Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

June 9, 1999, Page 28

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

IN THE Good Old Days

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

June 1899

 

The Neillsville High School athletes are diligently raining for their coming contest with the Marshfield High School track team.  Neillsville people are exhibiting considerable interest in the event and will probably turn out in full force to encourage the home team to victory.

 

The fact of Henry Marth’s residence having been elevated, and a stone cellar built under it, revives memories of various offices the building has fulfilled in the history of the city.  First, it housed the Neillsville High School, and then a carpenter shop, later a place of worship and now it stands as a model residence.

 

The Gollmar Bros. circus’ big elephant created considerable amusement and some trouble, Tuesday morning.  He broke away from his moorings and meandered through downtown on a sight-seeing trip of his own.  His escape was unnoticed until the animal had gotten far out of sight, and the whole forenoon was consumed in the search of his whereabouts.  He was finally located in the vicinity of Ross Eddy, quite a distance from town.  The big fellow waded the Black River, evidently having little faith in the strength of the bridge.

 

A disastrous fire occurred in Chili last week, which destroyed one million feet of logs belonging to the Galloway Lumber Company.  The blaze originated by sparks from the big mill chimney, and by reason of a heavy wind that day, could not be gotten under control.  It was difficult to protect the rest of the village from the fire.

 

Work on George Ascott’s new Clay Street residence is progressing rapidly.  The frame work is completed and the roof will be on soon.

 

The old Clark County Bank block, owned by Jesse Lowe, is undergoing a series of improvements.  A 25-ft. extension is being built on the back of the building, and when completed, the building will be occupied by Gilbert Johnson, the clothing merchant.  The store will then have a depth of 60 feet.

 

Rudolph Spranger, of the Town of Weston, last Friday contributed 25 large shining dollars toward paying the salary of a game warden in this district.  The donation was made at the suggestion of Justice of the Peace MacBride, who deemed that a sufficient penalty be ensued for the unlawful use of a dip net in a neighboring trout stream.  Violators of the Fish and Game laws are being rounded up all over the state.

 

Active preparations are being made at the Neillsville Brewery to soon put on the market as flawless a bottle beer as the keg beer.  Carpenters have been erecting a large ice box, and George Trogner has made a number of boxes.  Bottles of the celebrated Loop Seal pattern and attractive labels have been ordered.  Soon Neillsville will have a modern beer department to help swell the industries of the city.

 

Commencement exercises were held on Friday evening honoring Greenwood High School graduates.  A vocal classical selection was rendered by Miss Allie Schofield.  It was an extra fine presentation, and the music was furnished by the Greenwood orchestra.  The graduates were Ferdinand Wollenberg, Ross Miller, Hugh Meek, Sena Hansen, Faye Hunt, Birdine Anderson, Margaret Thompson, Alice Miller, Bride Miller and Mabel Rossman.

 

Neillsville has a new furniture store.  Joseph Lowe has embarked in the furniture business, having placed an immense stock of furniture and supplies in his Sixth Street Store.  He offers rock bottom prices on his merchandise and invites inspection of his entirely new stock of goods.

 

The identification stone was removed from the Sixth (Street) Lowe building in recent years and is in the possession of a family member.

 

The Joseph B. Lowe Furniture Store Building on East Sixth Street was building (built) in 1894.  The structure remain(s), minus the brick veneer and dated stone.  (Photos courtesy of Bill Lowe)

 

 

The Robert French sawmill in the Town of Day was entirely consumed by fire, last Friday night. The loss also included 80 cords of shingle bolts and 10,000 feet of lumber.  French will immediately put up a portable sawmill so as to finish up the logs in his mill yard.

 

Drs. Esch and Conroy have recently added to their already extensive supply of medical and surgical instruments a very expensive and newly designed apparatus, known as the Nebulizer.  It furnishes the most modern and successful treatment of lung, nose and throat diseases. Also, it is recommended by the best physicians of the country as the most thorough instrument of its kind known to medical science.  They have also procured a Heyer battery with electric light attachments, which are used for illuminating the eye, ear, nose and throat.  It enables the physician to locate interior affections of those organs of the body, and makes treatment of the same easily accomplished.

 

The first home-grown strawberries of the season were placed on sale at Dwight Robert’s store Tuesday.  They were a fine specimen of fruit, and were raised by George Austin, of Pleasant Ridge.

 

A deal was consummated yesterday, whereby the Merchants’ Hotel will soon be under new management.  H. J. Brooks, of this city, has leased the property of Joseph Dillman for a period of two years.  Brooks will take possession as new proprietor on July 1.  Not entirely a stranger to the hotel business, Brooks has run the old Reddan House which years ago occupied the present site of the O’Neill House.  For the past 12 years, he has been a traveling salesman, which proves a value to him, having gained an extensive acquaintance with people.

 

Dillman reties from the hotel business with an excellent record as a landlord, having successfully run the Merchants’ for a number of years.  He is interested in a patent self-heating flat iron, which gives promise of taking the place of the present flat iron which is heated on top of a stove.  He will devote his entire time on introducing this new patent to the State of Wisconsin, which territory he owns.

 

Samuel Demouth claims the distinction of being a bear hunter as he killed a bruin with a single shot of his rifle.  The other day the bear came out of the woods and wandered into the pasture land of the Jacob Demouth farm, one mile from the city, apparently looking for food.  The bear carcass was brought to the city and sold to Jesse Lowe who will serve up bear’s meat, at his shop, to patrons desiring it.

 

Last week, Under Sheriff Campbell, accompanied by Attorney Tucker went out to the Town of Lynn to levy on some property.  They took possession of a horse and carriage, and as they were about to depart, they were set upon by the wife and three daughters of the judgment debtor.  A free-for-all fight ensued, lasting for and hour or more.

 

The officer’s face showed some scratches, but the victory was his, for he came back with property enough to satisfy the judgment.  Two of the women were arrested on the charge of resisting an officer, and another is ill as a result of the excitement.  Before the affair is ended, they will probably be convinced that the process of the law cannot be successfully resisted by force and arms.

 

June 1934

 

The largest cooperative movement that has ever been attempted in the milk business in this community was launched with the Neillsville Milk Pool Cooperative on June 1st.  The plant formerly owned by the Neillsville Milk Product Co., began the manufacture of butter and casein.

 

 A new thousand pound churn has been installed and some other new equipment which was needed is in place.  The plant opened with nearly 100 patrons and an additional 50 or more have been signed up to enter soon.

 

F. A. Viergutz, chairman of Pine Valley Township was elected manager of the plant.  Viergutz has had years of experience as a butter maker and is a successful farmer. Bert Fischer of Fond du Lac has been engaged as butter maker.

 

Presently, the casein will be shipped out wet, but later it may be dried, as the plant is equipped with a modern drier.

 

Ben Dudei, who has been running the ice cream plant for some time, will continue to operate that part of the business where it is until he gets new quarters properly fitted up for it.

 

A large number of cows from farmers’ herds in the Town of Grant and Washburn were moved south to the Pray country, this week.  Many of them were driven and others were taken by trucks to the new pastures due to the dry weather conditions in the home areas.

 

Farmers took their milk pails and cans with them as the cows will be herded for milking in the new pastures.

 

A working bee is being planned to help Joe Baer build porches on the Club House at his golf course east of Schuster Park on Sunday.  Refreshments will be served.

 

The Future Farmers organization of Neillsville High School left Monday morning for Birchwood, Wis., on their annual camping trip. The boys will be under the supervision of J. W. Perkins, local agricultural instructor.

 

The following boys are making the trip: Dale Hake, George Pagenkopf, Roland Eberhardt, Donald Vine, Lowell Huckstead, Carl Dasso, Everett McKenzie, Donald Braatz, Norman Braatz, Arne Matheson, Louis Nemitz, Glenn Gerhardt, Robert Gerhardt and Harold Imig.

