have not settled the little matter they are required to contribute to the public good, should donate at once.

••••••••••

Correspondence from Humbird:

 

The jolliest time of the season, in this part of Clark County, was had on Friday evening, March 3rd.  At about seven p.m. a dozen couples or more, comfortably seated in sleighs, behind fast horses, left their quiet little burg of Humbird, to attend a surprise party at Hewettville.

 

After our arrival, two violins were found at Mr. Hewett’s, and from these Messrs. Whitcomb and Halstead were soon producing the most delightful music.  With these gentlemen as musicians and Charley Hackney as the floor manager, a success was absolutely certain.  Hackney is a very modest man and little was heard from him during the evening.  After dancing for three hours, all became weary and sat down to rest.

 

Supper was then announced, and a better one cold not have been.  Some tried to settle their bills with Smith, who was the clerk for the occasion, but failed.  He thought supper would take care of itself.

 

A few, besides our floor manager who never danced, were so completely sold on the music; there seemed no alternative other than to do more dancing.  A few more sets of dancing, and all went home happy.  No party could have been enjoyed more.  A better night could not have been selected, warm and pleasant, sleighing never better, and the moon just old enough to last until we reached home.

 

One word about our friend, Mr. Hewett, if he ever has another surprise party, and such a supper, several or more that I know would like to be there.

••••••••••

The Fox River Improvement Company and the Cornell University own large tracts of land in Clark County.  They will sell at reasonable rates, on long time to actual settlers, tracts to suit the purchaser.

••••••••••

It is high time for a bachelor to be looking around when the top of his head begins to show through his hair.  His chances for being made a good husband grow slim after he has no hair to pull.

••••••••••

Last Saturday, a hog belonging to Jas. H. Reddan was strolling by the side of the O’Neill Creek millpond, when he suddenly slid down the icy bank into the water and was carried over the dam.  The water was very high at the time and full of ice, but the porker made the riffle and a safe landing, a few rods below.  He came out of the creek a wetter and a colder pig, but none the worse for his adventure.

••••••••••

During the late session of the Clark County Board, an appropriation of $200 was made to the Town of Levis to aid in repairing the piers and putting railings on the Black River Bridge situated in that town.

••••••••••

The boys working at Geo. Lloyd’s store have been busy day and night in the interest of maple sugar-makers.  Every-thing required in the sugar-making business, in the line of hardware, can be found at this establishment located opposite the O’Neill House.

••••••••••

A dance and supper will be given at the new Clark County Courthouse next Tuesday evening, March 28th, under the auspices of Friendship Hook-and-Ladder Company for the benefit of the Fire Department of this village.

 

The dancing will be done in the spacious hall intended for the courtroom.  It is will accommodate the dancing portion of our county and still leave room for our friends from adjoining districts.  Supper will be served in the Clark County Clerk’s office to those who wish supper.  The tickets for the dance and supper will be sold separately, and those who wish to attend the dance only, will not be obliged to pay for what they do not want.

 

The various offices will be fitted up for parlors, dressing rooms, and so forth.  No effort will be spared to make it pleasant for all who may attend.

 

The party given by the fire company, several months ago in the Masonic Hall, was one of the best ever given in Neillsville.  The managers intend that this party shall surpass that in every way.  The supper sill be served by Mrs. Tibbitts, on the European plan, and anything from a cup of coffee to a square meal can be had at any time from the commencement to the breaking up of the party.

 

The music for dancing will be furnished by Whitcomb’s Quadrille Band.  Tickets to dance are $1.50.

 

March 1936

 

Frank Quesnell, proprietor of the Al’Aboard lunch car, says he “made a thousand dollars during the past cold spell, by buying a blow torch and thawing out his own water pipes at the restaurant.  Frank spent almost the entire months of January and February, crawling around under his lunch car, coming out only for meals, or a supply of gas for his blow-torch.

