Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI, November 30, 2011, Page 9

Notice – Stove ashes will be hauled away by the city truck each Saturday in the Fire Zone beginning this Saturday; the first Saturday of the month in the First Ward, the second Saturday in the Second Ward, the third Saturday in the Third Ward and the Fourth Saturday in the Fourth Ward. Ashes must be placed in steel containers and in front of property so as it will be convenient for the drivers.

Do not throw or place ashes on boulevard as this is prohibited by city ordinance. Noted by Charles Poole, fire warden

Opening of the New Hainz Nite Club, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday; Entertainment and good food! Located 5 miles East of Neillsville on Highway 10 – Enjoy the Floor Show! Let’s all go to the Big Blow Out!

Orchard Tavern, 1 ½ miles East of Granton on Highway 10; Fish Fry Every Friday Night – Saturday, Oct. 31, Come & Enjoy “Spannferkel” – Also Good music.

Goose and Duck Shoot at the Henry Herian Farm, ½ mile south of Neillsville on Hwy. 73, Sunday afternoon & evening, November 1, 1936.

Announcing the opening of a new Barber Shop, Nov. 2, one door east of Dahnert’s Tavern – Milo R. Mabie, proprietor

Ed Short and Ed Hagie of Shortville did a little real logging one day last week, cutting a big white oak which stood on the land of Fanny Bue, the last remaining monarch of white oaks of that region.

There were three large logs in the trunk and these were hauled one at a time by Ed Short’s old team of horses, 20 and 21 years of age, and pulled up a steep bank at that, from the place where the tree was felled.

Just a matter of curiosity the men put the butt log, 16 feet long, on the hay scales and found that it weighed two tons, a pretty good load for an old team.

While it seemed too bad to fall the big tree, it was noticed that its limbs were dying, and other signs of old age setting in. It was full ripe for the harvest.

While not officially opened for traffic the concrete south of Neillsville on Hwy 73 and 95 is open for autos. Freezing rain has delayed completion of the shoulders, but this does not interfere with traffic.

North on Hwy 73 from end of the city concrete, the roadway is graveled up to Christie corners.

Gene Clayton, Chicago, master of ceremonies and tap dancer with the Lawrence’s floor show, which as been entertaining at Kellers’ Fireplace, was injured early Sunday night when his car crashed into the ditch on the S curve two miles west of the city on Highway 10. Mr. Clayton was on his way back to work when the accident occurred. He states he believes his car was side-swiped by another car, but says the accident occurred so unexpectedly he is not sure what happened. He was brought to the office of Dr. H. W. Housley where the physician took several stitches in his head. He is now being cared for at the Fireplace.

Do your Christmas Shopping early! Make this a joyful Christmas by giving a Diamond – Exceptional values at Frank E. Brown Jewelry in Neillsville. Diamonds mounted in latest types of mountings, from $13 & up.

An overheated stove is believed to have started a fire in the William Ehler’s shoe shop on the West side of Main Street in Merrillan about 4 a.m. Tuesday, which destroyed the shop, an adjoining restaurant run by James Quinn and damaged a former garage now owned by Jackson County.

Fire departments from Black River Falls, and Alma Center were called to assist the Merrillan Company in checking the blaze, which for a time threatened all of the buildings in the block.

Mrs. Frank Larson, who was on her way to the depot to take an early morning train, saw smoke coming from the shoe shop and ran to the fire bell to give the alarm. John Frei, hotelkeeper, who happened to be up, heard the bell and rushed to the fire hall and helped her ring the bell. The fire spread rapidly.

The former garage building is now owned by the county and used as a storage space for highway equipment. Several cars owned by the Crago shows, which were housed in the garage, were not damaged.

The Clark County Board, with all members present and Elmer Anderson as chairman, began its fall session Tuesday with an appropriation of $2,500 as the county’s share of the cost of a dam on Hay Creek in North Foster as the first step in the development of a recreational center in that area.

The First National Bank at Neillsville and the Neillsville Bank were selected as depositories for county funds until further action of the board.

The Town of Hixon filed a claim for $312.60 for 630 yards of gravel on a PWA project, which was charge to Hixon by action of the board last year. The matter was referred to the general claims committee.

The board adjourned to Thursday following an opinion by the attorney general that actions taken on Armistice Day might be illegal.

Emil Mattson, Neillsville’s street commissioner has invented and constructed a machine for sanding the pavement in icy times. The machine is really a unique contrivance. It consists of a hopper into which the sand is loaded; a worm screw drives the sand downward upon a disc with ridges radiating from the center. The machine is mounted on wheels, with drive gear to turn the worm screw slowly and revolve the disc rapidly, throwing the sand evenly to the right, left and rear. This contrivance is hitched behind the city truck, which is loaded with sufficient sand to replenish the hopper several times. The machine was tried out Tuesday morning and works fine.

The advantages of the machine over the old system of spreading with shovels are the rapidity of the work and the even and economical spreading of the sand.

The Tibbetts Ice and Fuel Company has started building a garage and machine shed 22 by 80 feet on the Tibbetts property north of O’Neill Creek, near the ice house. A workshop will be installed in one end. The work is being done by Art Kunze and Tibbetts’ employees.

A memorable event was the 25^th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Ratsch celebrated Sunday afternoon, Nov. 22 at their home.

The Rev. Wm. Baumann of St. John’s Lutheran Church conducted the service of Thanksgiving. Friends and relatives joined in the singing of hymns.

After the service, the couple joined their right hands and received the divine benediction. Their children presented them with a silver memorial wreath. It was indeed a happy day.

Herman Ratsch and Emma Nowek were married on Nov. 22, 1911 by the Rev. A. Gierke pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Niagara, North Dakota.

