Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

December 17, 2008, Page 17

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled and contributed by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

November 1868

 

Our lumbermen have been blessed with another short raise of water in different streams. The rains during the latter part of October were sufficient to send out a few more logs to market.  The driving on Wedge’s Creek was very successful for a day or two.  A good share of Gile & Holloway’s logs, lying the farthest up the creek passed down into the Black River.  Log driving was also good on the East Fork.  Jack’s Creek, a small stream tributary to the Cunningham, has held for two years nearly all the logs that have been put into it during that time and we regret that B. F. French, who has been logging there for two winters, failed this time, as he has repeatedly, in getting his logs out.  Dams have been built but they have not proved strong enough to resist the current.  We learned that a great many logs were driven into the boom at the mouth of the river.  If so, business here will be somewhat stimulated.  The raise of water was of short duration but the good effects are already apparent.

•••••••••

 

 

The above photo was taken of a load of pine logs, which were harvested from land in the Cunningham Creek area circa 1890. (Photo taken from the Dick and Joanne Tibbett collection)

•••••••••

Real estate transfers during the month of November:

 

James Perry to Huntsicker & Dewhurst, NE ¼ section 15, town 26, range 2 west, consideration $75

 

David Nettleton to Arthur E. Ladd, SE ¼ NE ¼, sections 32, Town 24, Range 4 West, consideration $250

 

John S. Dore sold to C. A. Bemis, East 1/NW ¼ section, Town 26, Range 2 West, consideration $400

•••••••••

Something dreadful will surely happen in this town before long.  It is fearfully quiet at present.  No fires, robberies, accidents, elopements, or anything else transpiring; to enable us to gather a few local items.  There is always a lull before a heavy storm.

•••••••••

Wisconsin has a curious history as a state.

 

The territory now known as Wisconsin was claimed by France, on the ground of discovery by its missionaries and travelers in 1670, who governed it until they ceded it to Great Britain, 1739.  It was held by the British nation until 1759, when it was ceded to the United States.  Virginia then claimed it for one year, until she ceded all her possessions, northeast of Ohio, to the United States.  Wisconsin was then thrown under the territorial Government of Ohio, by the ordinance 1787.  On the 4th of July 1880, the Indian Territory was organized and it became attached to that territory and until April 18th, 1918 when Illinois was declared a state.  It was then attached to the Territory of Wisconsin, July 4, 1836.

 

So, Wisconsin was governed by the king of France ninety-three years; by the king of Great Britain twenty years; by the State of Virginia one year; by the Indian Territory nine years; by Illinois nine years; and by Michigan territory eighteen years.  She continued a Territory of the United States nearly twelve years, when on the 13th of Mach 1848 she became the thirtieth State of the Union.

•••••••••

Mr. E. B. Miller has recently opened a flour and feed store in this village.  It is located in the west end of the building opposite the O’Neill House, formerly occupied as a barbershop.  He will keep a supply of flour, feed, oats, corn and such.  We predict for him a liberal trade. It is an institution that has long been needed here and there is no doubt that it will be a success.

•••••••••

The lumbermen in the pinewoods of this section are just now fairly at work.  Men are still coming in town for employment and have little trouble in getting it, though the supply has not been at any time inadequate to the demand for labor.  Camps are scattered along upon nearly every stream in all directions from here and for over thirty miles north of us.  The bad season during the present year does not seem to check the operations of the coming one and the prospects are that more timber will be cut this winter than last season.  In the southern part of the county not much snow has fell and scarcely any hauling has been done, but in the northern part, snow is about a foot deep and the loggers are getting along fine.  Most are predicting a favorable winter and a rich harvest in the spring.  It surely will be of much benefit to us all if the season is good.

•••••••••

Hay is a very scarce commodity in this vicinity right now and sells at the exorbitant price of $25 per ton.

 

December 1948

 

More than $8,000 worth of dried milk and dried eggs, contributed by farmers of Clark and Jackson County to the Badger Milk Train, has reached their destination.

