Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

December 4, 2019,  Page 9 

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled and Contributed by Dee Zimmerman

Clark County News

December 1904

 

One day last week, Guy Youman’s Shetland pony stallion fell at Pleasant Ridge farm, breaking a thighbone, making it necessary to kill him and the life of a handsome little horse was at an end. He was one of the original pair of Shetlands that Guy drove for some years as a “kid’s team.” The pony had seen his better days but was still serviceable and a great pet.                                               

 

Guy Youman’s Shetland ponies were not only enjoyed by Guy, but by several children that lived in Neillsville. They ponies were hitched to sleighs during the winter, or buggies in the summer, giving kids fun rides within the city.

•••••••••

Newspaper office will pay $2.00 a cord for dry chunk wood, delivered, on a $1.50 basis per paper subscription.

•••••••••

Ed Barton and A. Huckstead have bought out the A. Barton’s business, the wagon factory and blacksmith shop.

•••••••••

Breakfast foods are now to be investigated to find, which yields the greatest energy. Buckwheat pancakes will win out.

 

Hein’s Buckwheat Flour, the real thing direct from the mills will give the finest satisfaction. It is pure and on sale at all the stores in Neillsville.

 

(Years ago, there were small acreages of buckwheat grown in this area.

 

In the fall, newly harvested buckwheat was taken to a local mill to be made into flour. Buckwheat flour is ground-up seed hulls of the buckwheat plant, not related to wheat at all but similar to common cereal grains and it is gluten-free.

 

Homemade buckwheat pancakes, smothered with butter and maple syrup, are yummy. DZ)

•••••••••

The “Chicago American” of December 3rd contained a group engraving of Chicago ladies who are expert whistlers and Miss Hewett, Neillsville’s own Mammie Hewett, is one of the group. The “American” says of her; “Miss Mamie Hewett, who is said to be one of the best whistlers in Chicago, has an unusual range and quality of tone. Miss Hewett is very musical and plays her own accompaniment.” Whistling has become a fad in Chicago society.

 

(In the days before radios and phonograph recordings, many people learned to whistle, one way of making their own music. My mother was very talented at whistling tunes. At the age of five, I would try to whistle like Mom, but instead leaned to do imitations of birdcalls in my throat. At the age of six and seven, some elderly gentlemen friends of our family would coax me into doing imitations for them saying, “I will give you a nickel,” and I soon leaned that two of those men would offer a dime if I acted shy and waited. Never underestimate what may go on in little kids’ minds. DZ)                                           

•••••••••

A fine big deer was shipped a few days ago by Richard Dickinson to Dan Higgins, who resides at Janesville, having been up here hunting, and shooting the deer as fair and square as you please but neglected to take it with him when he went home, as the law specifies. It was seized by the game warden at Madison and confiscated. Now Dan is a sadder and wiser man.                            

•••••••••

In building the “Merchants Hotel” up to its present metropolitan standard, Landlord Vern Murphy, who jovially calls his fine motel a “tavern,” has demonstrated that he understands the art of making people comfortable.

•••••••••

Neillsville has all the most metropolitan features: electric lights, city water service, sewer system, paved streets, etc. Now let us go after a greater population. Cities, like businessmen must advertise in order to expand and grow.                                                                                                 

•••••••••

Colby is to have a skating rink, says the “Phonograph” newspaper, and if the weather stays favorable, it will be ready for business by next Sunday. Ben Riplinger and Chas. Senkbiel are the promoters. “Skating is an elegant winter pastime, and the new rink will be appreciated by many. It is being built on the Riplinger flat in the east ward.                                                                                                      

•••••••••

The Tragsdorf, Zimmerman & Co. store has a large assortment of Tree Ornaments from 10’ a doz. To 5’ each, all kinds of Candy, Nuts, etc. Also, you can buy a large Rattan Rocker for $2.65.

•••••••••

Mr. C. B. Dresden, landlord of the Dresden Hotel, and Miss Jane Wood, niece of Dave Wood, of West Pine Valley, were united in marriage Wednesday evening, Dec. 7th. Rev. G. W. Longenecker officiated. Bert surprised his friends by being ahead of the local newspaper reporters in announcing the event and made good by handing out the congratulation cigars.                                        

•••••••••

A sewing machine makes a very nice Christmas present. Tragsdorf, Zimmerman & Co. has a large assortment, priced from 12 to 25 dollars each.                                                          

•••••••••

Luethe’s will saw your wood supply promptly and they do a good job.

 

December 1939

Six to 12 school districts in Clark County will be faced with this problem of operating next year with reduced state and county aid, closing their schools entirely,. L.M. Millard, county school superintendent, estimated this week.

The problem, one which 600 to 700 school districts of Wisconsin must wrestle with between now and next September, comes as a result of recent enactment by the state legislature of the “small school” law. Under its provisions schools with more than one pupil and less than 10 in average daily attendance shall receive a daily total of $50 per pupil. Twenty-five dollars per pupil will come as state aid, and the remaining $25 will come from the county.

 

Heretofore, every school, regardless of the number of pupils in average daily attendance, received $250 (prorated) from the state and a similar amount from the county. In addition, schools with eligible to receive up to $350 equalization aid, the amount depending on the assessed valuation of the district.

 

Under the new law, Mr. Millard explained, school districts with less than 10 pupils in an average daily attendance will not be entitled to equalization aid, the amount depending on the assessed valuation of the district.                                                                                             

•••••••••

In spite of unusually poor hunting conditions nimrods who combed the Clark County wilds produced one of the cleanest records in recent history during the deer season, which ended last Friday, Game Warden Alva Clumpner reported.