This union was blessed with the following children; Marie, Edna, Anita, Louella, Harold, Clarence and Robert, all being present for the occasion. A five o’clock dinner was served to friends and relatives.

F. O. Balch, who has been in the hardware business in Neillsville for the past 15 years, this week announced his retirement and is selling out his entire stock of goods and all fixtures at a sale starting Saturday, Nov. 28.

The name of Balch has been identified with the merchandising history of this community for the last half century, beginning when F. A. Balch, father of Fred, opened a store about 1885, in partnership with his son, Rella, in the old North Side store, now occupied by Nick Gangler. A short time later they occupied the building where John Kubat’s house on North Hewett now stands. A few years later they moved into the building now occupied by Balch Hardware Store.

In the late 1890’s the elder Balch withdrew and Rella Balch and Bennie Tragsdorf went into partnership, opening a store where the Schultz Bros. store is now located. A short time later they built the Big Store.

F. O. Balch, who was on the road as a shoe salesman for years, went to Milwaukee in 1910 where he and Mrs. Balch operated a very successful millinery business until 1920 when they returned to Neillsville. A year later Mr. Balch bought out the hardware business from Powers & Wing.

Leslie Cook of the Town of Hewett and some fellow hunters succeeded last week in killing “Old Stub Toe,” a deer whose tracks have been a matter of curiosity to forest visitors for several years.

It is reported that this deer was believed to be about 15 years old. He had magnificent antlers; but one prong had been shot away. His peculiar tracks by which he had long been known, was found to have been caused by one deformed foot, the deformity being evidently caused by an accident of some kind, though he might possibly have been born with it.

Coast-To-Coast Store Specials: All steel card table, $1.98; Dolly Madison Ice Cream, Turkey Day brick, delicious plum pudding ice cream, filled with luscious fruits and assorted nuts, only 31cents.

A&P Food Store Specials – Whitehouse evaporated milk, 14 ½ oz can, 3 cans for 20¢; Bananas, 4 lbs. 25¢; Celery, large bunch 10¢; Lettuce, 2 medium sized heads, 9¢.

Photographs and trophies of Neillsville High School basketball teams for the years of 1930 – 1936 form a display in the First National Bank window this week. Among them is a photograph of 26 years ago, one of the outstanding teams in the history of the school. This basketball five won and held the interest of the entire community through their fast team work and repeated victories, and made headlines in the papers in this section of the state, having attained second place in the Appleton tournament. The lineup was as follows: Rex Hosely, guard and Captain; Earl Conlin, guard; Robert Dwyer; Vernon Wright and John Murray, forwards, the latter not being an active player that year owing to a severe surgical operation; Louis Seif, center; Gordon Campbell and Jos. Haugen, subs. C. D. Stillman was the coach. The school in 1910 was under the supervision of Geo. M. Snodgrass. Robert Dwyer is the only man in the group still residing here. Louis Seif was killed in action during World War I August 3, 1918.

(There was only one tournament division, including small and large schools at that time.)

Wisconsin produces nearly three-fourths of the nations output of Limburger cheese, according to the crop reporting service of Wisconsin and United States Departments of Agriculture.

The following Associated Press report relative to the new post office in Neillsville appeared in newspapers of last Saturday: “Washington D. C. – The new post office at Neillsville, Wis., will be at the northeast corner of Hewett and Sixth streets. The treasury post office committee Friday accepted the site offered by North, Naedler and Warlum for $5,760.

The committee previously had recommended acceptance of a site on the corner submitted by O. W. Schoengarth and others, but recommended cancellation of this proposal because the committee could not agree on conditions for elimination of one parcel of property.”

Judge Schoengarth in commenting on the above article said he knew nothing about the controversy mentioned. He said he had been asked to give a price on the present post office building, both with fixture and without fixtures. The next he heard of the matter was when he saw the article in a newspaper.

At the Congregational Sunday School and Church services Sunday there was shown a large oil painting done by Sam Stamper, the subject being Joseph being sold by his brothers to the Egyptians.

Mr. Stamper has been working on the painting during his convalescence from an operation, which he underwent some weeks ago. The painting is not quite finished but sufficiently so to fully portray this noted biblical incident.

Mr. Stamper has a number of fine paintings to his credit, some of them California scenes, executed while he was in the west.

The organization of the Badger State Credit Company of Greenwood has just been announced by Palmer Vinger, secretary and treasurer, who states that the company will operate in several counties and is chartered to operate any where in the state. According to Mr. Vinger the company will lend money on chattel mortgages at 5 percent. A small inspection fee also is to be charged.

The president of the company is Fred Lakosky of Loyal, well-known implement dealer, village president, a director of Citizens State Bank where he also did appraisals; Francis Conway of Thorp, bank examiner and bank cashier for many years, is vice-president; Palmer Vinger of Greenwood who is secretary-treasurer, has been successful in the real estate and general insurance business for almost 20 years.

The additional directors are: Charles Ludwig of Greenwood, William Seaman of Loyal, Matt Dergance of Willard and W. R. Hintermeyer of Eau Claire.

This 1930s photo was taken of the crew of men who worked on constructing USH 10 from Neillsville to Fairchild. The site at that point of construction was taken one mile west of the Neillsville city limits, beyond the railroad trestle and near the Diers farmstead. All of the men are lean and trim due to the heavy manual labor required in preparing the highway’s roadbed and laying of cement. The shovels and wheelbarrows, shown in the foreground, were tools used in moving sand and gravel spread over the road base as well as shoveling gravel from wheelbarrow to cement mixer, then freshly mixed cement to the prepared roadbed; no easy task, all done by manual labor. (Photo courtesy of Dan Dux)

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