••••••••••

Neillsville city water users are hereby warned that he city cannot guarantee pure water at present, due to the great amount of water being used to keep pipes from freezing.  It may become necessary to use the by-pass at the pumping station, which disconnects the filter taking water direct from the Black River, in which case, the water should not be used for drinking.

••••••••••

Clark County Treasurer James H. Fradette, last week mailed 167 checks aggregating $82,437.77 to school district treasurers of the county, this amount having just been received from the State as aid to elementary schools.  Previously, the county treasurer sent these payments to township treasurers.  But the 1935 legislature changed the law, Chap. 263, requiring county treasurers to turn the money over directly to school district treasurers.

 

As fast as the town treasurers settle with the county treasurer within the next couple of weeks, the county school aid checks will be sent out to all these district treasurers.  These amounts are $250 for each elementary school, or for each grade room.

••••••••••

Rumors are afloat that Charles S., who a few years ago operated a house of ill fame at Columbia, has reappeared in Clark County.  He has been seen at a newly operated tavern in Section 31 of the Town of Foster.  It is understood that the tavern license was not granted under Charles’ name, but to a woman.  Charles at one time also ran the Tivoli, east of Neillsville.  It was reported he recently served a sentence in prison following a shooting scrape.

••••••••••

W. A. Campman walked out of his house the other morning all dressed up except for a necktie.  In the turmoil of getting himself ready for the day’s work, he forgot to slip his necktie over his head, or maybe he ties them fresh each day.  At any rate, he was down in the “heart of the city” when he discovered his Adam’s apple was getting chilled and he reached up to see what happened to his weather stripping.  To his amazement, he found he was sans tie.

 

Upon making that pertinent discovery, Mr. Campman walked faster and locked himself in his office to work out a solution.  Finally he hit on the idea of making himself a paper necktie and emerge a half-hour later wearing a strange looking attachment to his collar, which looked like a cross between a partridge’s tail and a bookmark.

 

Mr. Campman wore it until noon and then hurried home to put on his regular neck decorations.

 

Jeff Schuster, who had to sit in the office all morning and look at the tie, said he was positive the paper necktie idea would never assume the proportions of a craze.

••••••••••

For the first time in many years, the ice has failed to jam at the head waters of Lake Arbutus and despite high water in Black River; no damage was done to cottages and roadways in the vicinity of Dells Dam.

 

Mrs. W. L. Murphy, of the Town of Dewhurst, reported Wednesday morning that the river was clear and that the ice pack had moved down the lake below the Big Spring.  Because of the unusual thickness of the ice this winter, it was expected that considerable damage would result from a jam.  However thawing conditions this spring were such that the ice at the headwaters of the lake was melted before the ice in the river came down.

 

Last year, the water rose more than 20 feet near the cottages and extensive damage resulted to the road near the George Schultz home.  Several inches of mud were deposited in a number of the cottages at that time.

••••••••••

Sunday was moving day in the First Ward of Neillsville.  Mr. and Mrs. James King moved to their newly purchased property, the former Victor Anderson house; Mr. and Mrs. Al Shock moved to the property they purchased from the Kings, and Halle Horswill who vacated the house now owned by Mr. King, moved into the Nick Gangler house, vacated that day by the Shocks, sort of a cat-wants-a-corner move.  The Gust Deutsch family, also of the First Ward, moved to the former A. M. Harriman house on South Grand Avenue.

 

John Moen sold his house on South Oak Street, last week, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Neff of the Town of Levis.  Mr. Moen and family will continue to reside there until the new home, which they will build this summer, is completed.  They have retained lots north of their present home, for a building site.

••••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Victor Counsell, and daughter had supper with Mr. and Mrs. O.E. Counsell, last Tuesday evening, in honor of the elder Counsell’s birthday anniversary.  He was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1869, at the Henry Counsell homestead on Pleasant Ridge, 3 ½ miles east of Neillsville now known as the Rudolph Suckow farm.  On that day, snow was four feet deep and Dr. Clinton Crandall, who was called to the Counsell farm, made the trip on snowshoes.  With the long, severe winter of 1935-36 still fresh in our memories, the hardships of that early period, before the numerous conveniences of today, can well be realized.

