Clark County Press, Neillsville,

April 4, 2007, Page 17

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled and contributed by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

April 1877

 

By request, Rev. W. T. Hendren will preach about no Dancing, Lotteries and Card Playing, at the Presbyterian Church, tomorrow morning and evening.

•••••••••

A law of the state requires, under penalty of not less than fifty dollars, that all persons solemnizing a marriage shall with-in thirty days report the same to the register of the county, in which the ceremony was performed.  Physicians, under similar penalties, are required to make returns of all births and deaths occurring in their practice.  Blanks on which to make these returns are provided by the state, and may be obtained from any Register of Deeds in the state, without cost.

•••••••••

Several crews have been started on the log drive, during the past week.  The prospects of the water rising in the river soon are not particularly promising.

 

Right now, there isn’t water enough in the Black River to float a bean-pole.  The prospects of getting logs to market on the spring rise, grows less every day.

•••••••••

George Lloyd has broken ground for his new building, on the corner opposite Hewett & Woods.

•••••••••

Clean up your door-yards and make flower-gardens in their place.  “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”  The annual removal of rubbish from the streets, the accumulation of the winter, should take place without delay.

•••••••••

A sash, door and blind factory has been established in connection with the planning (planing) mill in this village.  There will be no need to go abroad for anything in that line.

•••••••••

Ira Bowman makes a first-class Marshal in Black River Falls, but he couldn’t protect the Catholic Church from lightning.  At about two o’clock this morning, the whole heavens seemed to be ablaze with electric fire.  Crash, after crash of thunder brought every sleeper to an upright position.  Even the little ones, who sleep without wakening, were heard to whisper, “Ma, what was that?”  Frightened animals shivered at the full length of their tether, or breaking loose, madly dashed about the streets looking for cover.  Timid maidens and wicked sinners prayed, but it was of no avail.  The storm swept on.  The steeple of the Catholic Church was literally demolished; half the windows are as of a tomb, and the whole building resembles a house of refuge as from missiles of a conquering army.

 

The people are in a dilemma.  Must we resort to lightning rods on a house of worship?  All must admit that last night was an exception.  There was not a man in Black River Falls, the knees of whose soul didn’t bend, and the lips of whose heart didn’t lisp the words taught so long ago by the mother of his youth.

•••••••••

Town of Lynn News:

 

The summer term of the Lynn School began two weeks ago with Priscilla Honeywell, from the Greenwood area, as teacher.  The school term is for three months.  Farmers in this part of the county are busy sowing wheat.  Owing to the failure of the wheat crop last year in the county, farmers are determined to raise their own flour this summer, if possible.  Consequently, there will be a greater breadth of wheat than there ever was before.  The winter wheat looks good, as it hasn’t been hurt much by the spring frosts.  The meadows are assuming a verdant appearance.  Again, we hear the music of the cow-bells and the sweet carol of the birds.

 

Mr. Price’s boys are driving logs on the O’Neill Creek.  They say they have got half of the logs started down the stream.  They drive every third day, allowing the water to accumulate for two days in the flood-dams.  Then, they let the water out and go to driving logs again.  But unless we get rain soon, this business will stop.

 

The names of the officers for this town, elected at the spring election, are as follows:

 

Supervisors – Alonzo Brooks (chairman), W. Yorkston and Harvey Snow; clerk, Daniel Brooks; treasurer, David Metcalf; assessor, John Jackish; justices of the peace, Wm. Yorkston and Geo. Kleinschmidt; constable, John Hoover; sealer of weights and measures, H. W. Soper.

•••••••••

Lay in a stock of industrious old chicken hens for service in your neighbor’s garden, if you owe him a grudge.  They can do more damage during the next month than they could do in the balance of the year.

•••••••••

Constantly worrying over hard times will not make then any better.  Take off your coat and go to work with a hopeful disposition, and there will be found little cause for complaint.

 

 

April 1947

 

A small group of men met in the Loyal municipal building, Monday night, to preside over the official demise of the Clark County Selective Service Board.  The life of that agency was permitted to expire at midnight, March 21.

