May 1925

The proposed merger of the Dairy Exchange Bank, which was agitated several weeks ago and which, it was thought, might be carried through successfully, has fallen through and the directors of the Dairy Exchange Bank definitely discontinued negotiations at their meeting last Monday.

When the proposed merger was undertaken, it seemed that it would be but a matter of detail to place the affairs of the Dairy Exchange Bank in such shape that they could be carried into the books of the First National, but after several weeks of investigation, it was found that it was not always feasible to merge a national bank and a state bank.  Cashier Clemens of the First National and Cashier Youmans and F. D. Calway of the Dairy Bank went to Chicago last week and interviewed Chief National Bank Examiner Sims of the National Bank Department and he explained the only method by which a merger of a national bank and a state bank could be made.  This method was not found to be possible.  When the existing conditions, principally because a national bank cannot own real estate, which is allowable with a state bank.

When the final analysis of the situation was placed before the directors of the Dairy Exchange Bank, it was decided that the plan would not work out satisfactorily and they voted to retain the identity of the Dairy Exchange Bank and continue business as before the First National Bank first made the overtures.  Cashier Youmans will remain with the Dairy Bank, although he had partially accepted a very flattering offer elsewhere and A. H. Frank will also continue as his assistant.

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The interior of the First National Bank has been recently improved by the addition of a new steel ceiling and by being completely redecorated.  The ceiling, which is a substantial and permanent improvement, was put on by John Schmoll.  The painting and tinting was done by Sherman and Mertes.  The finish is particularly attractive being a form of stipple work that is very pleasing.  In the open spaces along the upper wall, are shields and eagles painted in national colors by C. H. Chandler and well executed.                                                                  

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On June 1st, Naedler’s Garage will celebrate the tenth anniversary of opening for business and offers some substantial bargains in goods and service on that date.

Anniversary specials are: Red Crown Gasoline, 21.1 cents per gallon; Magic Gasoline, 23.5 cents per gallon; Crank Case Oil Change with Ace-High Pure Pennsylvania Oil at 75¢ per gallon.  No charge for labor of changing.

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The widow of S. Glenn young will lecture at Neillsville Opera House, Tuesday evening, June 2, 1925, under Auspices of the K.K.K. of Clark County.  The public is cordially invited.                 

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Opening Dance at Lake Arbutus Pavilion at Hatfield, Tuesday Evening, May 5.  The Earl Wood’s Orchestra of Winona will furnish the music.  Dances will be held each Tuesday evening throughout the season.

George Bue, who lives on South Hewett Street, recently cut the two big balm-of-Gilead trees standing in front of his house, thus removed two of the “ancient landmarks” of the city.  The trees had grown so large that the overhanging branches had become a source of danger to the residence.  From the two trees, he cut about 17 cords of stove wood and within the past two or three years, he had cut about three cords from the large overhanging limbs, making a full 20 cords of wood from these two mighty trees.

It is certain that these trees were at least 60 years old.  The house owned by Mr. Bue was formerly called the Doc Marsh house, and there is one tradition that Doc Marsh carried the little trees in his pocket from Staffordville; but Mrs. F. C. Wage, one of the older residents here, states that when she came here in 1867 the trees were quite good sized saplings, and Doc Marsh was not there at that time.

The place was then owned by Mrs. Ferris, a widow, who later married Doc Marsh.  Mrs. Wage said she often went to the home of Mrs. Ferris to visit the Ferris children and remembers the little trees very well.  It was always her supposition that the trees grew from limbs cut from the balm-of-Gilead then growing in front of Mrs. Frank Cawley’s home, now Maple Glenn Farm, owned by Geo. E. Crothers and Son.  These trees were cut down some 25 years ago.  Some sprouts or limbs from Mr. Bue’s trees really should be planted in this locality to keep the succession of the original trees in existence.

(The balm-of-Gilead tree-bush was encouraged to grow in this area during the late 1800s.  Loggers and pioneer families made a salve from sap of the tree’s blossom buds, used to heal wounds and cuts.)

