Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

January 23, 2002, Page 24

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

Good Old Days 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

January 1882

 

Messrs. Hein & Meyer, of Greenleaf, Brown County, Wisconsin, have leased a tract of land embracing five acres west of the residence of Richard Dewhurst, upon which they will immediately start the creation of a stave factory.

 

They will fit the factory with the best machinery to be had.  Its capacity, when completed, will be sufficient to work up 22 cords of bolts per day and will require the service of about 32 men.  Both men are old hands in the stave business and will doubtless make the business a paying investment to themselves.  Their business will be a great benefit to our city and this locality in general.  It will have a ready market for timber that heretofore has been considered a little value simply because there was no market for it.

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The name of the North Fork post office has been changed to Thorpe, the name of the thriving little village in which it is located.

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Sereno Wren has purchased the machinery for a portable sawmill.  The machine has been shipped from Massaline, Ohio, on the 29th of last month.  The mill will consist of a double rotary and the power will be furnished by a 20-horsepower engine.  It is to be set up on the farm of John S. Dore, in the Town of Grant and Wren expects it to be ready for work within a week.

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Ira Fike, the present chairman of the Town of Fremont, has been awarded the contract to conduct the Clark County Poor Farm for the coming year, as was determined at the session of the County Board held yesterday afternoon.  The compensation for Fike’s services for the commencing April 1st will be $449.50.  The superintendent of the institution has been placed in good and competent hands.

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The first bend of the lower O’Neill Creek Bridge was raised yesterday.  The bridge will be ready for use, but not completed, until sometime next week.

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The long sought for mail route between Greenwood and Loyal is to be established and will go into effect the first of next month.  It is to be a semi-weekly delivery route.

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At the late meeting of the Clark county Board, the “County Fathers” wisely concluded that a barn, to be used for the sheriff’s horses, was about as necessary as him having a residence.  They appropriated funds necessary for the construction of a barn.  The new structure is to be 24 feet square and is to be located southeast of the jail, fronting on the street leading north and south.  Sanford Coggins has taken the contract to build a barn on the courthouse grounds.  The contract price is for the amount appropriated by the County Board.  As soon as the material is procured, the project will begin.

•••••••••

The sleighing has been rather thin during the past week. Wagons have been in general use for freighting during this time.

 

With the cold weather that has set in; a large number of logs have been put on the skidways.  Men and teams of horses are in good demand at fair wages.  It is an interesting, sometimes even an amusing sight to watch the arrival of a team on the streets of this town.  Before the driver has time to alight, he is seized by half a dozen contractors or their agents, hauled this way and that way, almost being fought for.  The teamster is the grand mogul this year.  With the present foundation, roads can be kept in good order with water sprinklers used to ice the sled tracks that will work as long as the nights are cold enough to freeze it.  They can operate even if no snow falls, but every little flutter of snow will help matters immensely.

••••••••••

The Scandinavian Hotel in Merrillan took fire last Monday morning.  The fire was promptly extinguished by the united effort of Dr. Long and the engine used on the Neillsville branch of the C. St. P. M. & O. Railroad.

••••••••••

Fred Hammel, of the firm of D. Hammel & Co., of Appleton, arrived here last Friday with another carload of horses, 21 in all.  Eleven of the horses were previously sold to Robert Schofield, of Greenwood.  The balance was soon sold and Hammel returned to Appleton again the first of this week, for the purpose of making another shipment.  He promised to be back here again tomorrow morning with 18 good horses, same quality as the first shipment.

••••••••••

Robert Manes had a portion of his nose bitten off by a vicious horse in one of D. B. Manes’ camps on the upper river last Tuesday morning.  He was brought to Neillsville for treatment that day.  Dr. Morley dresses the wound and thinks the injury will not result in a very serious disfigurement, although it undoubtedly always leaves its mark.

 

January 1932

 

Emil Miller, who left Neillsville 35 years ago to live on a farm near Spencer, was back here on Thursday to visit old friends.  Miller worked in the Hein mill at Veefkind, the mill at Heintown northeast of Neillsville and the furniture factory in Neillsville during the early days.

 

Miller was hired, 39 years ago, by Charles Sherman to haul mail by horse and buggy from Neillsville to Marshfield.  He made three trips a week for which he was paid $8 a month.  People along the route often asked Miller to bring items from town for them and for this service they would pay him small sums which helped swell his income.  Sherman later took a contract to haul the mail for $425 a year, but did not make any money on that venture.

••••••••••

A pretty wedding was solemnized at the Congregational Church at 3:30 in the afternoon of New Year’s Day, when Mr. Allan C. Covell and Miss Marie E. Woelffer were united in marriage, Rev. G. W. Longenecker officiating.

 

The church decorations were unique in design and beautifully carried out.  The altar steps and platform represented a miniature fir forest. The window shades were drawn and lights covered to give the appearance of sunshine, the effects being heightened by cream-colored tapers.  Over the center aisle were constructed arches of evergreens.  The design and construction of the decorations was the work of the members of the church choir and ws a tribute to the bride, who had been pianist in the church service since she was a young girl.

 

Before the bridal party entered, a solo, “At Dawning,” was sung by Mrs. Sarah Rosekrans.  The bride, with her father, was preceded by the bridesmaid, Miss Irma Woelffer, her sister.  Meanwhile, they advanced under the arches to the strains of Mendelssohn’s wedding march, played by Mrs. Arthur Flynn and joined the groom and best man, Mr. Louis Bradbury, before the altar.  The single ring ceremony was performed.

