Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

August 16, 2000, Page 32

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

Good Old Days

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

August 1900

 

A new stone-arch culvert is being constructed at the intersection of Fourth Street and Grand Avenue, extending across diagonally.  Wm. and Ezra Campbell have the contract and are working rapidly.

 

The Ashland Iron and Steel Co. had a greater supply of cordwood on hand at their coal kilns than they were able to burn before snow flies next winter. So, they are shipping about 1,000 cords to their kilns in Curtiss.

 

Fire caught about the sheet iron chimney of the Green Grove Cheese Factory on Saturday morning and destroyed a large portion of the roof before it could be extinguished.  The cheese in the factory was all removed.  It is feared the cheese will be damaged some from the handling of it.  The damage will amount to several hundred dollars and will be a total loss as there was no insurance.

 

Wm. Wilson, of the Town of Beaver, was in town on Tuesday, looking for a bear trap.  Some varmint, bear, wolf or dog has been killing his sheep and he wants to capture it.  Other farmers have complained of finding sheep killed also.  Hundreds of dollars have been lost in the towns of Beaver and loyal during this summer by the varmint out there.

 

It is reported that during the thunderstorm on Monday evening, the barn of L. E. Moh in the Town of Grant and the barn of E. Neitschke in the Town of Lynn were struck by lightning, both being totally destroyed.  The Moh barn was one of the largest around and construction of it was just completed a few days ago.  Lynn Insurance will pay $600 for the loss.  Nietzsche’s barn was just two years old and also insured by Lynn Insurance which will cover the loss with $550.

 

This week A. B. March made a shipment of winter wheat to Ohio to be used for seed.  It was raised by M. C. Ring on his farm east of Neillsville.  The parties, who purchased a portion of the wheat, were recently looking over this country.  They saw the wheat growing on M. C. Ring’s farm and were so well pleased with it that they wanted to secure some for seed.

 

Lewis Opelt from Warrens, Mass., who has been visiting his nephew, Chas. Opelt at Lynn, departed for his home this week.

 

Judge O’Neill this week sold his fine farm of 108 acres, lying two miles north of Neillsville to Chas Appleyard, of Oakland, Wis., for a consideration of $5,400.  He also sold about $1,100 worth of livestock to Appleyard.

 

On Wednesday, the Neillsville Stock Farm received, direct from England, a prize-winning Hampshire-down buck lamb.  It was selected by Geo. McKerrow, the noted sheep breeder, while in England selecting sheep of different breeds to import.  The lamb attracted considerable attention when unloaded from the express wagon.  It is a beauty.

 

The North Side has a resident not enumerated in the census.  He arrived Friday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Rowe and came to stay.  He weighs eight pounds when good natured and is growing fast.

 

Marshall Blackwood, who represents the A. Grossenbach Co., of Milwaukee, shipped a car-load of cheese from Northern Clark County to his firm.  The rail car contained over 20,000 pounds.  Blackwood has secured for his firm the output of nearly all the factories about the area, Dorchester and Spencer included. Colby cheese has attained a most excellent reputation and has assisted in building up the reputation of A. Grossenbach & Co.

 

Twins, a boy and a girl, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Steinwand, of the Colby area, last Thursday night.  Ach du lieber, but Joe has been stepping high since those babies’ arrival.  We do not know whether this is on account of the manner in which Joe has been putting up cheese or from some other cause.  Joe has had so much to do with the making of twin cheeses, that it may have had some effect.  We are pleased to state that the mother and two little ones are getting along just fine.

 

The work of laying heavier steel rails on the railroad, which was abandoned last fall near the bridge at Eidsvold, was resumed yesterday.  It will soon be completed from there, through Thorp and to Abbotsford.  A large crew of men is employed to do the work.

 

A dance at Thorp on Saturday on Saturday night ended rather disastrously for some young fellows from Stanley.  They evidently imagined that this earth was made for their special benefit, coming over to run things to suit themselves. But, to their sorrow, they found that the young men of Thorp were too much for them.

 

A. O. Rhea, of the Thorp area, threshed the product of grain from ten acres with good results. Three acres of oats produced 200 bushels and seven acres of rye, 268 bushes, in machine measure. The quality of the grains is of the best.

 

Last week, W. H. Rossman purchased a half-acre lot from Robert Schofield in Greenwood.  The lot is located between the Presbyterian Church and the alley line next to Rev. W. T. Hendren’s property.  Next spring, he will build a large black-smith ship there.  The shop he has been using is not large enough to accommodate his business.

 

Secretary Heath has secured as one of the attractions of Clark County’s Blue Ribbon Fair, a novel balloon ascension, under the direction of Prof. B. McClellan, the noted aeronaut.  When the balloon is in wind-air carrying a torpedo, the torpedo is fired, throwing out from the balloon, a woman and a parachute which safely descends to the earth.

 

Robert Garvin has a phenomenon in his yard.  It is in the form of an apple tree which has ripe apples and blossoms on it at the same time.

 

The town of Abbotsford suffered a severe loss by fire Sunday night.  The hotel of R.C. Tenant and two large store buildings were burned.

 

August 1935

 

Rowland’s Canning Company, of Neillsville, which has handled only peas for canning, has arranged to can blueberries.  This year, there is a large crop of blueberries and many could be picked if there were a ready market for them.

 

It is hoped that a sufficient supply will be brought into the plant.  If so, it is likely that blueberry canning will be made a permanent activity as a sufficient amount of berries will be needed.

 

The work being done by CCC camps and fire patrols make it probable that the blueberry region will not be burned over as in years past. Without the fire burn-overs, the berry industry will have a greater degree of permanence.

 

Fire starting from a defective gasoline stove destroyed the rear of the James Shaw home on East Thirteenth Street early Friday evening.  Flames spread quickly and although the fire department arrived within a few moments, the kitchen was destroyed before the water could be turned on.  Mrs. Shaw was in the kitchen when the fire started and attempted to extinguish it with a blanket unsuccessfully.  She then fled the kitchen to keep from being burned.

 

In the excitement, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. John Schutte was injured when he ran from the sidewalk to the street where he bumped into the rear fender of Bert Dresden’s car.  Dresden’s car was passing the Northside Fire Hall when the little boy ran into the car. The boy was knocked down to the pavement receiving a cut near his mouth and scratches on his cheek.  Dresden, who was taking William Danhert, fire chief, to the fire, was in no way to blame for the accident.

 

The fire department was handicapped by motorists who rushed up Hewett Street, three abreast, all apparently trying to reach the fire ahead of the firemen. Danhert appeals to the public to exercise more care in going to fires and remain out of the fire zone.  In the confusion Friday, it was fortunate that truck was able to get through the jam of cars to reach the hydrant. 

 

On Monday, a deal was made between Mrs. N. E. Crandall, owner of the Badger Inn and D. O. Chapman.  Chapman becomes owner of the Inn, giving in exchange Chapman’s residence just north of the Northside Store.  Chapman plans to begin redecorating the restaurant this week and will have it open soon for serving the public.  He expects to continue the bar business at his present tavern on West Sixth Street, west of the Neillsville Bank.

 

A one-wire electric fence and a new Diesel farm tractor are two of the latest mechanical improvements which will be featured in machinery row at the 85th Wisconsin State Fair, August 24 to 30.

 

The Diesel tractor is the four-wheel type. The single-wire electric fence has been devised as the answer to farmer’s fencing problems. An electric current provides the light shocks which warn animals to stay away from the fence.

 

The Wisconsin Highway Commission will receive sealed bids August 20, at 10 a.m., on the grading and draining of 9,628 miles of Highway 98 between Loyal and Spencer. Bids also will be received on the grading and paving of .0524 miles of pavement in the Village of Loyal.  These bids will include the cost of 4,734 feet of 30-inch curb and gutter as well as 25,532 feet of concrete sidewalk.  The $132,000 bond sale probably is too late to complete the project this year.

 

Max Opelt of the Town of Levis has purchased the W. Groves farm, east of Shortville.  The Groves family plans to move to Missouri.

 

Work has begun on the Neillsville City Library, fitting up the basement room formerly used as a kindergarten room.  It will be re-done to be used as a children’s library.  John Palmer is repainting the room and Art Carl is putting in the shelving.

