Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

February 1, 2012, Page 9

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

February 1932

 

The much talked of new airplane type of tires for automobiles are on display in Neillsville for the first time at the Neillsville Tire Shop where they are attracting a great deal of attention. The tires, known as the “Jumbo,” are huge balloons, carrying only 12 pounds of air. They are said to be blow-out proof and make riding and driving much easier. A new set of wheels is required for equipping old cars with the new tires.

•••••••••

Miss Eva Clouse, manager of the Picus Store, is in Chicago buying spring goods.  Her sister, Miss Gertrude Clouse, is running the store during her absence.

•••••••••

Bob Frantz, George Mott and Allan Wildish are re-enacting old times down on Jim Creek in southeastern Pine Valley. They are reliving unemployment and bringing back prosperity by going into extensive logging operations.  The landing is on the banks of Jim Creek on the Frantz farm. Just how many millions may be on the skid-ways before spring depends a great deal on the weather, but rapid progress is being made at present.  At first, work was much hampered by lack of equipment; none of the aggregation had a cant-hook. This, they overcame by borrowing one from an old settler who had kept a cant-hook as a relic. They have a few other tools such as axes and saws, which they change about, some of the crew resting while others use the tools. Allen Wildish is logging by proxy, his son-in-law, Henry Beaver, who is on the farm, doing the work under his command.                                                        

•••••••••

The basketball team at South Milwaukee High, coached by Oscar Gluck of Neillsville, is called one of the greatest basketball teams ever developed at South Milwaukee in an article published in the Milwaukee Journal.  South Milwaukee team defeated Wauwatosa Friday night, 20 to 19. The game this week between Gluck’s team and the Waukesha squad will decide the champions of the Suburban conference basketball race.

•••••••••

Willis Enhelder surprised two men siphoning gasoline out of his car about 10 p.m. Monday night when he came out of a home on the Northside where he had been discussing a real estate deal.  The Thieves ran and in their haste left three and one-half feet of new rubber hose, which Mr. Enhelder says will help repay him for the gas they took.

•••••••••

Tom Paun, of the Nevins area, has started hauling milk again on the side roads and then to Neillsville. During the time of deep snow, he gathered milk with a team of horses and sled on the side roads, then hauled it to Highway 73, where he kept his truck to load milk on, and then to Neillsville.                            

•••••••••

Inventory Sale Offer at the Albert Danger’s Hardware – 7 ft. hickory skis, at $3.95; 6 ft. pine skis, only $1.85; 50 inch Hand sleds $2.48; Horse Blanket will sell at practically cost!         

•••••••••

The Neillsville High School carnival was held at the Armory Thursday night, which was under the direction of John Perkins, agriculture teacher. The event was attended by more than 400 persons, netting about $175.  The money is to be used toward the school annual.  Kenneth Olson was crowned king and Jeanette Scott, queen.  The sophomore class won the $10 merchandise prize.                                                                    

•••••••••

Thursday morning the house on J. L. Kleckner’s farm west of Neillsville on Highway 10 caught fire and burned to the ground. It is supposed that the fires started from an over-heated kitchen stove. Mr. and Mrs. Leon Metcalf, who live on the farm and work for Mr. Kleckner, lost most of their household goods, the house and furniture were partly covered by insurance.

 

This was one of the first substantial farm homes of Pine Valley. It was built by Marsh Sturdevant, who cleared off the land for the farm.  A. Ehrlich sold the place to Mr. Kleckner.

 

Mr. Kleckner is fitting up a two-story wood shed on the place as a temporary residence until the house can be rebuilt. (The Kleckner home was about two miles west of the Black River. D. Z.)

•••••••••

The Mesdames Luther Oestreich, Harold Hills and Celon Gotter and Misses Margaret Church and Viola Loos all of Loyal came to Neillsville Tuesday night and had a surprise party on Miss Eva Clouse, manager of the Picus Store.

•••••••••

Arthur J. Haugen has been walking back can forth to work at the Post Office from the Fred Wegner farm northwest of the city since the cold weather and snow made motoring difficult. An 11-mile hike daily in sub-zero is better than an apple a day to keep the doctor away, says Art, who has learned his hiking through some 30 years of military experience.

 

(Art’s walking was done over the snow-covered landscape having to make his own trail and following that path of packed snow for easier walking, 5½ miles twice a day. School children also had to walk to rural schools, but not as far. D. Z.)

