Clark County Press, Neillsville,

January 26, 2005, Page 17

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

January 1885

 

Henry Hewett, of Dodge County, was up to look after some real estate that he owned in Loyal.  He was successful in selling the property to the Spokeville millionaire and postmaster, better known as Joe Marsh by the common people of the county.  Joe is running his saw and shingle mill to its fullest capacity, night and day.  You may well judge that there is a good deal of business appearance about his mills.

 

Fred Brasier is busy hauling and piling four-foot wood up in front of the Loyal Hotel.  It has the appearance of a determined effort, on the part of Fred, of building an old fashioned barricade in front of the hotel.  On the part of the landlord, he will have firewood to keep his guests comfortable.  You cannot find a better or more home-like place to stay.

••••••••••

Some Shortville farmers are hauling hardwood logs to the T. J. LaFlesh mill at Nevins.  Such a saw mill as that is of some benefit to the settlers in any town.

 

LaFlesh’s mill in Sherwood Forest is running night and day.  A continuous caravan of horses pulling log-laden sleds, are kept busy hauling to the Green Bay railroad.

 

The people of the Shortville town are talking of having a cheese factory.  The matter of tame pasture and quality of water should be considered.

••••••••••

Moonlight, says the Neenah Gazette, for a young man is cheaper than kerosene light, but you can’t take into a parlor and set it on a center table and turn it down.  So it will never be brought to any practical use, unless it may be to show the pathway to the henhouse during the night.

••••••••••

Colburn’s roller and feed mills are at work 24 hours a day, with a whirl or two between the hours and a carload or so between the days. The scientific millers and the engineers, the “old men,” and “the rest of the boys,” are kept in full swing.

••••••••••

A large icehouse is going up on Neillsville’s north side, whereas Wm. Neverman and John Forster are joint proprietors.

••••••••••

The Allen & Pennock hub and spoke factory will be moved to a point farther up O’Neill Creek, within the Neillsville city limits.  So, what Pine Valley loses the city gains.

••••••••••

Messrs. Hart and Payne are at work putting the Black River Bridge in shape, going over the river near the train depot.  They are adding new braces and putting in a new abutment.  The horse team traffic is temporarily closed at that point.  People and teams are crossing over on the ice.

 

The buses going to the railroad depot now travel on O’Neill Creek and Black River.  They start out on the ice-covered creek back of Dewhurst’s house.  (Dewhurst’s home, then, was on the northeast corner of 8th St. and Grand Ave. D. Z.)

••••••••••

Citizens of the Neillsville railroad company have filed articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State under the title of the Milwaukee, Neillsville and Superior Railroad Company with $500,000 capital, in 5,000 $100 shares.  Messrs. Hewett, Gates, N. H. Withee, D. B. Manes, Lindsay, Dewhurst, Lloyd, Sniteman, Kountz and others are the incorporators.  In this company’s keeping, the interests of the city ought to be safe.

••••••••••

Hayward, the county seat of Sawyer County, is one of the most enterprising towns on the line of the Omaha railroad.  It expended $121,737 in public and private improvements during the year of 1884.  That’s a good showing.

••••••••••

The ice, on Lake Mendota, crowded the University’s embankment so hard the other day, that when the ice broke up, it shook the buildings considerably.  The shaking sound fairly caused the faculty to lose control of its classes and stunned the students.  They all thought it was an earthquake and were quaked as they thought of it.

 

A reading of minus 42 below, yesterday morning should make Jack Frost content to retire to his summer quarters.

••••••••••

Julius Vantassel erred in letting a tree fall on him in the Town of York, the other day.  He had to be fixed up by Dr. Pickett.

••••••••••

During a cold snap recently and cold snaps are the regular thing now-a-days, our great blacksmith, R. M. Campbell had his fingers frozen while working on red hot iron at his forge.

 

January 1930

 

The Press has been informed, by Neillsville Fire Warden Dresden, that there is still in force an old city ordinance requiring that each house owner keep a ladder in a convenient place at his house, the ladder being sufficient length to reach the roof.  This ordinance was enacted before the city had efficient fire-fighting equipment.  Such a ladder would often enable local help to stop a fire before the arrival of the fire company.  Every farm home should have such a ladder handy.

