February 1899

The marriage of Charles C. Sniteman and Mrs. Kate Stevens was solemnized at the Presbyterian manse in this city Monday afternoon, Jan. 30, 1899, by the Rev. R. J. Croswell performing the ceremony. The wedding was a very quiet affair.

Both bride and groom are residents of this city and known to all, especially the latter, who is proprietor of the Mammoth Silver Front Drug Store and is known far and wide as a businessman of integrity.

Mr. and Mrs. Sniteman, immediately after the ceremony, left for their wedding trip, going to Merrillan on the 4:37 p.m. train where they boarded the evening train for St. Paul, returning today.

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After a year’s absence in Alaska’s gold fields, Louis Brillion returned home last Wednesday looking just the same as when he left, in good, sound health. Louis did not strike any of the precious metal but his trip, so he says, was well worth the time and money. He has been on Copper River prospecting and tells us he located a claim on Mount Drum, one of the highest mountains in that district. The claim shows evidence of platinum. Mr Brillion left Copper River for Valdez landing, Nov. 1 and did not get a boat out until Jan. 19. He arrived at Seattle Jan. 27 and came directly home. Trip over the glacier from Copper River to Valdez Landing, he says, was of hardships, and he knows of fourteen men who froze to death in crossing over. The glacier is 5,200 feet high and for thirty miles neither wood nor water, only that which the prospector carries with him. In November, he last saw Vine and Johnson who are prospecting on Chitna River. Also saw Gus Klopf when he was leaving Copper River. The trip from Valdez to Seattle cost him $60. Louis says he has enough of gold hunting to last him the remainder of his life.                                                                             

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H.H. Heath has leased the telephone line between this city and Granton, of the Wisconsin Valley Telephone Co., the transfer, which took place Tuesday of this week. Mr. Heath has a telephone system all over the county and is trying with all his might to give patrons all the benefits in his power. He has place the price within the reach of all and his efforts should be appreciated and for the number of phones increased.

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The dedication of the Methodist Church in the Wilcox community will take place next Sunday afternoon. Rev. Bushnell will preach the dedicatory sermon. There will also be preaching Sunday morning and evening. Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper will follow after the morning service.

(As of 1880, S. A. Wilcox owned 160 acres of land in Section 22, Town of York, where a store and townhall would locate near the mid-western border of his land, thus carrying the name, Wilcox. Later the little hamlet’s name was changed from Wilcox to York Center. DZ)                    

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The business room, formerly occupied by Gerber, has been made into two rooms, by the addition of a partition, full length. One side is occupied by Alfred Klopf, jeweler, the other by Mrs. L.A. Grow, milliner.

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C.H. Ebbe, superintendent of the County Poor Farm, recently received a six-weeks-old babe from the Town of Beaver. He tells us that he would like to have some good citizen adopt it. Owing to Uncle Ebbe’s advanced years, and long whiskers, he does not feel inclined to adopt this little cherub, as he already has a bright little chap, which he recently adopted as his own. He says this babe is a bright boy and as smart as a fox, hence he thinks a childless couple would find in the babe a lively addition to their home and would love it as one of their very own.                                                                                 

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Judge James O’Neill came home Saturday from Milwaukee, having held court in that city for the past three weeks. While enjoying the bench, he disposed of three very important cases besides numerous minor ones. He left Tuesday for Madison to be in attendance yesterday at a meeting of the State Historical Society, he having been assigned a paper upon “Northern Wisconsin.”                       

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 During the fire Monday night, the fire bell became cracked, owing to the excessive heat is therefore useless. Tuesday, an order was sent in for a new bell and until it arrives, the Presbyterian Church bell will be used for curfew and fire purposes.

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Thankful words written by Mrs. Ada E. Hart of Groton, S.D. “I was taken with a bad cold, which settled in my lungs, cough set in and finally terminated in Consumption. Four Doctors gave me up saying I could live but a short time. My husband was advised to get Dr. King’s New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs and Colds. I gave it a try, taking in all of eight bottles. It has cured me.” Regular size bottle 50¢ or $1, guaranteed or price refunded, trial bottles free at C.C. Sniteman Co’s Store.

February 1944

The bond premier at the Adler Theater last Friday evening was attended by 461 persons. This meant more than the normal seating capacity of the theater, which is 413. It was necessary to bring in extra seats to accommodate the bond buyers. The sale of bonds aggregated $42,150.

W.G. Meier, manager of the theater, attributes the success of the sale in no small part to the help of the women who sold bonds in the lobby, they being members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Eastern Star.

(During World War II, War bond drives were held periodically. DZ)        

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R.A. Beckman, secretary of the Clark County Club of Milwaukee, requests The Press to announce a meeting, to be held Saturday night, February 19, at Red Arrow Club, 774 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. The affair will take the form of a club party and dance, with music, refreshments and lunch. Mr. Beckman states that all Clark County people in the Milwaukee area are invited. He says that is a good place to meet old friends and spend an enjoyable evening.                                                                       

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W.H. Allen has returned to the First National Bank, becoming assistant cashier. He began his new duties Monday. Formerly with the First National, he has for some months past been connected with the Minneapolis Sales Co., at Rochester, Minn.                                                        

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Vance Williams of Malta, Ill., spent several days here recently visiting his mother, Mrs. H.E. Williams, who is spending the winter in Neillsville and with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Ben Bleecker and family. While here, Mr. Williams closed a deal whereby the ownership of the H.E. Williams’ farm, located one mile east of Trimberger’s corner on U.S. Highway 10, passed from the Williams family, who have owned this land since 1856, to Edward Sternitzky and sons.