•••••••••

Tibbett Ice & Fuel Co. announces that they have their ice pond open and any farmers wanting ice can come and get it this week.                                                                                                   

•••••••••

Wm. Campman, Wm. Tufts and Leslie Yorkston spent an energetic day Sunday trying to get into and out of a road leading to the site of Tuft’s proposed cottage where they were going to start the foundation.  Mr. Campman’s car stalled in the snow and it finally snapped a vital organ in a super human and but futile effort to wrench itself free from the slippery obstruction.  Mr. Tuft’s car likewise imbedded itself in the landscape and the three men shoveled snow until they were blue in the face trying to get the vehicles back to civilization.  Mr. Campman, Mrs. Tufts, Mrs. Yorkston and Mrs. Holmes also were present during the ordeal. A wrecker was called and Mr. Campman’s car was brought into the city for an overhauling. The party feeling much refreshed after their day in the open, arrived in the city about 11 p.m. and after a highly appreciated lunch at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Yorkston went home and fell into fitful slumbers.

•••••••••

How to make an outboard motor boat at little expense is told in the government booklet, “You Can Make It for Profit,” which is on sale at the Press office for 10 cents.

 

February 1952

Eighteen Clark County youths were inducted into the Army and five into the Marine Corps on January 24 to fill the January selective service quota.

 

They were: Gary N. Corey, Donald C. Reindel, Floyd E. Short, Francis F. Zilk, and Herman J. Strangfeld of Neillsville; Lawrence M. Degenhardt, Gerald W. Koshak, and Eugene R. Zuege of Loyal; Donald R. German of Curtiss; Francis E. Hansen of Owen; Herman W. Hoffman, Auburndale; Duane R. Horn, Joseph Briski, Jr., and Richard A Kauth of Greenwood.  Louis H. Hribar of Chicago; Raymond G. Johnson and Charles Schaefer of Abbotsford; Paul J. Mayer of Humbird; Lester D. Rabska of Withee; Robert L. Spry of Granton; James P. Wilde of Colby; Victor F. Lindekugel, Marshfield and Milden W. Schwanebeck of Pittsville.

 

In addition, two registrants living in Clark County, but registered elsewhere, were inducted into the Army.  They were Duane O. Timerson of Neillsville and Harold A. Boyer of Unity.  

•••••••••

Free Wedding Dance for Berne Podobnik and Tony Zupanc to be held Feb. 19 at the Silver Dome Ballroom with the Vernon Kasper Orchestra.                                                                              

•••••••••

Walter Wagner, Jr., and Edris Haack of Neillsville placed second in national junior mixed doubles bowling and first in state telegraph contest.

 

The woman behind this news items and the one most directly responsible for its happening, is Mrs. Mary Lee, a vivacious, attractive brunette, who seven years ago saw a need and helped fill it.

 

At that time the women’s bowling leagues decided to sponsor high school girls’ teams. After the original interest dies down, Mrs. Lee was left with four teams of girls.  But Mrs. Lee thought by giving the girls lessons in bowling and helping to organize teams, the girls would get some recreation.

 

“We weren’t too concerned about the boys,” she stated, “Because they had basketball and football and other sports for their recreation. There weren’t and still aren’t any gymnasium facilities for the girls.

 

“So we started in, organizing teams and having the frills come down after school for lessons. Slowly the idea caught on.  Now we have more wanting to bowl than we have time or alleys for. Even more surprising, the youngsters started winning national and state awards. Two years ago we finally got the high school to award letters to the girls who made outstanding records, the same as it does for boys in their sports program.

 

“I must admit it was a great surprise to me when they were winning trophies and medals. I’ve never won a trophy in my life, so you can imagine how proud I am of them.  I don’t get paid at all for working with them, but I feel I’m rewarded enough when I see those winning contests and bringing honor to Neillsville.

 

She showed listings of the teams and couple entered in the state and national winter bowling contest, which was held recently.

 

“Seeing cities like San Francisco and Reno, Nev., entered, and tiny Neillsville beats them. The youngsters are really putting the city on the map.  I bet most of the 2,800 members of the National Junior Bowling Congress have never heard of Neillsville.

 

One of her girls’ teams has won the state championship for the last two years.  Members were: Alice Buchholz, Mary Ann Smith, Mary Ellen Holt, Elva Schaefer and Midge Audorff.  Although the girls all graduated last June, if one of this year’s teams wins the championship, the trophy will be a permanent possession of Neillsville.

 

When asked how she managed to give of her time so abundantly, Mrs. Lee smiled and quipped, “I let my housework go.”  The job takes about an hour each night after school and about an hour and a half in the evenings to compute the averages, which must be done daily.

 

Mrs. Lee bowls in two leagues, one on Monday nights and the other on Friday afternoon.