••••••••••

The American Stores Dairy Co., which bought the Zbinden factory several months ago and has since used it as a receiving station for milk, closed the plant Jan. 1.  All of the Zbinden patrons, hereafter, will be delivering their milk to the condensary.  This was done as a matter of economy, saving considerable expense in operating the plant.

••••••••••

Street Commissioner Wm. Farning, on Saturday, removed the Christmas trees out along the streets in Neillsville.  He transported them in his truck to places along Oak and Park streets where snow usually drifts deeply during a storm, constructing snow fences out of the trees.  If no snow comes, of course, the trees will not be needed but as Mr. Farning did the work himself without expense to the city, he says it will be like what Doc Marsh used to say of his pills, “If they do no good, they will at least do no harm.”

••••••••••

During the holiday vacation, there were gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Beeckler of Granton, their three daughters who are successful teachers.  Miss Pearl is in charge of the Teachers Training Course in Tomah High School; Miss Bessie teachers (teaches) in Minneapolis and Miss Daphne in Neillsville Schools.

••••••••••

Many auto owners have taken advantage of the excellent light-testing service station erected by O. W. Lewerenz.  His employees have been kept busy throughout the day.  The station is the only official station thus far in the county, where drivers can get their car lights adjusted to comply with the new headlight law.  The average cost of putting the lights in condition, for the first 25 cars tested, was $1.85.  That cost included the test, certification and replacement of bulbs, reflectors and lenses.

 

Such a test and adjustment of lights improves the illumination in nearly every instance.  It also eliminates the dangerous glare, which is responsible for most of the accidents occurring at night.

 

The Neillsville Police have taken steps to enforce the law and within a short time will begin actively working to round up violators.  Violators first will be given a warning with a tag and ordered to have their lights repaired.  If the driver persists in ignoring the law, he will be arrested and taken to court.

••••••••••

The Northern States Power Company has purchased the hydro-electric power plant of the Cornell Wood Products Company of Cornell with flowage rights and necessary land to the construction of a sub-station.  The property has been leased to the Wood Products Company for a term of five years with a proviso that the lease can be cancelled at the pleasure of the Power Company.  The Northern States now practically owns the Chippewa River, from the source to mouth.

 

A crew of linemen from the Northern States Power Co. was in Neillsville, Monday.  They were doing work along the lines from Eau Claire to Neillsville.

••••••••••

Mrs. Annie Smith, probably the oldest person in Clark County, passes away at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Henry Markwardt on January 14, at the age of 100 years, 8 months and 4 days.

 

Mrs. Smith was born at Stokestown, Ireland where she grew into womanhood.  When she was 20 years old, she came to America with an uncle and settled at Watertown, Wis.  There, she was married to John Smith, who was later a soldier in the Civil War.

 

In 1907, she came to Clark County with her daughter, Mrs. Charles Appleyard, and family, and lived at the Appleyard home until about a year ago when she went to live with Mrs. Markwardt, where she has stayed most of the time since.  On her 100th birthday, at the home (of) Mrs. Appleyard, Mrs. Smith was able to receive callers who came to offer congratulations and present her with flowers and other gifts.  She appeared to enjoy the day very much.

 

Mrs. Smith had witnessed wonderful changes in the work during her life-time and seemed to adjust her life to all of the changes. Besides her daughter, Mrs. Appleyard, she leaves five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

••••••••••

Herman Hediger, who drives a big milk truck, has purchased a snowplow.  He operates the snowplow attached to the truck and has plowed out all the side roads on his milk route.  Other side roads in the townships are being plowed out with horse-drawn plows, which do a good job.

 

It seems evident that in an ordinary winter, the side roads will be kept open in one way or another.  Along with the county keeping the truck lines clear, winter truck and auto traffic will be carried on successfully.