 

It was not an unjoyous occasion for this small group of Clark County men.  For more than six and one-half years, selective service had been sending “Greetings” from the president to the young men of Clark County.  Their job had been the difficult task of filtering more than 2,500 young men into the armed services.

 

Some of those attending the final official meeting had served faithfully throughout the full life of selective service, beginning October 16, 1940.  Others had served for five years or less.  All had served well in one of the war’s most difficult and thankless jobs.

 

Of the original board, only three remained at the end.  They were John Wuethrich of Greenwood, chairman, who was unable to preside at the demise because of illness; L. P. Walsdorf of Thorp; and Elmer F. Anderson of Neillsville.

 

In addition to these men, one other had remained associated with the board since its beginning.  That one is Miss Martena Davel of Loyal, who has served as clerk of the boar, from beginning to end.

 

At the close, there were three other members of the board, in addition to the “originals”: Walter Cattanach of Owen, with five years’ service; Herbert M. Smith of Neillsville; and Frank Degenhart of Loyal.

 

Other members of the original board were Fred Lakosky, formerly of Loyal, who served as chairman until he left the county a few months ago; and Ross G. Lawrence of Thorp.

 

While selective service is now “dead,” the two clerks of the local board will remain at their jobs for about 30 days more to get the files completed.  The files, consisting of case records filling 40 filing cabinet drawers, will be removed to Madison, where they will be kept intact.

•••••••••

During Holy Week, the following services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church:

 

Wednesday, at 8 p.m., the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated with the newly confirmed as the first guests at communion.

 

Thursday evening, 8 p.m., a sacred concert will be given by the Lutheran Theological Seminary chorus, of Thiensville.

 

Friday, April 4, at 9 a.m., there will be Holy Communion in the German language. Registration will be on Thursday, April 3, from 2 – 4 p.m. at the pastor’s study.  At 8 p.m., there will be meditation in English.

 

Easter Sunday morning, at 9 a.m., there will be a German festival service, and at 10 a.m. an English festival service.

 

The Seminary chorus, which will appear at St. John’s Church Thursday, April 3, is composed of 40 young men who are entering the ministry.  They will appear under the direction of Prof. H. C. Oswald, of the seminary.  As a result of the tour, the chorus hopes to be able to purchase an organ and hymnals for the seminary chapel.  Prof. Oswald also serves as head of the music department at Northwestern College at Watertown, where Herbert Jaster, of Neillsville is studying.

•••••••••

Daylight time took a beating in Clark County’s election, the result being 1,500 for daylight time and 4,957 against it.

 

Of the 52 precincts of the county, only seven gave a majority for daylight time.  All of the towns went unanimously against it, by majorities.

•••••••••

The electors of the Granton School District voted Monday, in favor of buying a new school bus.  The meeting was attended 22 people.  After a discussion, the vote was 20 in favor of the purchase and two blanks.  The question was upon giving the school authority to make the purchase, in its discretion.

•••••••••

Possession of the Ervin H. Witt cheese factory, located about three miles south of Thorp in the Town of Reseburg, passed on to Mr. and Mrs. John J. Worachek on April 1.

 

This transaction was revealed in a deed, recorded last week, in the office of the county register of deeds.  The Woracheks purchased the property in section eight, including the cheese making equipment and machinery, store and fixtures, grocery stock, about 200 milk cans, office equipment and supplies, and other equipment incidental to the business.

 

Otto Hainz has purchased the Neillsville shop from the Perko Implement Co.  He has quit farming and assumed management of the business.

•••••••••

A large plate glass window in the Stelloh building, at the corner of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue, was shattered Friday night, evidently as a car crashed into the building.

 

Conrad Stelloh said he had traced tire marks from the window for a distance of several rods eastward.  The marks had been left in the snow, which had fallen during the evening.

 

The car had been traveling eastward down the hill.  It had passed over to the left side of the road and traveled on the side-walk in front of Mrs. Janie Paulus’ residence, then swung across the pavement and veered into the east side of the Stelloh building.

 

Mrs. Lula Struble, who lives in the Monk building a block to the north, told the Stellohs that she heard a crash sometime after 11 p.m., but did not know where it came from or what caused it.

 

Fred Stelloh said this is the third time a window was broken.

•••••••••

At the Herman Belter Sale, held Monday, 34 head of grade Holsteins brought an average of $202.  These prices are as well up as compared with recent months, and indicate that the market for dairy cattle is not slipping. 

•••••••••

A visitor driving through the village of Granton might well wonder if he was on a village street or traveling through a well-planned maple sugar tree plantation.  Every available maple tree, either the hard or soft variety, has been tapped by youngster or oldster alike.  They wait for the precious sap that will be converted into maple syrup or sugar.

 

At the home of the village president L. L. Spry, the sugaring operations are being carried on by his six-year-old daughter, Nancy Lou.  Nancy is being assisted by her playmate, Dennis Steinke, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Steinke. Spry’s four trees have been tapped only seven days and they have been able to make four quarts of syrup.

 

Billy Zaradka, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. M. G. Zaradka, started operations at the beginning of the sugar season and from his seven trees has obtained enough sap to produce 16 quarts.  He does the cooking over an outdoor fireplace.

 

The most interesting story of this sugar making is that of Hugh Berg.  When Mr. Berg moved to his present home in 1921, there was just one stately elm on his land, so he set out several young maple trees along his line fence.  This year, he tapped 16 of those young trees and to date has made 25 quarts of syrup.

 

The sap, this year, is unusually sweet; requiring about one-third less sap to produce a gallon of syrup.

 

One reason for the brisk activity is the fact that syrup is sold from $5 to $8 per gallon, when one can find it.  Snappy nights and moisture have brought the sap along in the last week, and the prospects are for higher production than at first seemed likely.

•••••••••

Should the Veterans of Foreign Wars desire to erect horse sheds upon the property west of the Masonic temple, just bought by them, they will encounter conditions and obstacles.  The sheds, if constructed at all, must have the east wall, or walls constructed of stone, brick or concrete; they cannot, by any account, be constructed of wood.

 

When the Veterans encountered this condition, they were not greatly disturbed by it, because they have no intention of erecting horse sheds. What they intend to put up, is a good modern building, constructed wholly of some good permanent building material, such as brick.  When the horse shed condition was written into the deed, there was really a point to it.  It was back in 1919, when cars were coming into use, but when horses had not gone out.  The lot in question, measuring 80’x132’, was bought from the Masons, by the Zimmermans, owners of the Big Store.  The Zimmermans wanted to hedge against future transportation developments.  Owning the Big Store, it looked to them, then, as though they would need to convert into a parking area all the land they owned immediately west of their building.  And that they might also need, conveniently at hand, some additional land, where either horses or cars might be parked, depending upon the future trend.

 

So when they negotiated the purchase from the Masons, the Zimmermans dealt upon the basis of their anticipations.  The Masons didn’t want their temple property hurt by being in proximity to wooden horse sheds.  Thus the restriction was written in the deed.  Passing the property on, the Zimmermans could sell only what they owned and they definitely did not own the right to construct upon that land, a horse shed with wooden walls to the east.

 

Having purchased this site, the Veterans for Foreign Wars have assured themselves of a splendid location for their future home. With about $3,000 earmarked for that purpose, the Veterans have a start toward a building, but that is as far as they have gone.  The possibilities are being explored by a building committee; consisting of Millard Cole, Bruce Beilfuss and Robert Schiller.

•••••••••

 

 

John Pietenpol’s Sugar Bush was an active place, every spring, starting in the 1920s through the 1940s.  The Pietenpol family had a maple syrup operation set up in their farm woodlot, located a couple miles northwest of Granton.  (Photo courtesy of Joan Tibbett, a granddaughter of John Pietenpol)

 

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