 

Mrs. Lee’s winter occupation will end around the end of April with the annual banquet for the junior teams.  The leagues finish by the first part of April and it takes Mrs. Lee about two weeks to compute the winners in all the events. Trophies, prizes and pins are donated by members of adult bowling leagues and are awarded at the banquet.


Well I don’t play cards or go to the movies, so I manage to fit this in.  I would much rather do this anyway, because I really feel I accomplish something,” Mrs. Lee said in summing up her almost full-time job.

•••••••••

Ervin Knoop, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Knoop of route 2, Neillsville, was elected prom king by members of the Junior Class.  He will reign over the Neillsville High School Junior Prom May 17.

•••••••••

With Walter Wagner’s 15 points showing the way, the Neillsville High School cage Warriors closed their scheduled season Tuesday night with a 47 to 44 victory over Loyal High on the Loyal floor.

 

Close behind Wagner in the drive for scoring honors was Neillsville’s Roland Tresemer, who scored 14 points on six buckets and two free tosses.  Other scorers were: Albrecht, f 5 points; Meihack, c 3; Larsen, c 2; Horswill, g 8.

 

Neillsville took a first period lead, 13 to 7.  Loyal came back in the second quarter to close the gap to three points, 25 to 22 at the halftime. The two teams played it even in the second half, each scoring 22 points.

 

Leading Loyal’s attack was Catlin f with 13; Langfeldt, c with 9; Pipkorn, c & Schoonover, g 8 each; Stutte, g, Weyhmiller, f, and Hills, f 2 points each.                                            

                                                                                            •••••••••

A net amount of $257 was turned into the March of Dimes Polio Fund following the dance held at the Silver Dome last Saturday night.

 

Mrs. Hazel Hubing acted as chairman of the dance committee, assisted by Mrs. Frank Svetlik, Mr. and Mrs. Art Gress, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Siebert and George Hubing.

 

Credit is also due Howie Sturtz, who donated his personal services, the Webers, who donated the use of the dance hall, and volunteers who sold tickets. Almost 400 people attended.                

•••••••••

Taking advantage of the nearness of Leap Year Day, February 29, Senior Girl Scouts of Neillsville gave an all-school Leap Year dance at the high school gym last Friday night with almost 100 students present.

 

The gym was appropriately decorated with posters depicting the “horrors” of married life, and cartoons clipped from magazines showing the humor of courtship and marriage.

 

One of the high points of the evening was an actual proposal, staged by Bobbye Russell and Milton Wagner. Fortunately The Clark County Press camera was there to record the big moment.  Petite Miss Russell had to stand to propose because when she knelt she was completely out of his range of vision.  Numerous high school boys and a few girls, crowded around, no doubt getting pointers for Leap Year, 1956.

 

Unfortunately we were unable to record Milton’s answer for posterity.  The only thing Bobbye seemed worried about was her mother’s attitude.

 

“You’ll have to square this with her, she worriedly told Mrs. Harriette Hoesly, Senior Scout Leader, “I don’t even go with this boy. We were just dancing together, that’s all.”

 

Bobbye shouldn’t have worried because it was St. Patrick, patron saint of the Irish, who originated the right of a maid to propose marriage during Leap year.

 

In Scotland in 1288 a law was also enacted that “ilk mayden ladye of both highe and lowe estait shall hae liberte to bespeke ye man she liks, albieit he refuses to be his laful wife, he shall be mulcted in ye sum ane pundis or less, as his estait may be; except and awis gif he can make it appeare that he is bethrothit ane iter woman, he then shall be free.”

 

A few years later France passed a similar law and in the 15th century, the city-states of Genoa and Florence also passed laws to that effect.

 

It would cost Milton money to refuse in those days.

 

The reason for Leap Year is that the solar year exceeds the calendar year by six hours. Every four years, this deficiency must be made up. The English named it Leap Year because the days leap over by one after February 29.

 

(Years ago, Leap Year events wee often celebrated in various ways on February 29th, such as girls asking boys for a date, which according to proper etiquette was otherwise not allowed!  Times have changed. D.Z.)

 

 

The above photo, taken about 1957, is that of the Southern Clark County Highway Department workers; left to right, front row: Oscar Walk, Bill Kurasz, Art Murphy, Ted Schoenherr and Ray Eggiman; second row: Wilbert Lortz, John Bryan and kneeling, wearing sunglasses, Bob Zschernitz; third row; Arnie Carl, Ted Dux, Alex Gall, and Harvey Krause. (Photo courtesy of Lynn King and Doris Dux)

 

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