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Last week The Neillsville Cheese Co., of which John Bornhofen is manager, shipped out its first car load of cheese, which is pretty good of a starter.  He hopes to build up the business so that by the time grass comes he will be handling several carloads per week.  J. A. Hauser, who has had years of experience in cheese, is Mr. Bornhofen’s assistant.

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Mr. Charles M. Hubing and Miss Lila Davis were united in the holy bonds of matrimony on March 9, 1925, at the Disciple parsonage by the Rev. Wilson Mallory.  The bride was attired in a gown of peach colored beaded georgette over silk of the same shadow, while the groom wore navy blue.  They were attended by Mr. and Mr. Arthur Hubing, brother and sister of the newlyweds.  The bridesmaid wore turquoise blue georgette, over blue silk and the groomsman wore navy blue. This young couple needs no introduction to our readers, having always lived around here and will continue to live on his farm in the Town of Grant.

May 1945

From front page headlines of the Clark County Press on May 2, 1945: “Germans Surrender in Italy!”

Berlin has fallen, according to an official announcement made at 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon, May 2, by Premier Stalin of Russia.  He announced that 70,000 German troops were captured.

Herman Goering, long head of the German Air Force and once in line to succeed Hitler, had been captured by Americans, according to a broadcast heard in Neillsville Wednesday.  He told his captor that he had been under sentence of death since April 25, when he suggested to Hitler that he (Goering) take over the duties of fuehrer.  Goering was evidently a fugitive.

Announcement was also made of the capture of Albert Kesselring, who was in command of the armies of the west at the end and who had previously commanded in Italy.                                   

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S/Sgt. Edward Campbell of the army air corps, a Neillsville boy who has become a seasoned airman and has participated in many bombing missions over enemy targets, was at one time a member of the Ninth Street 32nd Division, which was made up mostly of boys and girls ranging in age from 6 years to 13.  The story of their personnel, army maneuvers and “battle grounds” appeared in the Press of Nov. 12, 1942, along with a picture of the entire “division.”  Edward, though somewhat older than the others of the division, often played with them and now he has advanced in age to 19 years and is taking part in real war.  He recently wrote his mother, Mrs. Ernest Campbell.  “I just got to thinking of the kids in the old Ninth Street Division, so I wrote on a bomb, ‘from the Ninth Street Division,’ and sent it along to the ‘Jerries.’  It made me think what good job those Ninth Street kids did in the scrap metal collections.” 

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Two hundred Mexicans will be working on the Omaha Railroad this summer.  They are arriving in Chicago today, May 3, and will be brought to Augusta, where their work starts.  They will be engaged in the annual rebuilding and renewal operations of the road, some of which will take place on the branch between Merrillan and Marshfield.  This means that they will, for a time, make their headquarters in Neillsville.

This is the first time Mexicans have been brought so far north and their coming is incident to the manpower shortage of the war.  They are much used as laborers in the southwest, nearer the Mexican border.

The Mexicans will live in railroad cars.  They will bring cooks and interpreters.  Their work will be directed by regular personnel of the Omaha Railroad, with Claude Westphal of Neillsville, sharing the responsibility. 

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The official opening of the Neillsville Golf Course for the season of 1945 will take place Sunday, May 13.  The greens have received much attention and will be sprinkled during the week to bring them into condition.  The fairways have been rolled.  The clubhouse will be open.  This notice of the opening comes from George Zimmerman, the club president.

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Many prisoners of war will be used within this state to meet the labor shortage on farms and in factories this summer.

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Cpl. Gilbert Pakiz, son of Mirko Pakiz of Willard, is due back home after 40 months of service in the pacific.  He is coming home on rotation.                                                                            

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Sgt. Wilbur Joyce, who has been visiting here, left Monday for Chicago, accompanied by his sister, Mrs. E. A. Petersen, who resides there.  From Chicago he will take a plane for El Paso, Texas, where he will be stationed. 