 

A release from CROP (Christian Rural Overseas Program) states that food products from the Badger Milk train went to Germany, Poland, Italy, Japan and Czechoslovakia.  Clark County farmers contributed food products or money valued at a total of $3,184.32, Jackson County, $4,947.20.  The state’s total was $179,600.42.

 

Two out of 18 carloads making up the milk train were sent out of Neillsville on July 8.  One was a car of dried eggs; one a car of dried milk, according to the CROP report.  Both were bound for Bremer, Germany.  They were part of the cargo loaded aboard the S. S. Flying Enterprise, which set sail from New York on September 24.

•••••••••

The Haugen-Richmond Post, American Legion and its Auxiliary will combine their annual Christmas party and basket social this year.

 

The events will be held Tuesday evening, December 14, at 8 p.m. in the new Legion Memorial Hall.  A Christmas program will be followed by the basket social.  All Auxiliary members are asked to bring baskets, all Legion members, bring your pocketbooks.

 

The annual Yule Season event is for members only.

 

(The basket socials were a custom of that era.  Each lady would decorate a basket, or box, such as a discarded shoebox, which would be covered with colored crepe paper and then filled with a lunch made up of sandwiches, cake or cookies and fruit.  Then at the party, each filled, decorated basket (box) would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  Each man purchasing a basket would then eat lunch with the provider, the woman who had made up the basket.  It was a means of raising funds for an organization, such as the Legion members did at the above party. D. Z.)

•••••••••

Marriage licenses issued in Clark County:

 

William J. Balicki, Neillsville and Martha M. Powlak

 

Anton Hribar, Willard and Pauline Francel

 

Walter Hribar, Willard and Clara Routar

•••••••••

The calling of 49 personal fouls and elimination of seven players via the foul route marred the renewal of basketball relations between Greenwood and Neillsville high schools at Greenwood Tuesday night.

 

In spite of the calling of approximately 1 ½ fouls per minute, Greenwood’s veteran team managed to find playing time to roll up a 60 to 25 victory.

 

When the final whistle ended the fiasco, four of Neillsville’s battered Warrior starters were viewing proceedings from the bench, preferred positions earned by erring court etiquette.

 

Three Greenwood starters, also, had a similar view of the finish.

 

The records indicated that the referees were not particularly malicious in their whistle blowing.  They called 29 personal on Neillsville, as against 20 for Greenwood.  A season’s average will show that the home team generally has slightly fewer personals called on it.

 

In spite of the frequent stops, which slowed the game considerably, Greenwood’s veteran forwards, Everett Gorsegner and Hy Carl racked up 25 and 23 points, respectively, in a display of offensive work hard to equal.  Their scoring boosted Gorsegner’s three-game total into the 80s and Carl’s into the 70s.

 

Leading the Neillsville scoring was Bradley Larsen, who came through for three field goals and five free throws for a total of 11 points.  Jim Vincent connected for six points and other scoring was scattered.  Bud Handtke and Renne Harder, who usually are counted on for a bit of scoring, were completely bottled up by the Greenwood defense.

 

Other players filling out the Neillsville roster were: Scott, DeMert, Wall, Walters and Tibbett.

 

Greenwood held a 28 to 15 advantage at the end of the first half, during which it played a man-to-man defense in the last half proved effective.

 

On Friday evening, free throws won a thriller for the Warriors after two over-times produced a 41-41 tie with Stanley.

 

Excitement ran at fever pitch as the two teams battled through two overtime periods with the score knotted at 39-39, then 41-41.  Under rules adopted last year, the decision then rested on the shooting of one free throw by each man of the two teams until the deadlock was broken.

 

Bradley Larsen, guard, and Jim Vincent, forward, tried first for Neillsville.  Both missed.

 

J. Eppers, forward, and G. Heian, center, then tossed for Stanley.  They missed, an about that time the crowd was fit to be tied.

 

Then DeMert, Harder and Walters each sent their tries through the mesh, boosting the Neillsville score to 44.

 

Stanley was definitely fighting an uphill battle, for the remaining three players had to sink their shots to retain a tie.

 

E. McManus toed the mark with the knowledge that all depended on his shot.  The ball arched toward the basket, hit the backboard and spilled over the rim.