Although the Williamses have given up title to this land, it becomes property of another pioneer family, for the Sternitzkys followed the Williamses here just a few months later and have been neighbors of the William’s family all these years.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Hollenbach, who have lived on the farm for several years, are planning to move to a smaller place.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

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The flag of the Minute Man is floating this month under the Stars and Stripes in front of St. Mary’s School. It was raised, with appropriate ceremonies, last Thursday afternoon. The honor of flying the flag was awarded to the St. Mary’s School for having not less than 90 percent participation in war financing during the month of January. After the flag had been raised, Father Biegler asked the children to lift their hands to indicate the purpose to maintain their record in February, and thus again in March to have the right to fly the Minute Man Flag.

The exercise began within the school, then before the assembled children and the sisters teach them, Father Biegler blessed the flag. He then introduced James A. Musil, executive chairman of the war savings staff of Clark County, who made the address of the occasion. Mr. Musil told how the children’s contributions not only bought the tools of fighting but also provided the means of caring for the wounded. He pictured in detail the service of mercy, involved in carrying the wounded from the field of action and in restoring them to health.

Father Biegler introduced Wells F. Harvey, the editor of The Clark County Press, who told about one of the Minute Men, named Harrington, whose home still faces Lexington common. Upon that house is a tablet, which tells how Mr. Harrington, wounded in the battle upon the common, dragged himself to his own home and died in the arms of his wife. Mr. Harvey told of standing upon this old battlefield, and upon the old bridge at Concord. There, he said, the beginnings were small, and the battles ended in defeat. But eventually the thing most Minute Men fought for succeeded. Therefore, said Mr. Harvey, while we may encounter defeats, we must never give up.                                                                                                

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Miss Eleanor Kren, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kren, Neillsville, Rt. 1, and Darrel Raine, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Raine, Neillsville Rt. 4, were married on Saturday afternoon, February 19, at 3 o’clock, at Sunset Point, the home of Rev. and Mrs. Longenecker, pastor of the Congregational Church. The single ring service was performed by Mr. Longenecker. The parents and a few relatives of the bridal couple attended the service.

The bride wore a navy blue street length dress and carried a wrist corsage of pink and white sweet peas, and sweetheart roses, with a headband to match. Her matron of honor, Mrs. Arthur Tews, wore a street length dress of Copenhagen blue, and had a headband of pink roses and white sweet peas.

The groom wore a navy blue suit, and his attendant, Arthur Tews, wore oxford gray. Each had a rosebud boutonniere.

The ceremony was followed by a reception for relatives and close friends at the home of the bride’s parents. A wedding dance followed on Saturday evening at the Moose Hall, with music furnished by the Dux orchestra.

The bride graduated from the Neillsville High School in the class of 1943, and since that time has been a cashier at the Farmer’s Store in Neillsville. The groom attended high school for a while, and then went to help with work on his father’s farm. He is now employed driving a milk truck.

The young couple went to housekeeping immediately at the Bradbury apartments.

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“Mr. and Mrs. America,” a comedy will be given by the junior class of the Greenwood High School on Friday evening, February 18. The cast includes Howard Johnson, Dorothy Johnson, Mary McKenna, Kenneth Steiger, Kenneth Speich, Janice Baird, Frances Christopherson, Betty Kenyon, Norma Warner, Phyllis Mead, Anne Huntzicker and Ralph Debevec.

Between acts there will be songs by the first and second grades, a piano duet by Mrs. Herbert Schwarze and Miss Florence Gustafson, and a song by the boys quartet.              

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Local 4-H members interested in the 4-H forestry project should be making plans for ordering trees.

Farm boys and girls over 12 years of age may secure trees for express charges only, for windbreak, woodlot improvement, soil erosion and utilizing non-plough-able land unsuitable for crops. Seedlings are furnished only, except for approved windbreak planting, for which transplants will be given. The seedlings are for further growth. No member should enroll whose contract calls for less than 100 trees.

Instructions are given for establishing and caring for transplant bed in the 4-H forestry bulletin.

Members interested in this project should write for an order blank on or before March 1, from the home agent.

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The ladies of Group 2 of the American Legion Auxiliary of Loyal sponsored an entertainment at the Sherman Town Hall Tuesday evening. A program was presented.

A basket social followed. Walter Cook of Unity gave the address, and afterwards he auctioned off the baskets.

(During 1930s Depression Years and a time of limited incomes, basket socials became a popular means of fundraising. I remember out country school having an occasional fundraiser as a means to provide funds for some school related need. My mom would decorate an empty shoebox by wrapping colored crepe paper around the box and its cover, a pack of crepe cost five cents. She would also use another color of crepe paper  to make a bow and ribbon for decoration. She then prepared a lunch for two, such as sandwiches, pieces of cake and some fruit. Someone would act as an auctioneer, auctioning off each box to the highest bidder, a reason for each woman decorating an attractive basket. Whoever bought the basket, would share the meal inside with the one who had prepared it.

I remember mom telling Dad, “Now you take a good look at this basket I have made, and remember what it looks like, so you will know that it is the one you are to bed on at the social.” Dad would teasingly say, “How do you expect me to remember that?” But he did always remember, because he would have been too shy to share another woman’s basket lunch. I also remember the young fellows in the crowd vying for the single teacher’s basket that always sold for the highest bid of all baskets, somehow they knew which was hers. DZ)

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