August 10, 2022, Page 8

 Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

 

Extracted by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

 

Index of "Oldies" Articles

Clark County News

August 11, 1927

 

Had fight with big barn owl

 

One night last week Strawberry A.H. Schultz has a several round contest with a big barn owl out in his chicken yard. He heard a commotion among the chickens at about midnight and taking a flashlight and a shotgun he went to the scene of disturbance. He located the difficulty in one of the colony coops which is made in box form and has an opening on one side near the bottom for chickens to go in and out. Mr. Schultz pulled a board off the top and took a shot at the owl, but missed it, or at least did not seriously wound it, for the monster bird stretched itself up and stood its ground–in fact came for him beak and claw. He got a shell jammed in his gun and the owl knocked the flashlight out of his hands, and leaving several long deep scratches on his arms, succeeded in making an escape. The bold marauder had killed eight chickens in the coop and doubtless would have made it unanimous by killing the rest of the flock if Mr. Schultz had not interfered.

*****

Large barn burns

 

Monday shortly after noon, the barn on the Henry Markwardt farm (known formerly as the Irv Lowe place) opposite the fairgrounds, was discovered on fire. The fire siren in Neillsville gave the alarm, and the fire truck and a number of men went out, but the fire had gone beyond control of the chemicals and there was not a sufficient supply of water to extinguish the fire, in fact no water supply could have saved the barn and contents and the stave silo. About 52 tons of hay burned. The loss is partly covered by insurance.

 

It is not known how the fire started but apparently it came from defective wiring or from spontaneous combustion caused by the damp hay.

*****

Freight train wreck

 

Time freight train No. 160, which followed the westbound passenger train out Tuesday noon had a wreck a mile and a half west of Sydney, ten cars going off the rails and tearing up the track to some extent. Supt. Stockwell came down from Eau Claire with the wrecker and took charge of the wreck. Trains on this branch were delayed several hours. The only one injured as far as reported, was a hobo who was stealing a ride and had his arm fractured.

*****

Safe-Cracker caught

 

One night last week a burglar entered the office of the Owen Lumber Co. at Owen and broke into the safe. Someone heard him working at the safe and gave notice to the policeman, who called on Deputy Sheriff Reigel and together they went to the building and got the drop on the burglar just as he was taking the money out of the drawer. He was brought before the local justice of the peace but refused to waive examination at that time and was brought to Neillsville and lodged in jail. He gives his name as Jack Meddaugh.

*****

Are making a fine highway

 

The County Highway Committee and Otto Weyhmiller, County Highway Commissioner, are to be complimented on the good work they are having done on State Highway 73 south of Neillsville. The entire roadway for a distance of four or five miles is being widened and resurfaced; the drainage is being perfected, culverts extended, and several dangerous corners rounded. When the new bridge on Cunningham Creek is completed and the dangerous curve straightened out this piece of road will be the finest in the county. This highway as far as Day Corners carries all the traffic that passes over No. 73 and No. 95, all the local travel coming in and going out south of the city from the farms and the large number of cars going down to Lake Arbutus and the golf links.

*****

Tree bears blossoms and ripening apples together

 

An apple tree that got all mixed up in its seasons is in “half bloom” on the Roy Lawrence farm.

 

While the apples on most apple trees hereabouts are beginning to ripen, this 36 year old Dutchess tree has not only ripening apples–but blossoms as well. It is the first time in the 36 year life of the tree that it ever got its signals crossed like that; but the weather has had most of us guessing this year.

 

It was Sunday morning when Mr. Lawrence discovered the south half of the tree in full blossom. And at the same time, the apples on the north side were starting to color. About 30 years ago, as close as the Lawrences can recall, two Dutchess trees were grafted together to make one tree; but never before has there been any variation in the blossoming or the ripening.

 

The tree ordinarily is a “good producer”– making proper allowances for its advanced age, says Mrs. Lawrence. But this year the apples on the north side are poor – “scarcely a perfect one in the bunch”.

*****

Women bowlers to meet elect officers tonight

 

The annual election of officers of the Ladies’ Bowling league will be held in the Neillsville Recreation hall at 8 p.m. tonight, Mrs. John Schiesel, president, announces. Other business connected with the league also will be discussed. Officers who served during the last year besides Mrs. Schiesel are Clarice Dodte, vice president; Sadie Haight, treasurer; and Pauline Wagner, secretary.

*****

Engage new tester for dairy record service

 

Louis Brotherton, a Neillsville High School graduate, has accepted a position as tester for the Neillsville Dairy Record service and will start work August 16, County Agent W. R. Marquart has announced. He will succeed Albert Resong.

 

The Dairy Record service is a “mail order” testing association now serving about 100 herds, averaging about 15 cows each. Samples are sent through the mail and testing is carried out in the basement of the court house in conjunction with the county agent’s office.

 

Mr. Resong has been the tester there since March 15, 1940, after serving about three months as a WPQ soil tester, in a program conducted through the county agent’s office early in that year. He expects to find work in a defense industry.

*****

August 7, 1952

 

Governor Kohler will speak Friday at fair

 

Gov. Walter J. Kohler will attend the Clark County Fair on Friday, August 15. He will make an address from the stage in front of the grandstand, probably at about 2 p.m.

 

The Governor’s promise to attend has come to Harold Huckstead, the fair secretary, in response to the fair’s invitation.

 

Agreeably to the fair’s policy, the speech will not be of a political nature.

 

Friday will, accordingly, be known as Governor’s Day at the fair.

*****

 

Waiting to model in the 4H dress revue are left to right: Natalie Scherf, Withee; LaVaun Neeb, Loyal; Janice Tews, Neillsville; Jeanette Stirmel, Greenwood; Jean Vogel, Loyal; Pat Browe, Chili; Mary Auman, Neillsville. (Press photo Aug. 7, 1952)

*****

 

Herbert Lindner and Donald Frank of the Eaton Center Club show how to wash a milking machine.

(Press photo Aug. 7, 1952)

*****

August 10, 1972

 

Marijuana “farm” discovered on corn based land; burned

 

Last Saturday members of the Clark County Sheriff’s department put an end to what they said was “a marijuana plantation,” located in the town of Withee. Marijuana, commonly referred to as “pot” or “grass,” was fertilized and cultivated, yielding 56 plants of various sizes.” “Most of them were quite tall,” according to Deputy Frank Sarafin of Thorp, who had received a tip on their location. “They were ready to harvest,” he said. The plants valued at $2,500 were pulled by authorities, and then burned, in the Thorp city dump.

 

The Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service (ASCS) was involved in the location and destruction of the marijuana. According to Dep. Sarafin, the plants, all in rows, were located next to a cornfield, which was part of an ASCS corn base program. The deputy said that “if any farmer ‘knowingly’ has marijuana growing on a farm with a corn base program he can lose his base money.”

 

Alvin Spaete, director of the ASCS office in Neillsville, stated that members of his staff had accompanied Deputy Sarafin to the site where the marijuana was growing, and had contacted the Wisconsin director of ASCS for a ruling on the matter.

 

“There is a very gray area in the law in regard to corn base programs because the word “knowingly” is not clearly spelled out,” Spaete said.

 

The town of Withee farmer whose corn base program may be affected has two other farms under the same ASCS set-aside program. Deputy Sarafin asserted that if a farmer lets marijuana grown on any of his acreage, he may stand to lose base payment on his other tilled acreage.

 

The town of Withee plot of marijuana was located “directly alongside a cornfield,” Sarafin said. “This is why we asked the ASCS people to assist us on the matter,” he added. The name of the farmer is being withheld pending further investigation.

 

ASCS records show that there are over 3,480 farms in the county which come under the corn base program. “Each of these farms is subject to spot-check to see if farmers are in compliance with the program,” Spaete said.

 

“Marijuana has seen a large growth in its usage in the United States in the last 10 years,” Sarafin said. Although the attitude toward the use of marijuana has softened, it is still a criminal offense to grow, harvest, possess or sell the dried leave for smoking.

 

Several youths in the Thorp area are being questioned as sheriff’s office pushes its investigation.

*****

Granton native to perform in opera

 

Miss Diana Eibergen, daughter of William Eibergen of Granton, will perform in the Verdi opera, “Aida.”

 

Miss Eibergen will participate in the eight performances to be presented at the San Francisco opera house.

*****

 

Miss Christine York, 17yearold Abbotsford High School miss, was selected Clark County’s “Fairest of the Fair” during the centennial fair which closed Sunday night. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James York of Dorchester, she will represent the county in the state “fairest of the fair” competition. (Press photo Aug. 10, 1972)

 

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