December 1886

The little English Sparrow, which is so numerous and so much of a pest in the large cities, has made its appearance in Black River Falls, and will soon be one more element conducive to metropolitan appearance in that little city.  There has been a small squad of these birds there nearly all summer, but have not been notice by many people.  By another season, they will be likely to force themselves upon the attention of all.                   

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C. A. Youmans opened his silo a week or so ago and is now feeding the ensilage to his livestock.  He says the results of the experiment are most gratifying.  Farmer unacquainted with this method of preparing food for livestock should make an inspection.                                                                                                   

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James Campbell, aged 80 years, who was keeping bachelor’s hall seven miles north of Black River Falls, was found sitting in a chair dead last week Tuesday.  It is dangerous to be a bachelor.    

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A nightcap party is to be held next week Wednesday night at the residence of Miss Carrie Mansur, for the benefit of the Good Templars.  It is something similar to a necktie party.  Everybody is invited.

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Elder Hendren has a warm spot in his heart for the run of school-ma’ams more than most folks know.  He had ‘em all to tea Monday night, and took home the ma’am who had the farthest to go.

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W.S. Colburn & Co. of the Neillsville Roller Mill have opened a flour and feed store at the old post-office, and have in stock a large quantity of the best flour and feed in market.  Goods are delivered free.

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Capt. Thos. LaFlesh has taken a heavy logging contract for this winter, one of the heaviest, in fact, that has been reported from this part of the state this season.  There is to be put into Levis Creek, in Jackson County, 16,000,000 feet of mostly small logs for Bradley Bros., of Milwaukee.  LaFlesh has purchased of Hon. F. D. Lindsay his entire outfit of draft horses, except one, and will bend every energy to the accomplishment of his large task, which with fair weather we doubt not he will go in good style.

Civil War Veteran Capt. Thomas J. LaFlesh returned to Clark County after the war to become active in the logging industry, starting in the towns of Sherwood and Washburn.  While living in this area, he built a Victorian style home for his family, which was located east of Neillsville, north side of U.S. Hwy. 10, on what now is the site of Prince Building Systems business.  Fire later destroyed the house.

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Brown said to Robinson, who had a package under his arm, “Still hunting up art treasured, I see, Robinson.  What have you got there, a Japanese Plaque?”  Robinson said, “No, it’s an American Pie.”

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Congressman Price’s will, leaves his property all to his wife except a flour mill in the Town of Hixton, and a farm in Clark County, which goes to his son, Hugh.  His business will be carried on in his wife’s name, under the management of the son.

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Wm. H. Polleys’ dam at Ox Bow, on Black River went out last Thursday, wrecking or badly damaging the sawmill, carding mill, boarding house, stable, and store, and doing injury to the stock about the place.  Mr. Polleys has had succession of misfortunes.  Two years ago, his sawmill exploded its boilers, and was wrecked.  The same year his mill in Georgia burned without insurance.  Last year his entire logging camp on Wedges Creek was destroyed by a forest fire, and now this misfortune comes.  The property cannot be repaired, and put in funning order this winter.

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The best thing to give your enemy is your forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to a child, a good example; to a father, deference (reverence); to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.

(The above advice on conduct was given 130 years ago and still is a good rule to live by in the present day and age. DZ)

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The young men of town iced Fourth Street, stating at Courier’s, and down the hill on Tuesday, and G-Whizz-z-z-z!  There was great fun thereafter on Fourth Street.  Sleds shot athwart the town like processions of meteors.  Nobody has been killed to date.                                                                                                              

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Mr. J. L. Gates, of Gates from Mining Co. is having a palace railroad car built for the use of himself and other officers and stockholders of his company, and he will soon journey to New York City in it, with a view to introducing his stock backing the Wall Street tiger.  There appears to be no doubt that Mr. Gates is amassing an enormous fortune, or that he possesses the money-making faculty to an extreme degree.

Besides coining money for himself, he has put numbers of his friend in the way of getting a fortune, and there really seems to be no limit to the possibilities in the direction in which he is going.  While we heartily regret to see our leading Neillsville men, going away from us to the new north to make their investments we cannot, and would not conceal the fact that the golden opportunities presented by the iron regions are something immense and Neillsville men should take them up as quickly as possible.                                                                                 

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Merry Christmas is at hand.  Friday night the people will celebrate Christmas Eve with gift-laden trees and happy gatherings, and on the day following, Saturday, will make merry over choice dinners, brisk sleigh rides, and family reunions.  The day is now one of festivities, which have no sacred suggestion in them, and although churches hold a regular service, the event the day celebrates has little place in the thoughts of the mass of merry-makers.

Less money has been spent for presents this year than on similar back number of occasions, because of the hard times, but the changed condition of the times cannot prevent love from expressing itself in this pleasant and substantial way, even though the gifts may be less.

The True Republican, merry itself, extends the compliments of the season to its many friends, and wishes them every pleasure.  It holds the teachings of Christ in high esteem, and in accordance with their most generous injunction wishes also that its enemies may have a most glorious time.                                      

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Iron ore of the richest red Hematite variety has been discovered on the Geo Frantz farm, two miles south of town, at a depth of 8 to 9 feet below the surface, the vein being 25 feet thick, and almost limitless in extent, being traced as far as the Andrew Ross farm.  Mr. Frantz has a mass of iron ore on his land, which when uncovered will discount the Colby or the Ashland mine.  WE call attention to this startling discovery and suggest that in the general movement on Gogebic our capitalists leave a few millions behind to work up the local vein.

(The George Frantz farm, one of the first farms in the Neillsville area, was located south of the city on Hwy 73, then one-third mile east on Maple Road, north side of the road.

Apparently, the so-called iron ore deposit wasn’t large enough to invest in mining equipment, as it remained farmland. DZ)                                                                                                                              

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The Liedertafel people had a Christmas tree and musical entertainment at the hall Saturday night.  Carl Rabenstein made an address in German, refreshments were served in the dressing room, and dancing was indulged in until a late hour.  It was a very enjoyable event.

(The term, “a Christmas tree,” was in reference to a party, which included having on display a decorated Christmas tree.

A “Liedertafel” is a male chorus, or singing group, a tradition that was first organized in 1809 by a Berlin choral society in Germany.  DZ)

December 1941

Christmas came to Neillsville last week. 

Of course, it wasn’t the kind of a Christmas that has a Santa Claus, reindeer, big bag of presents and all that sort of thing.

It was Frank Christmas.  We know Christmas is related to the birth of Christ.  And Frank Christmas makes his home in Zion, Ill., a city in which until recently the church was the leading political light.  So, Frank Christmas comes as close as possible to the atmosphere, which is the connotation of his name.

When he stopped in at the office of City Clerk William F. Hemp last Friday, Frank’s commentary on his name was:

“I tell my wife she ought to be the happiest woman in the world, she has Christmas every day in the year.”

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Albert Prill is thanking his stars for the extra pair of trousers he was wearing last week.

While deer hunting, one morning west of Tioga, a hunting companion accidentally shot his rifle toward Mr. Prill.  The bullet zipped through is two pair of trousers near his kneecap; but the worst Mr. Prill suffered was a severe case of the jitters.                                                                                                                    

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A shipment of Clark County donated clothing was started on its way to some war-torn European nation last week by the Red Cross chapter.  The shipment included 25 wool skirts and 16 women’s dresses.  It is the latest of several shipments to be made in recent months.                                                                           

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Now we know what our job is.  Japan has made it clear to us.

Attacking us, by treacherous surprise, she has cleared the atmosphere over America.  We can now see plainly.  We shall act accordingly.

This sudden attack, killing hundreds of Americans and doing serious damage to American ships, planes, and equipment, seems to have given Japan an immediate and superficial advantage.  It’s more important result has been to clear the vision of Americans and to unify them.

The Japanese bombs over Hawaii followed a long period sharply divided as to our course.  Some of us were isolationists; some interventionists.  It was only last week that the Chicago Tribune, leading isolationist newspaper, published what was represented as a sensational disclosure, revealing plans for an American expeditionary force.  This was imputed to the administration as a reprehensible plot, a job put up on the American people.

But now we have a different story.  What then to some may have seemed evidence of deep purpose, is now revealed as a necessary precaution.  The national administration was correctly appraising the prospects.  What then seemed a matter of debate now becomes a matter of certainty with those whose sons are in the Service Company and in other units of the Army, wondering if Christmas leaves will be cancelled.

During the first hours of the new war, while developments came fast and confused, nearly every resident of Neillsville and Clark County remained near a radio.  But a few reported that they had turned off the radio completely, for its constant hammering on war news served only to further confuse the picture for them.

(Many thought the war going on in Europe at that time, would stay there, they were in denial that our country would ever become involved.

My one set of grandparents emigrated from Slovakia in 1902.  My grandmother was an avid reader.  She read weekly issues of a Slovakian and a German newspaper.  At Easter in 1941, when all of their family was home, she said, “Our country will soon be in the war.”  My younger uncle, who was a student at the Univ. of Minnesota at the time said, “Oh Ma, you read too many of those foreign newspapers.  We aren’t going to be in any war.”  My grandmother replied, “Oh yes, you just wait and see, and I dread the day that my sons will be called to fight,” which also became true. DZ)

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Clark County youths with United States armed forces apparently escaped unharmed in the early days of the “Battle of the Pacific, according to reports reaching here.  Relatives of several others in the pacific outpost also heard good news during the week, while some still are anxiously awaiting word.

A letter from Charles Perushek set his parents and friends at ease.  In the letter to his parents, mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Perushek of Willard, he revealed his ship first believed to be in Pearl Harbor at the time of the surprise Japanese attack, was in a west coast port at least two days before the attack.                      

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In impressive services a Christian Banner and an American flag were dedicated at St. John’s Lutheran Church Sunday morning.  Led by the Rev. William A. Baumann, servicemen and ex-servicemen, the congregation, which crowded the church offered a pledge to the white Christian banner, and pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Interpreting passages of the Bible, the Rev. Baumann pointed out that a war of defense against aggressors is honorable.  He declared that the United States has been attacked, and that it is the duty of every member of the congregation and every American to do all within his power to aid in the prosecution of the war.

The Christian flag was born to the church chancel by Paul Bartell, Sr., an ex-serviceman, and president of the church council.  The American flag was carried by Lt. Elmer Barr, an officer in the Service Company 128^th Infantry.  Soldiers home on furlough and ex-servicemen of the congregation attended.

Seven soldiers of the congregation are home on furlough.  There are 16 ex-servicemen in the congregation, 15 members of the congregation in the army, two in the navy and one in the air corps.

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A drizzling rainfall Monday, December 22, washed away Neillsville’s prospects for a white Christmas; and unless snow falls within the next 24 to 36 hours’ residents will observe the first green Christmas in several years.

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