October 1869

We are requested to state that Rev. J. J. Walker will preach at Renne’s schoolhouse, when services will be at the Town of Weston next Sabbath morning, 10 -1/2 o’clock and afternoon services at the schoolhouse neat John Nichols’ place in the Town of Grant.                                                                                      

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Some little excitement was created in the village yesterday over the announcement that our esteemed townsman, Mr. Jas. O’Neill, had become lost in the woods while out inspecting lands.  He turned up all right, however, as might be expected and the mongrel party are turning this little affair into account by saying he went to find Smith, the Republican candidate for Superintendent, and got lost!

Who is Smith?  This question is very frequently asked, since S.S. Smith of Loyal received the Republican nomination for County Superintendent.  The mongrels are doing us a favor by asking this question on every corner.  The people will soon find out who Smith is and that he is a man of ability and education, his opponents cry out, “Who is Smith?” and very consistently declare that he is a man of no qualifications for the office.  There are many in this county who knew Mr. Smith in Washington County, while he was engaged in teaching, and they are his warmest and most earnest supporters.

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Mr. Geo. W. Baker, who recently established a chair manufactory in the Town of Loyal brought into town yesterday two loads of chairs.  They are good looking and well made, and their appearance is enough to prove conclusively that Mr. Baker is a superior workman.  His enterprise promises to be richly rewarded.  His facilities for getting material are such that he is enabled to make a stronger, more durable and cheaper chair that can be bought from south of us.  He informs us that he has now a great many orders to supply and thinks he can keep four or five men steadily employed all winter.  There is a chance for a great many more similar manufactories here, but we need a railroad to give us a larger market.

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They have a set of boxing gloves at a certain place in town, and quite a number have been practicing in the “manly art,” a statement that can be verified by a good many sore noses, swelled lips and bad eyes now about town.  It is good exercise and anyone can have a chance to show his skill with the gloves.  We’ve been there!

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Mr. W. T. Hutchinson, the postmaster of this place, has been notified that service upon the new mail route from here to John Graves, in Town 26, 1 west, will begin about the first of next month.  The mail will leave here on Friday and return on Saturdays.  It is possible that the first trip will be made next week.  The post office at Geo. Huntzicker’s is called “Lumberman” and at Graves, “Loyal.”  Our subscribers living in that direction should notify us as soon as convenient, at which post office they wish to receive their papers.                           

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There will be a grand festival at the O’Neill House next Saturday evening, given under the auspices of the M. E. Church, for the purpose of raising funds to meet the expenses, which have been incurred in fitting up the new church.  Stoves have been obtained, some necessary finishing work done on the inside, besides the plastering, which is no being done.  All the remains yet to be paid for and it is hoped and expected that in view of these facts, the festival will bring together a large number who will be liberal in extending substantial aid. We ought to now take a local pride and special interest in having the only church edifice in our village fitted up in a proper manner, without allowing the church or its worthy pastor, who has done so much for it, to become embarrassed pecuniarily.  A committee of ladies has been appointed to procure the edibles for an excellent and well laden table, and that they will get all the good things to be had at this season of the year, with plenty of oysters, Mr. Geo. C. Farnham will act as treasurer during the evening and Mr. A. W. Lynn as Secretary.  Come, everybody!                                                                                            

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O’Neill’s Hall, last Thursday night, was the scene of a fine ball, thoroughly German in its character and nearly so in attendance.  The Germans, as it is well known, are lovers of good music and are adept in the ‘poetry of motion.’  We could not help noticing particularly the ease and grace with which and ‘old country’ lady 62 years of age waltzed around the room, out vying even those in maiden years and of fairer form. Everything passed off in the most pleasant and agreeable manner.

October 1944

Martin O. Zilisch, otherwise known as ‘Junior,’ celebrated his first vacation in four years by catching a big one in Black River.  It was 34 inches long, weighed eight pounds and made a lot of fine eating for the Zilisches.  Whether the fish was a Muskie or a northern pike, Martin H. Zilisch, the father, leaves experts to say.  He inclines to the opinion that it was a pike, because of its weight. But there are some real experts hereabouts that saw it and called it a Muskie.  The Zilisches ate it and the evidence is gone.

‘Junior’ Zilisch hadn’t fished in Black river for a long time.  He works at Kansas City, Kansas; is in charge of the parts department of North American Aviation.  He had been so tied up that he had not been able to get away for four solid years.  He brought with him his wife and two children.

‘Junior’ fished with a plug.  In addition to the big fish, he caught a creel full of black bass.

Another local fisherman of parts, and fish, is Louis Meinholt, who brought back with him three walleyes of eight, five and three pounds, respectively.

Doubtless, there are other local fishermen who have done as well, or tell it better than these two, but Mrs. Noble, who edits the Banner Journal in Black River Falls, either has better material to work with or she does a better job, for she tells these fish stories in a recent issue of her splendid publication.

“Jim Tollefson, who puts in his time as engineer at the post office when not fishing, holds the record so far as can find out, as the big Muskie man of these parts for the season.  He has caught seven this summer, the last one a week ago.  It weighed 11 pounds and was 34 inches long.  That’s not exactly a mean fish but was almost a baby compared to his best one caught at Halcyon on the Black River, and which weighed 25 pounds and was 48 inches long.  The other five were not so pretentious but were all over the required length of 30 inches.  Muskellunge is an Ojibwa Indian word meaning ‘big pike,’ native of the Great Lakes, where they weighed 70 to 80 pounds.