 

The crowd roared and rushed across the floor.  As far as it was concerned, the game was over and Neillsville had won its opening Cloverbelt conference tilt.

 

J. Reppe, who was very much of a thorn in the sides of Coach Alfred Hovey’s men all evening, took his turn at the free throw line as the crowd milled about on the floor.  He sunk his try.  Next to shoot was B. Wiles.  He missed, making the final count 44-42.

•••••••••

David Parry has a new snowplow, and while D. E. Peters, Neillsville School Superintendent, probably doesn’t believe it’s an instrument of the devil, he does think it is a deliberate roadblock to educators.

 

The new snowplow rests on wheels and is pushed along by handles extending upward in much the same manner as those of a garden cultivator.  A snow scoop is attached at an angle, where it can scrape the snow to the side.

 

When it arrived the other day, Mr. Parry took it outside in front of his home and gave it a practice workout.  Mr. Peters, looking from his office window across the street, saw the strange gadget.  He called his secretary, Mrs. A. C. Covell, to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

 

With her confirmation, he scurried out of the high school and confronted Mr. Parry: “No wonder we school men have so much trouble teaching ‘industry’ to students” he declared.

•••••••••

Everyone is invited to a “Good Old-Style” Lutefisk & Lefse Supper at the American Legion Hall on Saturday, Dec. 18.  Along with Lefse and lutefisk there will be meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, bread & butter, coffee & cake.  The meal will be served home style starting at 5:30 p.m. and until all are served, at the cost of $1.00 per person.  It will be prepared under the supervision of Mrs. John Gullikson.

•••••••••

The men’s chorus of he Zion Reformed Church will present its annual Christmas concert Sunday evening.  Soloists will be Hiram Haugen and William Schultz; Organist, Miss Gretchen Hauser; and piano accompanist, Miss Patricia Aspen.  Members of the chorus include: Earl Ruedy, Ervin Steiger, Albert Zank, Harold Milbreit, Ellis Wall, Ole Aspen, Henry Harder, Henry Stucki, Harry Hauge, Alfred Hovey, Hiram Haugen, William Schultz, Rev. N. J. Dechant, and Mark Vornholt.

•••••••••

Dr. Sarah Rosekrans left Neillsville Monday for Terre Haute, and Indianapolis, Ind.  She is scheduled to sing at Christmas programs in both cities, after which she will join forces with Miss Sally Butler, who will return to Neillsville with her for the Christmas holidays.

•••••••••

A batch of oven-roasted peanuts gave occupants of the George Hubing apartment’s house on South Clay Street a bad time for a few minutes Sunday night.

 

Most of the adult occupants had gathered in the Hubing apartment for a party; all except for C. M. Hunt, a retired implement salesman who was in his ground floor apartment.

 

The party was well on its way when Mrs. Hubing smelled smoke.  They looked into the hallways and found them filled by an ominous black smoke, which all but concealed the glow of the hallway lights in its denseness.

 

The party broke up in a hurry.  Mr. and Mrs. Hubing scurried around seeking the location of the blaze, which they feared would break out momentarily in a roaring inferno.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Zimmer rushed to their upstairs apartment to get their child, who was slumbering peacefully there.

 

E. E. Hart, the Neillsville Bank cashier and his wife knew their children were out, so that had only to save whatever valuables they could.

 

At the bottom of the stairway, Mr. Hunt, who appeared in the doorway of his apartment, stopped Mr. Hart.  Unconcerned as could be about the smoke that was causing so much commotion, Mr. Hunt casually asked where he might get a Christmas seal.

 

In spite of the urgency of the moment, Mr. Hart stopped to direct the elderly gentleman to D. E. Peters, who heads the local Christmas seal drive.

 

Then he paused in thought.  The situation struck him as peculiar; an elderly man who certainly must see and smell the smoke, for it filled his apartment as well as the hallway, standing there casually inquiring about Christmas seals.

 

So he asked Mr. Hunt.  Oh certainly, Mr. Hunt rejoined.  He knew all about the smoke.  As a matter of fact, it originated in his apartment; some peanuts he had slipped into the oven to roast merely over-roasted.  In fact, they burned.

 

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