Clark County News

July 28, 1966

Spectacular fire razed barn near city, $20,000 loss

A spectacular night fire late Tuesday razed the barn on the Gerald Eberhardt farm, located one mile north of Neillsville on the Grand Avenue road, with a loss estimated at upward of $20,000. Mr. Eberhardt said the barn was insured.

Five head of youngstock perished in the hot fire as firemen were unable to reach them through a gate which had been secured by wire. Sixty-two loads of chopped hay were lost; however, a Harvester silo apparently had escaped with minimum damage.

After preventing spread of the blaze, firemen of the Neillsville volunteer department remained on guard throughout the night to prevent any flareup spreading to other nearby buildings. The ruins continued to smolder during the morning Wednesday.

The barn was 36 by 100 feet, built in 1962. It replaced an older structure which was razed by fire that year. The blaze was discovered shortly after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and the alarm was sounded in Neillsville at 11:40. When firemen arrived, flames had broken through on the north side near the roof; but through space between sideboards, one could see the red glow throughout the hayloft. Shortly afterward, the structure was a mass of flames, and firemen said it was one of the hottest fires they had been called upon to fight in many months.

Within 10 minutes of their arrival, the flames had spread throughout the structure, and the sky with low overhanging clouds was a cherry red visible for several miles.

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Mini-skirts, Beatle cuts are “out” at Lincoln High School

Beatle haircuts and miniskirts will be out at Lincoln High School in Alma Center this year.

The United District School Board which is responsible for the school’s policies has laid down a code of dress for boys and girls attending the educational institution which places the emphasis on modestly and outlaws “kookery.” The action was taken at a meeting of the board July 18, and “apply” to high school students during school hours. Here is the code as established:

For Boys –

Hair styles must be of reasonable length and neatly groomed; faces must be clean-shaven, with sideburns of reasonable length. Mustaches and beards are not permitted; sleeved shirts and sweatshirts cannot be worn; shirt collars must be down, and shirts must be buttoned except for the top button; shirts must be tucked in except for those shirts that are made to be worn outside of trousers; belts must be worn with trousers that require belts; trousers must be worn outside of boots; and metal clips cannot be worn on shoes.

And for girls – Hair must be neatly groomed, and hair clips (are) forbidden; dresses must be worn at least at the knee; facial makeup may be used provided it is used in moderation; slacks, shorts, sweatshirts, pert skirts and jeans cannot be worn; small inconspicuous earrings may be worn; boots of any type may not be worn in school; and heels of more than one and one-quarter inches in height cannot be worn in school.

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Thomas Auto plans celebration

A grand opening of the new garage and office building of the Thomas Auto Sales will be held Friday and Friday evening. Thomas Auto is located three miles east of Loyal on Highway 98, and two miles north.

The new building is a steel structure containing three bays, including one large one for heavy equipment; hoist, a generous, modern office space; parts department and stockroom.

The building, located on the north side of the roadway, and across from the Thomas auto yard will be the focal point of the celebration at which free refreshments are to be served, and a free dance with live music will be held in the evening.

Owners and operators of Thomas Auto Sales are Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thomas. They are assisted in the parts department and general office work by their daughters, Pat and Donna, both of whom plan to return to college in the fall.

The mechanical staff of Thomas Auto Sales includes, in addition to Mr. Thomas, Don Schmidt, foreman, who has been with the company for five years; Orville Klimmer, Ray Ertl and Roger Nielsen.

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New plant at Viroqua for Nelson

The establishment of a fourth plant by Nelson Muffler corporation, in Viroqua, has been announced. The plant will occupy a 50 by 100-foot building owned by and leased from the city.

Manager of the plant will be Melvin Lindauer, who has been in charge of the Nelson Muffler plant at Mineral Point. His place in Mineral Point will be filled by Ervin Kroll, a native of Neillsville and long-time employee of the muffler manufacturing corporation.

For the present it is expected that the Viroqua plant will be an assembly operation, with parts being furnished by the plants in Neillsville, Black River Falls and Mineral Point.

Nelson is the parent company of NEFCO Filter Corporation, which operated plants in Neillsville and Bloomer.

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Visits set pace for area donors

Bloodmobile visits to Abbotsford-Colby and Thorp areas late last week set a pace which local Red Cross workers hope Neillsville can equal or exceed on the unit’s visit here next Tuesday, August 2. The bloodmobile will be at Neillsville High School from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In both visits to the northern part of Clark County the unit collected an excess over quotas totaling 53 pints. The Abbotsford- Colby area collection amounted to 152 pints, and the Thorp area visit brought 121 pints. The quota for each visit was 110 pints.

The quota for the Neillsville visit has been set at 165 pints.

For the first time, blood taken in excess of the regional blood bank’s civilian requirements will be turned over to the defense department. The whole blood will be reduced to derivatives which are in short supply in the Vietnam battle areas. These derivatives include gamma globulin, used in the treatment of hepatitis, and serum albumin, used for treating shock.

Advance solicitations have been made throughout the city; but in the event someone has been missed who wishes to donate blood, they are asked to contact Mrs. Michael Brennan or Mrs. Harris Schoengarth.

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Not one, but two, muskies caught on Lake Arbutus

Most fishermen can go a lifetime without the thrill of hooking a muskie, but not Bill Ball of Clinton. He caught two in one evening of fishing!

Ball, a former Black River Falls resident, was fishing Lake Arbutus with his brother last week Wednesday night when he landed two muskies: one measuring 43 1/2 inches, and the second 37 inches. Ball as using a mud puppy. w

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Up by six

The annual school census for the Village of Merrillan has been completed and shows an increase of six children over 1965.

The census shows there are 244 children residing within the village limits. Of this number, 129 are boys and 115 girls.

In 1965 there were 238 children in the village, of which 131 were boys and 107 girls.

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Lucey reception

Lt. Gov. and Mrs. Patrick J. Lucey and family will be honored at a reception in Neillsville Friday at 11 a.m. at the Arbutus Cafe. The public is invited. Lucey is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor.

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County traffic toll zooms to eleven

Clark County’s traffic accident toll moved up to 11 for the year last Saturday afternoon when an Augsburg College youth was killed in a motorcycle- truck mishap 3 1/2 miles west of Withee.

Coroner Robert Lulloff said that the jugular vein of Allen R. Schrader of Rt. 1, Catawba had been severed in the accident. He died enroute to the Owen clinic.

Schrader was riding a motorcycle belonging to his uncle, Leonard Buchanan of Rt. 4, Withee, when it collided with the rear dual wheels of a loaded gravel truck owned by Herman Rabska of Withee. The accident occurred about 2 p.m. as the truck entered the intersection from the west. Lulloff reported the belief that the young man’s head struck the tailgate of the truck after the collision.

Schrader, riding a motorcycle with but 30 miles on its speedometer, had been staying with the Buchanan family during the summer recess. He was going to a farm in rural Greenwood to assist in haying there at the time of the accident. During the summer he had been employed at Master Package corporation in Owen.

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Oat variety plots will be visited

Two demonstrations of oat field variety plots will be conducted next Tuesday and Wednesday, Arvid Dopp announced this week.

Tuesday night the meeting will be held at the demonstration plot on the Floyd Cook farm, north of Thorp on Highway 73.

Next week Wednesday night the demonstration will be held at the Dennis Larson farm, west of Loyal on Highway 98.

Both meetings are scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

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Couple returns from trip to Alaska

Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Georgas of Neillsville returned home last week from a four-week trip to Alaska that took then 10,000 miles.

They left June 19 from St. Paul, Minn., by train for Seattle, Wash., and from there took a ship to Juneau. There Mrs. Georgas called Mrs. Kenneth McQuire, the former Irma Woelffer, for a phone visit.

From Juneau they took the Alaskan Ferry to Skagway and from there they flew to Haines. The Haines area produces strawberries as large as teacups. At Haines the group joined a bus tour for the last leg of their journey in Alaska.

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Hatfield cleanup slows other work

Those who visit the Hatfield area still see devastation there, but Arnold Rasmussen, Clark County forestry and parks administrator, sees a job. Ever since the big blow he has had a crew trying to clean it up, but it looks to him as though the job may take until the snow flies.

Mr. Rasmussen is using a crew of six regular workers, adding a few as men may be available. Men are short, however, and most of the work must be done by the regulars. This has had the effect of slowing up the improvements planned for the Snyder and the Humbird parks.

The area within Rasmussen’s responsibility consists of 80 acres. This area has been estimated to produce about 300 cords of pulpwood and 20,000 to 25,000 feet of lumber. The pulpwood will bring in $1.50 to $3 per cord, a total of perhaps $700 or $800. The logs will not be sold but will be used to construct a shelter between the boat landing and the beach area.

The value of the pulpwood and logs is much smaller than the cost of harvesting men.

The shelter is being put up at the suggestion of the Northern States Power Company which owns the land. The shelter will of course be constructed in the interest and for the use of the public.

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Marriage Licenses

Carl Pipkorn of the town of Green Grove, and Mary Ann Saltis of Chicago, Ill., married July 23 in Owen.

David Douglas Dann of Seneca Falls, N.Y., and Beverly Carol Trybula of Washington, D.C., married July 23 in Willard.

Ronald Gene Koplitz of Winnebago County, and Mary Ellen Norma Garbisch of Rt. 2, Granton to be married August 6 in Granton.

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Shower Miss Janis Yenni was honored Sunday afternoon at a surprise pre-nuptial shower at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Langreck.

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The former Beverly Trybula was married July 23 in Willard to David Dann.

(Press photo July 28, 1966) 

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