Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

March 3, 1999, Page 24

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

Good Old Days 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County

 

March 1899

 

The forests are gone.  The 1898-99 operation of the La Crosse loggers can now be said, “It is over.”  The Black River area and the territory tributaries to La Crosse have been cleared of its timber.  The total logs will aggregate something like 75,000,000 feet, which is mostly white pine and hemlock.

 

The C. H. Nichols Lumber Co. has made a good showing, and most of the camps have been cleaned up of logs.  Several companies have about concluded their logging operations on the Black River.  This is the last season of the Island Mill Lumber Co., which in its existence, floated down river fully 250,000,000 feet of logs.

 

The C. L. Coleman Lumber Co. is still doing some logging on the upper Chippewa, but has finished for the season on the Black River and considerable more on the Chippewa River.

 

The Sawyer & Austin Lumber Co. has put in 25,000,000 white pine and hemlock on the Black River this season.  Other loggers to put logs on the Black River were the N. B. Holway estate, 5,000,000 of hemlock and Hiram Goddard, 4,000,000 (of) hemlock.

 

Supervisors Fike, Irvine and Benedict of the Clark County Board met here Monday and drew plans and specifications for a new barn to be built at the county farm.  The barn will be 40’x60’ with an eight foot high basement.

 

Emery Bruley has sold his mill plant to the Johnson Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee.  We understand he has also rented his house to one of the men of Johnson Co.  It is reported that the new firm has purchased a considerable amount of timber on the Romadka lands.

 

We notice by the Loyal Tribune that a Free Library Association was organized at Loyal last week.  The following officers were elected: President, A. E. Lawrence; Vice President, G. W. Allen; Secretary, Miss Nettie Welsh; Treasurer, D. W. Hennessey.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Warren Bullard of Neillsville celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding last Friday evening.  There were 65 guests in attendance. Substantial refreshments were served and Harry Robbins added much to the evening’s enjoyment by giving selections from his gramophone.

 

In the way of presents, a parlor table and rocking chair was given by friends living on the south side; a rocking chair from those living on the north side; a silver salt and pepper shaker, silver topped pitcher, set of solid silver teaspoons, china salad dish and spoons from other friends.

 

The Bullard’s were married at Fond du Lac in 1873 and came here 13 years ago.

 

Drs. Esch, Conroy and Lacey operated upon Ernest Kihn for appendicitis Tuesday forenoon.  At this time, the patient is doing well.  It is expected that the operation will be entirely successful.  Kihn has had repeated and severe attacks for some time.

 

Soon it will be St. Patrick’s Day.  The legend has it that the good saint was born in Scotland about the year 396 A.D.  When a boy, he was sold into slavery and sent to Ireland: He escaped, but returned later and converted the people to Christianity.  He is also credited with driving all the snakes and toads of the Emerald Isle into the sea.

 

Dr. Geo. M. Brosnihan, who has a large number of acquaintances in Neillsville, was married to Miss Jennie Duncan, in Chicago on March 11.

 

The Harry Mead farm in the Town of Warner is now for sale. The farm, of 160 acres is one of the best in Clark County.  Also for sale, is the W. L. Nichols farm, 111 acres, about 4 miles northeast of Loyal. For details, call S. M. Marsh.

 

The parties who took an iron beam plow from R. F. Goss’ barn near Chili, will save themselves much trouble by returning it the same as they took it, at once.

 

The Band is preparing a grand concert which will be given at Alma Center Friday evening and at Simon’s Hall next Tuesday evening.  A dance will be given after the concert.

 

March 1944

 

The police court of the City of Neillsville has been abolished.  On May 1, 1944, when the term of George A. Ure will have expired, the court will come to an end.  Its termination has been brought about by enactment of an ordinance, passed at last week’s session of the city council.

 

The council’s action has brought an end to the intuition which has existed in Neillsville for about 60 years. The existence of such an office and officer were recognized in the original city charter, dating back to 1882 or 1883.  From the day that Neillsville was made a city will have had its own police court.

 

Originally, the police court was exclusively concerned with matters local to the City of Neillsville.  The law which is enforced was the law of the city’s ordinances enacted locally by the city council.  Presumably, the original intent was that the police magistrate would be a specialist in this local legislation.

 

For many years the police judge had jurisdiction only of city cases.  He was not authorized to hear cases under state law or county ordinances.  But, a decade or so ago a statute was enacted which gave police magistrates the same authority and jurisdiction as justices of the peace.  Thus the local police judge was authorized to handle cases brought under state laws and county ordinances, and to attend to the civil cases commonly handled by a justice of peace.

 

For many years, the police judge was a good investment, from a financial standpoint.  The fines and cost which he collected went into the city treasury, and the court paid out more.  Now, the city cases have been minor, with other work being a major portion.  The city had paid the police judge $30 per month and furnished a fine office in the front of the city hall for the judge.  Even the costs alone were a considerable item in the olds days. But, of late, the police court, as a business proposition, has gone sour.

 

In studying the docket of the city police court from Sept. 6, 1943 to Feb. 26, 1944: During those six months, of 57 cases, only seven were of interest to the city.