 

Although several “near-accidents” were reported, not a single serious mishap took place within the county. In addition, Mr. Clumpner said, not a single arrest was made within the county for game law violation during the season, and only 19 does were known to have been killed in the county.

•••••••••

The price of milk in the Neillsville market, as determined by the latest payment of the American Stores Dairy Company, is $1.50 per hundred pounds 3.5 milk. This is the rate at which checks have been sent out for the first half of November. The payment is a further increase of five cents per hundred over the rate paid for the last half of October.

 

The further rise in local prices reflects the sharpness of present demand, and the general improvement in the dairy situation, which coincides with general business improvement throughout the United States.

•••••••••

Anniversary Dance Stables Nite Club Sunday, Dec. 10

We take this opportunity to thank all our friends

and patrons for making our first year in Neillsville such a pleasant one!

Come Out and Help Us Celebrate!

Good Music - - Dancing Every Saturday Night.

Cribbage Party

Every Sunday Afternoon – Starting at 2:00 O’clock                         

•••••••••

Carload of Barley With 30% Wheat - $23 Per Ton - $1.25 Per Cwt,

Dairy Feed, $25 Per Ton.

Apples - 99’ per bu.

FREE! 1 dish towel given free with each 49-lb. sack of flour sold up to January 1, 1940.

H.H. Van Gorden & Sons Neillsville * Phone 88

•••••••••

Dance at Bohemian ZCBI Hall

Formerly Levis Community Hall

Sunday, Dec. 10 – Music by Joey Mazola And His Band

Gents 25’ - Ladies Free!

•••••••••

When it comes to weather predictions the state highway commission’s publicity department should receive some recognition .

 

Early in November the department sent out a release to weekly newspapers of the state, which gave its outstanding weather forecast; and which, incidentally, suggested the time of the rather frayed “Beer Barrel Polka.”

 

“Roll out the fences, went the release, and we’ll have a barrel of snow.”

 

Indications at least to the first part of the week were that the publicity writer also was an excellent weather prophet.

 

He was only a barrel short.

 

But Clark County Highway Department crews prepared for a real Wisconsin winter. And to date, Clark County’s state trunk highways are protected from drifting snow by over 26.8 miles of snow fence, while approximately that much more has been put up along county trunk roads.

 

With snow plows ready and crews in condition, the county forces now are awaiting that “barrel” of snow, or even more, if more comes.                                                                            

•••••••••

A children’s chorus of the St. John’s Lutheran School will broadcast a half-hour program of Christmas carols over the station WlbL, Stevens Point, Friday afternoon, December 22. Principal Erich Sievert has announced.

 

The program will be on the air from 2:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. and will include a four or five-minute address by the Rev. William A. Baumann, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mr. Sievert said.

•••••••••

Happy to be in the harness again, George A. Ure, appointed police justice late last week to fill the unexpired term of Judge A.E. Dudley, taking over his new duties in the city hall Monday morning. Justice Dudley died December 5 after being stricken by a heart attack.

 

Mr. Ure’s appointment was made by Mayor H.J. Naedler, from among four residents who submitted written  applications for the position. The city council, called for a special session Thursday night, unanimously approving Ure’s appointment.                                                        

•••••••••

Packers are Champions! The Green Bay Packers have won the National Championship of professional football, defeating  the New York Giants last Sunday, 27 – 0. The game was played in Milwaukee.

•••••••••

Construction of a new $4,000 Clark County garage at Loyal for the housing of highway equipment has been started. The structure is to be located west of the village limits, south side of Highway 98.

•••••••••

In a recent letter to her two sons living in Whitehall, Mrs. Chris Amble of Norway told of the effect of the British blockade of Norway. Butter, silk and cotton thread and several other commodities are not available, she said. Fearing that it might be drawn into war, Norway is preparing as best it can, and had laid in large quantities of many commodities. As soon as hostilities started, she wrote, wartime regulations were adopted restricting the use of gasoline, and rationing imported foodstuffs. Although there is an ample supply of sugar and coffee, as well as a few other items, they are used sparingly as a result of governmental regulations. The Norwegian people, Mrs. Amble wrote, will not complain if they can but remain at peace.

•••••••••

Ten children are driving the Carl Opelt family of the Town of Levis to substantial success. Perhaps the Opelt family, involved  in the labors of a large family, may not see any great success, and they certainly do not feel like millionaires, but with ten children they are expanding their farm operations, adding equipment and keeping their credit beyond question.

 

The driving influence of a large family became evident some time ago. The Opelts had 80 acres in the Town of Levis, and that 80 acres would keep just about enough cows to maintain the large and growing family, but not a bit more. The prospect was for more expense as the years passed, and no more capacity upon 80 acres. The Opelts knew of another 80 on the banks of Black River, which could be bought for $10 per acre. It was 2 miles from the home farm, and it was not all top-land, but it had at least 30 acres of fine soil. So, it was purchased at depression prices.

 

Under the old set-up the Opelts could keep about fifteen milk cows on the eighty, but with the added land they could keep 23 cows, their present number. And if 15 cows met running expenses, 23 cows gave some margin for expansion. So, when it seemed a long trip from one farm to the other on foot, it looked to Carl Opelt as though a tractor could be maintained, and he bought a tractor. On this tractor he could get from one farm to the other without tiring himself out, and without taking so much time.

 

The modest success of the Carl Opelts has come in the depression out of the difficult conditions, which confront most families. They have not had money to draw upon. They bought land on credit, and must care for the land mortgage, like so many others.

 

(The above story about the Opelt family’s experiences of farming during the Great Depression represents the struggles endured and, in this case overcome, experienced by many other farm families during that time. DZ)

 

  €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE