April 21, 2021,  Page 9 Extracted by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon    "Oldies" & "Good Old Days" Index

Fire razes farm home of Press correspondent

The Clark County Press joins with friends and neighbors of Mrs. Jessie Schaefer of the Town of Fremont in expressing sympathy to its valued correspondent on the loss of her farm home by fire Friday night, April 14.

The fire apparently was caused by an overheated stove, while Mrs. Schaefer and her son, Joe, were doing chores. Flames reflected by the windows in the barn drew their attention. They looked out to discover the roof of the home ablaze. Mrs. Schaefer and her son ran to the house; but it was too late to save much.

Mrs. Schaefer picked up her purse and a few personal papers while her son braved the smoke and flames to call for help by telephone from the burning house. He was nearly overcome by smoke.

The flames had gained too much headway to be checked by the time neighbors arrived. However, they did keep sparks from setting fire to the barn and other nearby buildings. The loss was partially covered by insurance.

The fire was the third disaster to strike the Schaefer farm in recent years. Eight years ago, the barn burned to the ground, and a smaller barn was toppled by the severe windstorm which lashed the area last spring.

Mrs. Schaefer and her son have been staying with the Edward Barth family, nearby. Mrs. Schaefer writes “County Line” news for The Clark County Press.

Committee meets

The county highway committee met in the highway office in the city hall Tuesday and Wednesday to examine bills and the payroll and to check over the county trunk line system to decide on the most immediately important construction and repair work to be done. Members of the committee are Edward Fellbaum, chairman; William Schlinsog and William Deuermeyer.

Course to open

Weatherman willing, the Neillsville Country Club will open its official season Saturday, April 22. Several golfing enthusiasts have been dubbing around on the fairways for the last few days.

Flocks larger

In both Wisconsin and the United States poultry flocks are larger and total egg production is higher than a year ago.

Fire truck due to arrive April 29, officials told’’

Neillsville’s new fire truck will be delivered April 29, city officials were notified late last week by the General Fire Truck Co-op of Detroit, which has the contract for building the body.

The notification, coming at long last, settled the minds of mildly perplexed city officials, whose repeated letters to the company had failed to bring response. However, a telegram requesting an immediate reply sent to the company C.O.D. turned the trick.

The fire truck, a 500-gallon pumper with a Diamond T chassis, will have to undergo an underwriter’s test for several hours after arriving here. The test will be made to determine whether the pumper will perform specifications required by the insurance underwriter’s codes.

The truck will cost the city in the neighborhood of $3,800 to $3,900. The chassis bid, let to the Reinhard-Davis Co. of Neillsville, was for $1,228.50, less federal tax; and the bid for the body and equipment was let at $2,700.

The truck will be painted white with red stripes.

Local students win Nomad Competition

Score sixth victory in seven years in meet at Mondovi

For the sixth time in the last seven years a Neillsville high school forensic team won first place and a plaque in the Nomad Forensic League Contest.

The team won its sixth trophy by scoring 13 points in competition with four other schools of the district in Mondovi Tuesday. Neillsville’s points were scored by Rachel Eide, who won first place in extemporaneous reading; Keith Bennett, winner of first place in serious declamation; and Mary Ellen Gassen, winner of second place in humorous declamation.

Second place in the contest went to the Durand high school team, which scored 10 points. Other teams placed in this order: Augusta, Mondovi and Osseo.

Others on the Neillsville team who won their positions in elimination competition earlier in the season, were: Joseph Frantz, Billy Schiller, Goldie Scott, Marcus Baumann, Wayne Palmer, Shirley Gault and Fred Kluhman.

The team was driven to Mondovi by the Rev. William A. Baumann, Supt. Donald E. Peters and Billy Schiller. Miss Daphne Beeckler, seventh grade teacher, accompanied the group.

Competition in the various phases covered in the contest were held throughout the morning and afternoon, with the final competition held in the evening. Among those from Neillsville who drove to Mondovi to hear the evening’s contests were Miss Adelyn Brandon, Miss Agnes Hed and Miss Genevieve Sherman, all teachers in the city’s school system.

Unusual accidents are reported near Granton

Two “freak” accidents in which the drivers escaped without injury after their automobile overturned, were reported in the Granton vicinity during the last week.

An unidentified man said to be a resident of Minneapolis, escaped uninjured when his car left Highway 10 near Tremmy’s Corner about noon Sunday. The car rolled over five times, according to reports and stopped in Hugo Trimberger’s garden.

In the second unusual accident, a dog belonging to F.E. Winn of Granton, was injured, and later destroyed, when it was struck by a car driven by Budd Andrews of St. Paul, Minn., Traffic Officer Lewis Bradbury reported. The accident happened just east of the curve at North Corners, about 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 14.

Andrew’s car left the road after striking the dog and turned over in the ditch. The driver escaped without injury. The dog had been walking beside a stone boat being driven by Mr. Winn.

Neillsville makes Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’ column

Neillsville “made” Robert Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” column last week.

The column which appeared in hundreds of daily newspapers over the nation last Saturday contained a large drawing of Paul Jonas, Levis township farmer, and his giant 163 pound squash.

The drawing was taken from a reproduction of the picture taken for the Newspaper Enterprise Association by The Clark County Press last fall. It appeared in The Press of November 3, 1938.

County roads better because of rainfall

Rainfall and light of the early part of this week have proven a good thing for the county’s roads, although they have prevented Clark County’s farmers from getting onto their fields to prepare for spring planting.

Clark County Highway Commissioner Otto J. Weyhmiller the county’s highways are “in as good condition right now as they were before the rain, and the water will aid in hastening the improvement of the roads.”

Mr. Weyhmiller explained that the rains started to draw out the remaining frost from the ground and settled the roads. “The rain made the roads muddy and difficult for a short time,” the highway commissioner said, “but it will prove beneficial in the long run.”

Women’s Golf Club notes

The women of the Neillsville Country Club will gather at the clubhouse for a kitchen bee on April 27th at 1 o’clock. They are urged to come and help clean and paint the kitchen. Mrs. Kurt Listeman will serve a chow mein luncheon after the work is finished.

Thursday, May 4, will be our first Ladies’ Day for 1939 and our first potluck supper. The men are cordially invited.

23 correspondents have long service with The Press

Twenty-three persons in the rural communities of Clark County have written for The Clark County Press ten years or more. It is possible that the number is still larger, but that is the number whose length of service is definitely known to the home office.

During the past few months, an effort has been made to obtain from each of the correspondents her own length of service. This was a preliminary to arranging for a photograph to be made of each by the staff photographer. The request is now made that all correspondents whose names are mentioned in this article make an appointment with Wells Harvey, Jr. An appointment may be made by telephone or mail.

The result of the canvass makes a most interesting story. Many of these busy farm folks have reported the happenings in their neighborhoods for more than 20 years, each contributing in no small measure to the department which rated fourth place in a survey of reader interest made by The Press earlier in the year.

Old writers in Levis

Mrs. Fred Sears is no doubt the oldest correspondent in number of years of service. She began her work in 1901 when the family first came to Clark County and with the exception of six years, when she and her children lived in Neillsville, Mrs. Sears has been the faithful correspondent from the southern and eastern sections of the Town of Levis.

There are two other correspondents in Levis township – Mrs. George Beekler and Mrs. Louise Shramek, each having corresponded for 29 years. Mrs. Beeckler, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.B. French, pioneers in that community, began her work for The Press soon after her marriage. She writes the West Levis news. The Beecklers live on the French homestead. In the Shramek family there have been several writers, the present correspondent being Mrs. Louise Shramek, who sends in items from the north portion of the township.

Writing the Globe news has also been a family affair with the G.E. Graps of the town of Weston, who have written for about 25 years, Mrs. Grap continuing the work after her daughters left home.

Mrs. Chris Feutz of Granton, route two, has gathered material under the caption of Cannonville for 23 years. The community was named for a Mr. Cannon, who formerly operated a sawmill there.

These wrote 20 years

Under the 20-year group are Mrs. John Martin of Granton, route two; Mrs. Ralph Short of Neillsville, route four; Mrs. Jesse Schaefer of Granton, route two; Mrs. Blanche Medicke of Neillsville, route three; and Mrs. F. Dankemyer of Granton. Mrs. Martin is 70 years of age. She was born in the town of Lynn, and her well written items appear weekly under that heading.

Mrs. Short has remained a faithful correspondent from the Shortville community throughout the years, and only when prevented by illness did her news fail to appear.

Mrs. Schaefer states that she has made some very true friends in her work writing for The Press, and that it has helped her keep young and active. Mrs. Schaefer’s items appear under County Line.

Mrs. Blanche Medicke of Neillsville, route three, write news from the Christie community, and Mrs. Dankemyer, a resident of Chili, represents her community under Riverside.

Miss Anna Champa of Willard route one has for 16 years chronicled the happenings of the Gorman community.

The West Side neighborhood news is written by Mrs. O. Dimler of Greenwood, route five, having reported the news of her community for about 14 years. Mrs. Dimler formerly lived in Neillsville.

Mrs. Lenus Frank of Neillsville route three, the Weston correspondent, cannot recall how many years she has written but states she has been a reader of The Press for 60 years.

Mrs. Ara Lee of Granton, route one, who has been with The Press for 12 years, writes interestingly under the headline East York and West Fremont. Last winter, while she and her husband spent three months in the south, she arranged to have Mrs. Orra Beeckler write her news and again took up the work on her return.

10 and 11 years

In the 10 and 11-year class are Mrs. Roy Durst of Fairchild, route one, writing Foster; Mrs. Joseph Karl of Neillsville, route one, who sends in the West Pine Valley items; and Mrs. Bruce Armitage of Neillsville, route three, correspondent at Christie.

Other long-time correspondents include Mrs. Hattie Turner, York Center; Mrs. Nyle Benedict, North York; Mrs. E.M. Hahm, Lindsey; Mrs. Henry Collins, Hewett; and members of the Parker Metcalf family of York.

Mrs. Lon Cook, who wrote from the Hewettville community for 35 years – first under Hewettville and later under Here and There, recently rented her farm and came to Neillsville to make her home. Mrs. Fred Finder of Neillsville, route two, is Mrs. Cook’s successor.

Mrs. Carl Nelson of Greenwood, who wrote for many years from the town of Sherwood, is now living at Greenwood and is again a member of The Press staff of correspondents. Her items are termed Trondhjem, and in her news this week, Mrs. Nelson explains how the community received its name.

Sports Jots

The Neillsville Flyers and the city team will open practice at the fairgrounds Sunday afternoon, April 23. The city team, managed this year by “Lefty” Zank, will play in the Cloverbelt baseball league. The Flyers this year plan an ambitious 30-game schedule, which will mean 15 home games. The 1939 Centennial baseball season should bring Neillsville plenty of entertainment.

The writer took in the first practice of the Neillsville High School football team last Friday afternoon. Several promising youngsters came out, and Coach Vernon Anderson is expecting one of the best campaigns in years next fall. There were 13 newcomers to the squad.

Neillsville and Owen are members of the Chippewa-Black River Valley conference.

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