 

The Hawthorne Hills Country Club golfers of Neillsville lost a close match, 12 to 8, to Marshfield at the Marshfield course on Sunday.  The last tournament of the year will be played at the Hillcrest Course, Eau Claire, next Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

The Neillsville City Council on Tuesday night considered the case of John Mose who was taken to a hospital for an emergency gallstone operation on July 30.  Gust Deutsch, Commissioner of the City’s Poor Fund, informed the council that Dr. E. L. Bradberry, city health officer, felt it would be unsafe to try to transport Mose as far as General Hospital in Madison because of his serious condition. The council was informed that the medical and hospital charges would be very reasonable at the Eau Claire hospital.

 

Neillsville, for the first time, is now on the “air map” with a licensed transport pilot, Roy Hagie, ready to provide aerial transportation to any part of the county.

 

Hagie, a flier of eight years experience, has been employed to instruct Charles Byse of the Ford Sales Agency in flying.  Byse is an airplane enthusiast and owner of two airplanes.  Hagie, owner of an airplane, will bring his craft here this week from Wausau. Frank Svetlik, garage foreman of the Ford Agency, also is learning to fly an airplane.

 

Hagie says he will take passengers to Chicago for $30 a round trip. The plane carries two passengers which would cut the price to $15 each if two persons wished to share expenses. Also, Hagie says he can have his plane ready for service within from 20 to 30 minutes.  Last week, Hagie and Byse flew to Cudahy, Wis., and back making the return trip in two hours and 10 minutes.

 

On August 14, Harve Fuller completed 90 years of life.  He was given an automobile ride of about 20 minutes and enjoyed the trip very much.  On his return to the Condensary plant, where he works, he was invited upstairs, where he was greeted by all the employees, who had assembled for a party in Mr. Fuller’s honor.  A fine supper was served and a collection was taken up which made a fine purse of money that was handed to Fuller.

 

R. E. Schmedel, superintendent of the Condensary gave a little talk.  He paid tribute to Fuller’s faithfulness and stated he was the only man, 90 years of age, who had ever worked for him.

 

Last week, Thomas Huntley of La Crosse was visiting relatives and friends on the “North Road.”  He spend one day at the Leo Hemp farm where threshing was going on.  Huntley recalls 50 years ago when he lived in that community, he helped thresh on that same farm, then owned by A. Bullard.

 

A “live horse-power” machine owned by Fred Hemp and Tom Garvin did the threshing in that community and Huntley with his team worked on the machine during the threshing season.

 

(The “horse power” machine being referred to was just that.  Horse provided the power by walking in a circle, pulling a pole connected to gears which created power to turn the pulleys and belts on the threshing machine. [Thanks to Max Feuerstein for the information.] D. Z.)

 

Clark County’s Forestry & Zoning committee agreed on a plan for damming a branch of the East Fork at a point two miles south and one-and-one-half miles west of the Sherwood Store.  It is estimated it will flood between 200 and 400 acres, forming a source of water for fire protection and more importantly a refuge for wild life and fish.

 

The dam will be built at the site of an old log dam, a combination dam and bridge on the fire lane, which is now under construction by the CCC.  Five miles of the fire lane lie in the Town of Sherwood and four miles in the Town of Washburn.  By expending $1,000 from the forestry crop fund for material and making use of the free CCC labor, the county will be able to carry this project through.  Advertisements for a carload of cement will be published soon.

 

Clark County received, this year, $8,500 from the state on land entered under the forestry crop law, or $4 a forty, which must be spent on conservation work. A similar sum of $4 a forty also was received which is divided as follows: $1.60 to the township, $1.60 to the school district and 80 cents to the county.

 

The committee is employing four emergency fire patrolmen out of the forest crop money. These men, while not particularly needed for fire protection at present, patrol the area for the “moral effect” to discourage timber and wood thefts.  They will issue permits to cut dead wood and marsh hay.  It is stated that far less plundering is going on in the area this years as result of the extra guards.

Baling hay or straw on the Erwin Greeler farm, circa 1930-40, required using teams of horses and flat racks to transport the bales for storage in the barn.  The mow doors are open in readiness for the hay wagons entrance for the unloading process.

 

 


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