 

Misses Esther Jackson, Hazel Lee, Aline Tompson and Pearl Chapmen, all members of the church choir, acted as ushers.  The bride wore an all over lace dress, cream colored that was trimmed with the same colored crepe de chine, with turban to match.  She also wore long lace mitts and carried a shower bouquet of cream colored chrysanthemums with a touch of pink roses and sweet peas.  The ushers wore chiffon dresses of pastel colors.

 

After the ceremony a reception was held and a fine wedding dinner was served at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. V. C. Woelffer, 202 South Oak Street, with about 35 guests being present.

 

The bride was born in Neillsville and has lived here all her life.  She graduated from Neillsville High School in 1925.  Later, she entered the office of Schuster & Campman, where she was employed as an abstractor until her marriage. She is a young lady of rare grace and beauty, an excellent musician and has many friends.

 

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. Covell of Hudson, Wis.  He graduated from the Hudson High School in 1915 and later from the University of Minnesota as a civil engineer.  During the summer of 1930 he was employed by the State Highway Department in the construction of concrete paving on the highway through here by the Lex Construction Co.  He now has a position in the same department and is located at Ellsworth, Wis.  After a short visit with relatives at Hudson, the bride and groom will go at once to Ellsworth, where they will make their home for a time.

••••••••••

The Neillsville City Council, on Tuesday evening, acted favorably on an appeal by Otto Lewerenz to close off a street where the children in our city can coast down hill and not be in danger of automobile traffic.  The council decided to close Court Street from the Fifth Street north from 7 to 11 p.m. daily.  On Sunday the children will be allowed on that part of Court Street and the crossing on Sixth Street will be blocked off during those same hours.

 

The week before, Lewerenz had hooked a bobsled behind an automobile to give some friends a ride.  He ran afoul with the city’s police system but escaped the penalties when it was brought out that the wrong part of the party to the incident had been arrested.

 

Inasmuch as the state law forbids sleds to be attached to automobiles, Wm. Schroeder, policeman, arrested Lewerenz as he drove up Fifth Street.  Lewerenz refused, however, to submit to arrest without a tag, which Schroeder did not have with him.  Schroeder, undaunted, went to the city hall and hunted up a tag, later giving it to Lewerenz.

 

In A. E. Dudley’s court the next day, Lewerenz pleaded his own case and won hands down.  He pointed out that the state law does not provide any penalty for the driver of the car, the blame resting only on those who occupy the sled.  “You can’t get warrants against some things in this town but you can get plenty of them for people who want to indulge in a little harmless sport,” declared Lewerenz.  Justice Dudley heartedly agreed.

 

The testimony brought out that the occupants of the sled were Mrs. Otto Lewerenz, Mrs. Herb Borde, Miss Hilda Beversdorf, and Nita, Nelda and Buddy Wittke.

••••••••••

The city of Neillsville has bought a big woodlot.  A deal was made recently by which the city acquired the timber on 40 acres of land, five miles northwest of town, with the right to remove the timber within eight years. It may not be necessary to sue much of this immediately as the small lots purchased will furnish fuel for a good part of the winter.  Some cut this winter will be held over for dry wood to be used during next winter’s heating season.

••••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Archie Van Gorden and children went to Hixton Sunday to attend a family reunion at the home of his grandfather, S. H. Van Gorden, who was 80 years old on Friday.  All of the octogenarian’s sons and their families, including numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren were present at the meeting.  Van Gorden is still vigorous in mind and body, capable of driving his car.  He is able to maintain his place as the head of the various business organizations carried on by the Van Gorden family.

••••••••••

In the front widow (window) of the First National Bank is displayed a very clever piece of cabinet work – an inlaid checker board, made by Leo Sternitzky of the Town of Lynn.

 

In inlaid surface is of beautiful design and contains 14,284 pieces and consists of nine different kinds of wood.  Each square is made of 76 pieces.  Sternitzky worked on the project for two years before completing it.

••••••••••

There will be a dance at Paulson’s Hall, Fifth Street, Neillsville, on Friday, Jan. 29.  Music will be provided by the Squeeze Box Orchestra.

 

An old time dance can (be) enjoyed by going to the Levis Community Hall on Saturday, Jan 30th, with music by Zank’s Orchestra.

 

A Bunco game party is being held at St. John’s School House on Friday evening, Jan. 29.  The party is being sponsored by the Dorcas Society.  Lunch will be served and tickets are 25c.

••••••••••

A notice to farmers – anyone wanting ice to fill their ice houses may leave their orders at the Tibbett Ice & Fuel Co. office. We will notify you when the ice-cutting starts.  Phone 292

••••••••••

Albert Degener hardware has an inventory sale going on right now.  You can purchase:

 

7 ft. hickory skis, $3.95; 6 ft. hickory skis, $3.45; 7 ½ ft. pine skis, $2.55; 6 ft. pine skis, $1.85; 5 ft. pine skis, at $1.15; 50 inch hand sleds $2.48; 39 inch hand sleds $1.68; 32 inch hand sleds, $1.28.  Special Eureka horse harness oil is only 70c per gallon.

••••••••••

The W. J. Marsh Co. is ready for the spring that will soon be here.  They have many new house frocks in stock that will keep you looking thin and they launder beautifully.  The prices are very low in our January sale of housedresses that can be purchased for only $1.00, $1.95 or $2.95.

••••••••••

The Chicago and Northwestern Railway Line will have special passenger prices during January. A round trip to Milwaukee is only $4.756; round trip to Chicago is $6.00.  These prices are for coach traveling only.  For more particulars see, E. H. Wry, the railroad agent.

€€€€€€€€€€

 

The snow collected along Hewett Street during the winters of the late 1800s, remaining until spring thaw.  Horses pulling sleighs and bobsleds were a common sight and means of travel on the Neillsville streets at that time.

 

 


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