 

The Neillsville city well in Schuster Park will be tested soon by the Layne-Northwest Co.  The action was taken in hopes upon the possibility of using the well water as a municipal supply.

 

Rev. J. G. Buth, pastor of the American Lutheran Church, located a mile south of Granton, for the past 17 years, has accepted a call to the church at Ixonia.

 

Rev. and Mrs. Buth have four children.  A daughter, Olga, is a teacher in the Granton Public Schools; another daughter, Lydia, is a student at St. Olaf College.  A son, Wilfred, is in the U. S. Navy and also is enrolled in a college at St. Peter, Minn., preparing for Chaplin service.  The youngest, a son, has been attending Granton High School. 

 

The Joseph Chase farm, a mile and a half east of Neillsville has been purchased by Carl Eisentraut.  The farm will be operated by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Erickson of Marshfield who will take possession on April 1st.  Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chase, Jr. will move to the former James Milton farm west of Neillsville now owned by Andres Mason.

 

Members of the Neillsville Milk Products Cooperative realized an average of 74 cents per pound butterfat in their milk, according to the annual report.  Of the 74 cents per pound, 72.88 cents was paid currently in cash, and the remainder was paid in the form of a stock dividend.

 

The Neillsville American Legion and the Legion Auxiliary will hold a joint meeting Friday evening, March 24, at the Legion Hall.  They will be celebrating the 25th birthday anniversary of the Wisconsin branch of the American Legion, which was organized in March, 1919.

 

New postal rates go into effect throughout the nation on Sunday, March 26.

 

First class mail for local delivery, in Neillsville and routes, will be 3 cents per ounce or fraction, instead of the former 2-cent rate.

 

Airmail, from one post office to another on the mainland of the United States, including Alaska, will be 8 cents per ounce or fraction.

 

Postage on all fourth class or parcel post mail is increased to 3 cents.

 

Increases on money order fees will result in charges of 10 cents for orders from 1 cent to $2.50 and 37 cents from $80.01 to $100.

 

The Dux Brothers, Arthur & Will, announce their partnership for the purpose of handling Standard Oil Products.  Their business office will be in the Roehrborn building on Seventh Street, just east of Harry Roehrborn’s Grocery, the space formerly occupied by Dr. Sillick.

 

A party, arranged by their neighbors, was given for Mr. & Mrs. John Gullickson at their home on North Grand Avenue, Thursday evening.  More than 50 friends attended, and enjoyed an evening of card playing and visiting. A lunch brought in by the ladies, was served at midnight.  The group presented a gift of a table lamp to the Gullicksons.  After residing at their North Grand Avenue home for 25 years, they are moving from the neighborhood to the Stoffel house on West Fourth Street.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Gress and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Foote arranged a party in honor of the fourth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Gus DeMert and the seventh anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Brown.  The party was held Saturday evening at the Grant Town Hall. The evening was spent in dancing, and a lunch was served at midnight.

 

A blood bank for the Neillsville community will be sponsored by the Rotary Club.  A vote determined the program after a detailed explanation was made by Dr. M. V. Overman.  The blood bank will be kept at the Neillsville Hospital, and will be available there for immediate use.  The cost of a standard infusion of blood plasma will be $10, as compared with the standard cost, as Dr. Overman stated, of $30.

 

Fifty-three members of the Loyal High School have completed the driving course and have received driving certificates.

 

Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Hannon have purchased a house from E. A. Wepfer, in Loyal, and will move into it on April 1st.  Their son, Ray Hannon, will take possession of the farm in the Town of York.

 

Frank Wolf has bought the William Loppnow farm on the east side of Loyal’s village limits.

 

Mr. and Mrs. John G. Godden, long-time residents of the Town of Mead, have rented the Boardman farm northeast of Eidsvold and have moved there.

 

Sgt. Louis Pagel and his wife, Pfc. Helen Pagel, of Camp Van Dorn, Miss., spent a furlough recently in the Thorp community.

 

E. E. Neilsen, a pioneer of the Danish Colony, in the Withee community, passed away at the age of 77.  He was the son of Rev. and Mrs. Andreas S. Neilsen, and came as a member of the family when the Danish Colony was established in 1893.

 

Soon after the family arrived, the younger Neilsen set himself up in the feed and grist mill business at the north limits of the village.  Later, he began to repair watches, a trade which he had learned in Chicago.  Presently, he moved to the business district of Withee, where he conducted the repair business for 40 years.

 

Neilsen served as a justice of peace more than 40 years and a member of the board of education for 15 years. 

 

Neilsen was married to Alva Hack of Withee in 1903.  He is survived by his wife, as well as two sisters and three brothers, one of whom is Dr. C. S. Neilsen of Withee.

 

Pfc. Alfred Nibbie, who was wounded in action near Naples, Italy, as back in Humbird last weekend visiting his parents and friends.

 

F. G. Clement, a Neillsville Photographer, apparently took this photo of an Abraham Lincoln Memorial in circa 1880….but where?  If anyone has any information, please call or write.

 

 


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