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Louis Zschernitz was the first Neillsville boy to receive his discharge from the army under the new point system.  Others were in line for discharge at the time, but his were the first papers finally signed and put in effect.  Louis telephoned his wife early in the week that he would soon be home and arrived here Thursday night about midnight from Ft. Sheridan, Ill.

Louis left Neillsville with the service company and went overseas with them, serving in the Pacific almost three years and came home on furlough in March.  He has been in service in all, seven and a half years, and 117 points under the new point system.

Mrs. Zschernitz and son, Ronnie, are living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Irish.  Louis and his family will reside in Neillsville, where he has a position waiting for him on his arrival.  He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Zschernitz.

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A sociable robin has made her nest on an iron stairway leading into the Indian School.  She and her family prospects, four eggs, are right on the tread of the stairs.  The traffic is heavy, 300 or 400 hurrying persons per day.  But Mrs. Robin takes the sociability all in her stride and attends to the business of sitting on her eggs, while the humans hurry on their way.  The feet fall sometimes within twelve inches of the nest, and frequently interested human eyes look right into her own eyes.  But Mrs. Robin has nothing on her conscience; she can look right back. She has nothing against human beings, just as long as they have nothing against her.

And they feel very friendly to her.  Thinking that she might be hit now and then by a stray raindrop, someone fitted a piece of board above her nest, in such a manner as to give protection.

Mark Vornholt says that there are lots of robins around the Indian School, but none of them had ever before become so chummy as this particular robin.                                                           

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After an absence of nearly 20 years, Elva French Kemp is back in Clark County.  Accompanied by her son Jack, she is reviewing the scenes of her girlhood and recalling incidents of pioneer days.

Mrs. Kemp was born on Christmas Day, 1861, on a farm in the Town of Levis.  Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Ben Franklin French. The place of her birth was on the bank of the Black River, near the Robert French farm.  Her father was known far and wide as ‘Doc’ French.  He was one of the first settlers here, having taken up a farm from the government in 1853.

But doctoring was more appealing than farming, and ‘Doc’ French move to Neillsville and devoted himself to that calling and to the law.  His office and home were located where the Neillsville Library now stands.   Here Elva French lived while she attended the local public school.  During vacation she spent much of her time at Hatfield, where her uncle Robert French, ran a hotel.  She was known for her horsemanship.

In 1879 she married Oscar Kemp.  They made their home at Watertown, S.D., where Mr. Kemp operated a large ranch.  There, she faced pioneer conditions and brought into the world a typical pioneer family, 12 children, of whom 10 are still living.                                                                                                              

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More than a million pounds of whey is brought daily to the Owen plant of the Western Condensing Co. at his season of the year.  This is processed to produce 1,000 bags of powdered whey per day.

The whey is brought to Owen in 19 semi-trucks, which make the rounds of 97 cheese factories within a 40-mile radius of Owen.

The conversion of whey was started on the west coast, the process having been originated by Mr. Peebles.  The powder resulting gained a market, particularly as poultry food.

Confronted with an expanding market, the Western Condensing Co. launched an eastern division, with headquarters in Appleton.  In Wisconsin there are several plants.  The company manufactures 85 percent of all the dried whey products on the market.

The company’s plant in Vesper manufactures whey sugar, the entire output of which goes to the government for the manufacture of penicillin.  The residue from the manufacture of the whey sugar is then trucked back to Owen, made into the finished poultry products.                                                           

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Dance, June 1 at Granton Village Hall, Music by Lucht’s 6-piece band.  Sponsored by Clark County Grange #749

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Sorry, no Dry Cleaning next week - Due to the amount of Dry Cleaning that we now have on hand, we can’t take any more.  Model Laundry                                                                       

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Wanted - Dried Mushrooms, Mail sample and state quantity, Joseph Dusek Co., 726 W. Randolph St. Chicago, 6, Ill.

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