 

Area cattle are threatened with new ailments due to the drouth (drought) and feed shortages.

 

“Due to the shortage of feed, cattle may be eating oak leaves, weeds and vegetation ordinarily not used as feed for cattle which are injurious to them and may in some cases cause death,” Dr. Wisnicky, of the Department of Agriculture, stated.  “They may also crop so close to the ground that they eat considerable quantities of sand and soil which may cause disturbances to the digestive tract.”

 

Donald Acheson drove his herd of cattle up to Prentice for pasture and reports that the herd is doing fine up there.  The Speich herd was also driven up there at the same time.

 

Acheson states that the grass there is excellent.  A three days rain in the north last week will make a continuous grass growth for some time.  There are many herds of cattle in the north, all from farms in the southern part of the state.

 

On the farm where Acheson has his herd, there is a barn in which the cows are stabled for milking.  Acheson has the help of Julius Newman who went up with him and a boy hired to help with the milking. The milk is delivered at the milk-plant in Prentice, a short distance away.

 

Marie Dux, 2 1/.2 year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Dux, who live three miles northwest of Neillsville, on County G, wandered into the woods on Tuesday. A frantic search was made by her parents and neighbors.  At about 5:30 p.m. she was found in the wooded area a half mile from the Dux home.  When found, she was carrying her pet cat by the neck, and seemed very exhausted.

 

Oscar Gluck, a teacher in the high school at South Milwaukee, arrived Sunday and will spend his summer vacation here.

 

The First National Bank of Neillsville opened Monday morning.  It is an entirely new organization, with a new charter and new official set up organized under the recently enacted national banking law.  It has a capital and surplus of $60,000, is a member of the Federal Reserve System, and comes under the Federal law for guarantee of deposits.

 

Sixty-five percent of the old deposits will be paid off through the new institution.  The remaining assets of the old bank will be collected as rapidly as the times and conditions make it possible and the proceeds applied on the balance due the depositors.

 

Those who have worked long and earnestly to perfect the new organization appreciate the patience of the public.

 

The drouth (drought) may be over in Clark County for this year.  On June 26, 4.78 inches of rain fell in Neillsville.  Two cloud bursts and intermittent thunderstorms during the evening hours brought the big rain fall.

 

A few miles north of Neillsville, crops on a number of arms were virtually wiped out by a terrific hail storm.  Hail stones as large as “baseballs” covered the ground to a depth of several inches, stripping corn, oats, and peas to shreds.

 

The hail damage was done along a mile-wide strip, four miles north of Neillsville. The farms of Wm. Bohnsack, Alvin and Paul Jacob’s farms, John Ripke’s farm, and Hal Richardson’s farm, all received crop damage.  Forty-seven window panes of glass were broken at the WM. Jurlburt home and buildings.

 

Leo Kronberger, living northeast of the city, was out in a field with his car when the hail struck. The hail stones smashed through the car top and in order to protect himself, he placed a car seat cushion over his head during the storm. 

 

After the pouring torrents of rain, Goose Creek went out of its banks, flooding State, Court and Hewett Streets and Grand Avenue.

 

The water covered the first floor of two homes along the creek. Scores of house basements were flooded.

 

Blown fuse blocks, switches, meters and transformers kept Northern States Power Company crews busy throughout the evening.

 

When night fell on Neillsville that evening, the only illumination was that of a few automobile headlights.  Inside homes and stores, kerosene lamps and candles furnished patches of yellow light.  In the old Paul Skroch tavern, an old brass kerosene chandelier belonging to Mrs. Mary Brooks was lighted for the first time in 40 years.  The four lamps still contained oil poured in nearly half a century ago.  The chandelier, an elaborate and costly affair in its day, is said to have been purchased in New York City by the late Robert J. McBride as a wedding present for his bride.  (I wonder where that chandelier is today.  Let’s hope it didn’t get thrown into the dump yard after a remodeling project. D.Z.)

 

 


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