“Jim is a fishing enthusiast, not only by profession but by inheritance, for his father, John Tollefson, is another champion fisherman of these parts.  Jim says the Black River has pickerel, muskies, rock bass and croppies.  At one time, it had sturgeon, but no one has caught one for many years.                                   

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For the first time town chairmen and supervisors will be asked this year to attend the annual meeting for school boards of Clark County.  An invitation will be extended to them by Eugene Laurent, county superintendent of schools, at the insistence of the state department of education.

The occasion for this invitation is a matter of surmise, but a good guess is that it is connected with the program of the state department to effect a consolidation of rural schools.  To make a change in the boundary lines of school districts requires action by the town boards and is evidently the department’s idea that such changes are in order.

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Beginning October 1, the paper used for the production of The Clark County Press is rationed.  This means this newspaper is proceeding under a limitation by government order, being allotted a prescribed maximum in accordance with the government regulations.

Heretofore, newspapers like The Press, those using a relatively modest amount of paper, have not been restricted.  By the new regulations these rural newspapers are now brought under rationing.

(The newspapers were allowed only a designated amount of newsprint, limiting the number of pages for each issue, The Press being allowed only eight broad-size pages per week. DZ)

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The city council passed an ordinance Tuesday evening intended to make legal without question the housing of old age pensioners within the residential zone of the city of Neillsville.  This was done by specifying that the provisions of the ordinance should not be considered as applying to a dwelling house maintained and used exclusively for persons receiving old age pensions from Clark County.

The ordinance had been prepared in advance by C. R. Sturdevant, the city attorney, was brought up at the end of the session and passed unanimously and without discussion.

The ordinance was passed to clear the way for the purchase of the MacMillan property by the county and to remove the possibility of objections based upon the zoning ordinance.

The welfare committee of the county board has entered into an arrangement with Mr. and Mrs. William Plummer to manage the home.  The Plummers have for years conducted the county farm in the Town of York.

Clark County will proceed with the purchase of the MacMillan property located on South Hewett Street and will use it as a home for pensioners.

This is the decision of the welfare committee of the county board, after a hearing and after extended inquiry and perplexity.

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The Neillsville High School for the week of October 20 is crowded with gala activities; Thursday evening at 8 o’clock all high school students will meet around a bonfire, near the Condensery.  The ceremony of the crowning the king and queen will be held while the fire is burning.  James Haas was elected king by the student body.  He will choose the queen.

Following this, there will be a snake dance through the city streets, in which all students will participate.  This event will complete the evening’s activities.  Friday will be ‘Hobo Day,’ and the activities will consist of a pep meeting in the morning and the parade at 2 p.m., which will be followed by the football game.  The parade will be made up of floats from the various school organizations.

The kick-off will be at 3 p.m., and the game is between Neillsville and Owen.  This game has been dedicated to the fathers of the players, all of whom have been given special invitations.

Homecoming Week activities will be brought to a close by the dance Friday evening in the Armory.  The theme for this event will be, “Shine on, Harvest Moon.”                                           

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Louie Kleinschmidt has been killed in action in Italy, according to word received by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Arlie Kleinschmidt, who live near the eastern county line.  Upon hearing this, the twin son, Warren vowed a vow to leave the farm and go to Germany to get the man that got his brother.               

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Tec. 4th Grade Dwayne Felser arrived in Neillsville on Oct. 11, on a 21-day delay-in-transfer, and will report at the end of this time at hot Springs, Ark., for reassignment.

Felser left Neillsville in October 1940, with the Service Company, 128th Inf. Service Company, and 128th Inf. 32nd Division and has been overseas two and a-half years, in New Guinea.  He brought news to the families of several Neillsville boys, including Norman DeCremer, Thomas Flynn, Sheridan T. Bracken (Ted) and Louis and Robert (Bob) Zschernitz.  Dwayne is the son of Mrs. Joe Felser and is spending his furlough at her home and at the home of his sister, Mrs. Ray Dorst, Chili.  Mrs. Felser and Mrs. Dorst went to Eau Claire last Wednesday to meet him.

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Stables Nite Club Open Every Day and night; Chicken Fries Wednesday and Saturday; Fish Fries Every Friday; Dancing Saturday Nights, 9 to 1.                                                                                   

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Friday and Satruday, October 27 and 28 are the dates when milkweed pods will be marketed in Clark County.  Local schools are making collections so will bring their collected sacks of milkweed pods, to be marketed at a price of 20-1/2 cents per sack.  It is very important that those who collected milkweed pods market them on the designated date, as there will not be any purchases made after these dates in Clark County.

The county high school agriculture teachers will be available Friday or Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, to make the purchases.

(As a kid, I remember picking milkweed pods in our farm pasture, for as we were told that milkweed pods’ silky fillings were to be used for insulation in army pilot flying suits, whether that was true or not. But, it had to have been for some wartime project. DZ)                                                                                

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White Pine Cones Wanted!  Just pick them off the ground; must be clean, dry and open.  We pay 6 cents per pound.  Bring them to us and receive cash, or drop us a card: American Foliage Mart, Millston, Wis.

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Grand Opening of Vieau’s Roller Rink at the Armory, Neillsville, Wis.  Sunday Night, October 29, 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Skating every Wednesday and Sunday Night.  Best of Music, equipment and refreshments; Violet Vieau, Manager

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U.S. Army needs 45,000 Women in the WAC! Hundreds of WACs are now in U.S. Army Hospitals, Air Fields, Anc Camp. They are helping wounded men back to life and strength and aiding the progress of War effort.

For full information about joining the Women’s Army Corps as a Medical technician, go to your nearest U.S. Army Recruiting Station.

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