••••••••••

The Clark County Treasurer mailed out 276 checks for aid, divided as follows: 18 for blind pensions, 170 old-age pensions and 88 mothers’ pensions.  Under present regulations, these checks cannot be mailed earlier than the sixth of the month nor later than the eighth.  A mailing record must be kept of each check and no checks can be delivered in person.

••••••••••

The city of Neillsville’s fire siren went on the blink a couple of weeks ago.  This made it necessary to hire men to be on hand to answer the telephone at the Condensery night and day, so the whistle could be sounded to call the firemen in case of fire.

 

It is estimated the expense of employing these men during the emergency was more than $50.

 

The defect in the siren, which caused all the trouble, was a small spring that cost 40 cents to have made at the B & F machine shop.  The delay resulted when the siren company sent a spring that did not fit and the local machinists were called in to solve the problem.

••••••••••

Maxwell Jenks has been recommended for postmaster at Abbotsford, to succeed Captain Ketcham, who has held the position for many years.  This completes the changes in the thirteen Clark County post offices, and we name them here-with:

 

Thorp, W. S. Wagner; Withee, Edward Laneville; Owen, R. C. Graham; Curtiss, Mrs. Ina Hennlich; Dorchester, A. A. Beck; Abbotsford, Max Jenks; Colby, A. X. Umhoefer; Unity, Nyal Creed; Greenwood, R. L. Barnes; Loyal, Leo Meyer; Humbird, John Michael; Neillsville, L. W. Kurth; and Granton, O. A. Peterson.

 

The Republican postmasters have been gradually replaced by Democratic men since the change of administration.  Fourth Class offices are not affected.

••••••••••

Miss Maude Ruddock is doing her bit this winter in the line on conservation, having helped to winter two blue jays.   These birds prefer a corn diet, and Miss Ruddock has had a few kernels of corn for them, placed each day where they could find them.  The corn has helped the blue jays through a long cold winter.  They appear to appreciate the service rendered, coming regularly for their grain ration.

 

Miss Ruddock also is helping out a pair of Kentucky Cardinals, which make their winter home in the thick evergreens on the hospital grounds, about a block from her home.  From time to time, she has put out crumbs for the Cardinals, which are also being fed by other neighbors.

 

Returns on the contributions to the birds began to come in Thursday, when the scarlet Cardinal began to warble his first song, when the weather moderated.

••••••••••

Thursday, as a son of Joe McKimm was driving down Court Street about opposite the home of Mrs. Louis Hemp, one of the horses suddenly went down into a hole, which broke through in the street.  Water at once gushed out of the hole, which was so deep that the horse was unable to climb out.

 

The wrecker from the Ford Garage was called, some cables borrowed from Ben Frantz were made into a sling, and the horse was hoisted out of the hole, not badly injured.

 

There was a hole in the three-quarter inch water pipe, only about three-eighths of an inch in diameter.  It had rusted through from the outside, sending a stream of water no larger than a lead pencil into the surrounding earth and dug a cavern large enough to hold a horse. 

 

A crew worked for several days repairing the leak.

••••••••••

H. H. Van Gorden & Sons specials for the week are: 49 lb. sack of Jersey Cream flour $1.50; 49 lb. sack of Pillsbury flour, $1.99; U. S. No. 1 Extra Fancy Potatoes, 95c per bushel.  Buying Gunny Sacks 5c each

••••••••••

All business and professional men interested in playing volley ball are asked to meet at the high school gym March 16, 7:30 p.m.  Bring basketball, tennis or bowling shoes.

€€€€€€€€€€€

 

 

The American Stores Dairy plant was an established Neillsville business for several years, located on the corner of Hewett and Eighth Street, along the south bank of O’Neill Creek.  (Photo courtesy of Bill Roberts’ Collection)

 

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE