Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

September 6, 2017 Page 9

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

September 1882

 

Mrs Louis Drescher of the Town of Grant went blackberrying last Friday and got lost in the woods.  She was found by her husband the next morning, having spent the night, and a very rainy one at that, in the woods.

•••••••••

Trully Pratt of the Town of Pine Valley brought some apples to town the latter part of last week, of his own raising, one of which, measuring thirteen inches in circumference, fell to our lot.  The apple in question was of the variety known as the “Duchess of Oldenburg,” and was not the largest grown by Mr. Pratt.  Those who doubt the ability of Clark County farmers to raise their own fruit will be convinced at the coming county fair that this is a fruit-growing locality, as Mr. Pratt and others will exhibit specimens of fruit grown by them, at that exhibition.

 

(We can remember years ago, when every backyard had one or more apple trees, grown for the family needs.  I also remember the Duchess variety being a favorite for making apple pies or sauce. DZ)

•••••••••

On Friday, last September 1, Hon. Richard Dewhurst, under the arrangements previously made, succeeded to the banking business established by J. L. Gates & Co.  The bank, under Mr. Dewhurst’s management, will be conducted under the name adopted by his predecessors, that of the “Neillsville Bank.”  That the change, owing to the capital Mr. Dewhurst is able to command, should there be a demand for an increase in that formerly employed, is one of importance to this community; and be understood by every businessman thereof.  Aside from this, Mr. Dewhurst’s thorough business habits, which preclude all danger of speculations that might result in financial losses, together with his well-known integrity and ability to meet every liability he will ever incur, places the bank of which he has now assisted control among those institutions of the kind in which prefect confidence can be placed, and the Neillsville Bank, founded by J. L. Gates at the time the “Clark County Bank” was in bad odor, as the necessities of the case appeared to demand and not as an enterprise in which he alone was interested or to be benefited, now has the backing necessary to make it one of the best in the state, and consequently a decided benefit to our city and to the community in general.

•••••••••

Bob Garvin’s threshing machine started up about two weeks ago and has been doing a land-office business from the start.  It is one of those celebrated machines, called the “Vibrator” manufactured by Nichols, Sheppard and Co. of Battle Creek, Mich.                                                          

•••••••••

The “wiper” on the engine belonging to the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry., got up a little excitement here last Sunday by blowing the whistle for about half an hour.  Several parties went to the depot to find out the cause of the racket, when it was learned that he was “just blowing off steam.”  The conductor gave that fellow a lesson on “blowing it off” that will last him a lifetime.                                                         

•••••••••

Sheep-killing dogs have been playing hob with T. D. Condit’s sheep during the past week, five of his flock having been killed in two nights.  Mr. Condit gives notice that he will kill every dog found trespassing on his premises, and it will be well for canines promenading west of the river to give him the go-by.

•••••••••

The clothes-line robber who left a portion of one garment on the line, in the raid made last week, can have the other “leg” by calling for the same.                                                 

•••••••••

Dwight Roberts has taken possession of his new store building, one door south of the one formerly occupied by him.                                                                                                      

••••••••• 

The Jewish New Year commenced last evening at 6 o’clock, and from that date until the corresponding hour of today, will be observed by persons of that nationality as a holiday.  In the observance of that day it is the Jewish custom to retire from all business pursuits, and hence the store of J. Hammel & Co., in this city, which closed at 6 o’clock p.m. yesterday, will remain closed until 6 o’clock this evening.

•••••••••

To prevent logs from jamming on and between the O’Neill Creek bridges, in this city, several piers, the first of which is above the upper bridge and the last above the lower bridge, have been built during the past two weeks, the piers to be used in supporting a boom to prevent logs from getting out of the channel of the stream.

•••••••••

The first of this week, James Hewett threshed from twenty acres raised on his farming in the western suburbs of this city 1,062 bushels of oats, an average of fifty-three and one-tenth bushels to the acre.

 

(The Hewett farm was located on the north side of 5th Street, between St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Black River. DZ)                                                                      

•••••••••

George Trogner has added materially to the dimensions of his building on the corner of Grand Avenue and Second Street.                                                                             

•••••••••

The Neillsville Mills are again in operation and with the new power and new machinery, with which it has been furnished during the past few months, is prepared to do all the work likely to be required of it and in the best manner possible.

 

The Neillsville Flour Mills, located on the south bank of O’Neill Creek, west side of Hewett Street, was built by Chauncey Blakeslee in 1862, which had a water-powered mill where 50 pounds of flour could be ground in 24 hours.  In 1867, an addition was put on with a new engine that substituted the water-powered model that ground 75 pounds of flour in 24 hou8rs.  Another updating of the mill was done in 1882.

 

•••••••••

Sam Dixon and C. N. Allen have rented the Rossman House, which has been under the management of W. Sohn during the past few months, taking possession of it.  They intend to thoroughly re-fit the house and will endeavor to make it worthy of a liberal patronage.                         

•••••••••

Huntzicker’s Hotel, now about completed, with the improvements recently made on the grounds surrounding it is a decided improvement to our city, as well as one of importance to the North Side.

 

September 1942

 

A dinner in honor of Everett Skroch, treasurer of the Neillsville Country Club for several years, was to be held by the men of the club Wednesday night.  Mr. Skroch is leaving Friday morning for Fort Sheridan to start army training.  A gift was to be presented to him in behalf of the club members.

•••••••••

Theodore Broch, mayor of Narvik, Norway, now in exit, will appear in Greenwood September 17.  He will address the Rotary club, through the arrangement of Palmer Vinger, and will speak at a public meeting at 8:15 p.m. at the high school auditorium.

 

Mr. Broch comes to Greenwood by arrangement of the Norwegian information service of Minneapolis.  He is in this country after an escape from Nazi-held Norway.  During the invasion of Norway, he was arrested twice.  The first time he was reprieved; the second time he escaped on foot into Sweden.  From Sweden Mr. Broch journeyed to the United States through Russia, Siberia and Japan.

 

Mr. Brooch’s appearance in Greenwood is not upon a commercial basis.  No tickets will be sold, and there will be no charge at the door.  A collection will be taken for the benefit of the Norwegian air force in Canada.

 

(Those of us who lived during the World War II years remember stories of horror that prevailed upon residents of the European countries during wartime.  Some of our younger generations may not have read of that history, to realize the evil forces of the fascist, Nazi dictatorship that over powered those countries, taking away their citizens’ freedoms.  History can be a great teacher. DZ)                 

•••••••••

Before he left for Fort Sheridan and the army last Friday, Merton (Mike) Hopkins pulled the shade in his Sixth Street tavern and locked the door, but not before he had painted a sign expressing his sentiments:

 

“Closed for the duration.” Explained the sign, “We’ll give them hell. Mike”.

 

After Mike gets through giving the Axis what it has coming, he’s planning to start up again at the same old stand.  And there are a number of friends in Neillsville who are going to help him.

•••••••••

It’s Sgt. Albert Volk now.  The Willard youth recently received his promotion, and now is chief clerk in the elements of radio sub-course of the radio division of the Midwest Signal corps school at Camp Crowder, Mo.  “We are now training radio repairmen, which are invaluable in modern warfare since the army depends upon radio communication to get the message through,” he writes.  Sgt. Volk also sent the following news of his brother: John Volk, Willard, formerly a sergeant in the 32nd division, national guards, in Louisiana, who is at home on leave assignment as an aviation cadet with the air force.  He was accepted last June after meeting all requirements.  His training period will continue for six to eight months.

•••••••••

A piece of ground, 7’ by 40’, which is a portion of the boulevard corner of South Oak and West Seventh Streets, has been transformed into to a lovely garden from which Mrs. Counsell takes her daily supply of vegetables.

 

In this small space may be found carrots, beets, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and ground-cherries; a liberal planting of a gorgeous mass of blossoms ranging from sweet alyssum to stately gladioli, fourteen varieties.

 

Mrs. Counsell’s idea originated when she and Mr. Counsell moved to their present location and found this to be the only spot available for growing a garden.                                   

•••••••••

G. V. Rork, president of the Neillsville Northern States Power Co. spoke at the Kiwanis meeting Tuesday night.

 

As a district president of Kiwanis, Mr. Rork prefaced his brief address by revealing that many relics of the electrical industry have found their way from Neillsville to the museum city of Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, near Dearborn, Mich.

 

Such relics as wooden fuse mountings taken from homes of Neillsville are among them, he said; and many of them have been copied for use in a house, which has been equipped with early electrical devices.  Among the mementos, is an early meter on which the growth of the power system is notched into it as one might notch a gun.

 

He also recalled the story of the first public dance held here under the glow of an early carbon arc light.  Two lights were taken from streets and moved inside for the dance, Mr. Rork related. The dance was heavily advertised, and farmers and their families from miles around drove into the city to attend.

 

But, low and behold, when the lights were started it was discovered that they made so much noise “it was either a case of lights and no music, or music and no lights.”  And that is the way the dance ended.

•••••••••

The one remaining building that was used as a business place in Columbia has been sold to Herman Embke, who is busily engaged in tearing it down. This structure was built by a man named Copley in about 1896-97.  He operated a store and also lived in the building.  A number of people living here now recall when the building was erected.  Since then the store has been operated by numerous individuals, but finally became only a dwelling place.

 

Mr. Embke has also purchased the garage, which was built by August Schlender when he conducted a business establishment in Columbia a number of years ago.  This building will also be razed, and the material taken to Mr. Embke’s farm, where he intends to use it for a poultry house.  Mr. Embke made both purchases from Wm. Sollberger who owned the buildings.  With Columbia lots vacated, the removal of the depot and switch track, and the razing of these buildings one can truly say that Columbia is a “ghost” town and has finally vanished into the past.                                                                        

•••••••••

The Granton school bus is temporarily out of commission.  On the first day of school, August 31, a connecting rod broke and damaged was done to the motor.  The parts have been slow in arriving and the school authorities have not received a hopeful prophecy as to the time of their receipt.  So, four passenger cars are making the rounds to pick up the 36 pupils on the bus route.  Some of these cars are making two trips night and morning, four trips daily.  These cars are being driven by Mrs. William Schmidtke, secretary of the school board; Armin Moh, a member of the board; William Young, the regular bus driver; and Mr. Kinney, the instructor in Agriculture.                                                                                                       

•••••••••

George Tibbett has another ball with a famous baseball player’s signature; and the United States Treasury has an additional $146.50.  Both were the result of the first Victory concert presented Monday evening in the Armory by the high school band.

 

Grover Cleveland Alexander, one of the baseball’s immortals autographed Mr. Tibbett’s baseball before the program started.  And now it rests beside other baseballs in the family home.  What’s on the other two?  The signature of the great Christie Mathewson is on one; and the other bears the autographs of Leo Durocher and Joe Medwich, former St. Louis Cardinal stars now with Brooklyn’s Daffy Dodgers.

 

The $146.50 was the total of sales of war stamps at the concert.  The program was free, and the only requirement was that each person attending buy at least a 10-cent war savings stamp.

 

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