••••••••••

Miss Rosella Herman of Thorp, graduate of Milwaukee County School of Nursing has been appointed as Monroe County Nurse.  She is the first county nurse to be employed there and will work under the supervision of a committee of the county board.

••••••••••

A number of farmers have started hauling logs to the railroad depot for shipment.  W. F. Tibbett of Neillsville and Albert Davis for Granton are buying them.  It is expected that from 25 to 50 carloads will be landed here.  At present, the sleighing is good.

••••••••••

The Loyal State Bank closed its doors last Thursday.  The bank was reorganized a few years ago and after some difficulties was apparently getting along all right.  Recently, it is reported some trouble arose when several of the old directors and the cashier resigned with new personnel put in.  It is reported that the depositors will probably be paid practically in full.

••••••••••

Monday afternoon, Harold Gault and Donald Paulus were skiing near the Black River on the back part of the Chas. Musil farm.  While skiing, Harold ran into some obstruction and was thrown to the ground so violently that one of his legs was broken.  Donald ran to the home of Rev. G. W. Longenecker, which was the nearest house.  Mr. Longenecker went back with Donald to assist in getting Harold out to the street.  They made a sort of sled out of the skis and put Harold on it, dragging him over the drifts and up the steep bank.  It was a hard job, as Harold is about 12 years of age and quite heavy.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Longenecker phoned the boy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Gault.  She also called Dr. Housley.  B. H. Peterson drove his auto to the street near the scene.  The men succeeded in getting the injured lad into Mr. Peterson’s car and then he took Harold home.  Dr. Housley found that the fracture was very serious.  At once, the doctor drove to the Eau Claire hospital, taking Harold and his father with him.  Tuesday forenoon, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Gault, of the Town of Grant, took Mrs. Gault and her daughter, Dorothy, in their car to Eau Claire to see Harold.

••••••••••

Last week, the winter road going down the Black river was broken out with loads of wood and logs coming down the river from above Christie.  For many years, a winter road has been used on the ice of Black River, thus avoiding the grades and snow drifts.  Though somewhat longer than the highway route, it has decided advantages especially for heavy load coming into Neillsville from the north.

••••••••••

The adjourned annual meeting of the Neillsville Building and Loan Association was held Thursday night at the city hall with a fair attendance of members.

 

C. C. Sniteman and A. L. Devos, whose terms as directors had expired, were re-elected.  The report of the auditing committee showed that the affairs of the association are in good condition.  There has been a small net increase of members during the past year.  The total assets of the association consisting of mortgage loans, stock loans and cash on hand amounts to $22,652.88.

 

At the directors meeting, following the stockholders meeting: Geo. A. Ure was elected president; Geo. F. Zimmerman, vice president; A. L. Devos, treasurer and O. K. Ripplinger, secretary.

••••••••••

The Reformed Church, in Neillsville, is now equipped with a new bell.  Its clear notes rang across the frosty air Sunday morning, for the first time.  A bell fund had been accumulating in the church treasury for some time. By the liberality of a few persons, some local and some at a distance, enough money to purchase the bell was finally secured.  The bell, weighing half-a-ton, was hoisted into the belfry Saturday.  Fred Stelloh, Conrad Stelloh and George Frantz, by means of ropes and pulleys, got the bell up into place and then built a secure platform under it.  The bell is a fine F tone.

 

The church, which was built in the early 1890s by the Unitarian Society, never had a bell.  Since the purchase of the church edifice by the Reformed Society, many improvements have been made and a fine parsonage erected close to the church.

••••••••••

The Neillsville Garage Co. announces the new 1930 Whippet as being the lowest priced 4-door sedan available at $585.  The 1930 Willys Six with a torrent of power and speed, going up to 72 miles per hour, is priced at $698.

€€€€€€€€€€€

 

 

For nearly 100 years, the Chicago, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad played an active roll in providing Neillsville with freight and passenger service.  In its early existence, beginning in 1892, the daily weekday schedule called for two passenger trains, and one freight westbound, as well as two passenger trains and one freight eastbound.  Trains did not run on Sundays.  (Photo courtesy of Sontag family collection)

 

 


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