Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

August 11, 2010, Page 11

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

August 1915

 

An auto ran into Grandma Bohnsack’s buggy when she with her two grandsons was driving to church in Christie Sunday. The buggy was quite badly damaged.  Some auto drivers are either too careless or else don‘t care when meeting teams of horses on the road.                                                                              

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L. V. Miller of Cameron has bought the Bruley building occupied by the Darling restaurant and will put in a pool hall there. Mr. Darling will move his restaurant next week to the Thos. Lowe building down the street.

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Gus Ayers’ auto went over the embankment near the bridge at Ross Eddy Saturday night, turned over and ran into a wire fence.  Mr. Ayers, Robert Breed and John Bast were in the auto and narrowly escaped injuries.  The car top and windshield held the machine off them when it went over.  Ayers’ accident was caused by turning out at meeting a team of horses.

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Arrangements have been outlined for a Booster Trip on Monday, Aug. 23, with autos to advertise the Clark County Fair. All who can join in on the trip, as it will be a good day’s outing and every effort will be made to make it an occasion for promoting a good community spirit throughout the county.

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A man with Hibernian features and Celtic name, Mike Thomas as he gave it, but claiming to be an Austrian was begging from house to house south of Neillsville.                                               

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Are there any good homes in or near Neillsville where students, either boys or girls can work for their board and attend high school during the coming school year?  Please leave word with any member of the school board or at the newspaper office.

•••••••••

The Senior Class Committee having charge of the publication of the High School for 1915 still have a number of copies for sale.  Every high school student and all the high school graduates of recent years will find this an interesting booklet to preserve; 75 cents per copy.  On sale at Sniteman’s see Emil Wepfer.

•••••••••

Harry O. Wren, the son of Marion Wren, is here from Portland, Oregon, visiting his grandfather, Sereno Wren and other relatives.  He is a fireman on the steamer Jessie Hawkins. This is his first trip east and the first time he has seen his grandfather.  He is a fine appearing young man, 20 years of age, a splendid type of the western young men.

•••••••••

A crowd of about 75 Minneapolis Italians in a special coach on passenger train No. 4, Soo Line passed through our city Thursday enroute to their mother country to help fight the Austrians.  The car was decorated with the American and Italian colors.  The occupants were a joyous contingent, acting more like a party returning to its native country on a visit than to becoming targets for the Austrian howitzers and other death dealing instruments.

•••••••••

Last Friday was Good Roads Day for Neillsville.  Four crews went out from the city in different directions, each with ten or fifteen men, and with picks, shovels and rakes, they removed loose and fast stones, filled ruts and smoothed up the track along many miles of highway.  This news writer went out with one crew and was surprised to observe the amount of good work that was done. This work will doubtless be continued from year to year.

•••••••••

No trace was found as to the name of the young man who was killed by the train last week and he was buried in the cemetery here Saturday.  It was learned that he stopped at Ed Selves and asked to shock grain so as to earn enough to take him to Marshfield where he claimed to live.  Mr. Selves had his grain all shocked, but offered to give the boy 50 cents, which however he refused and he started off walking along the railroad tracks.  Inquiries at Marshfield failed to disclose any young man missing there.  Two hobos who claimed to have been with him at Merrillan informed Dist. Atty. Rush that the young man told them that he came from  Tomah, and had an uncle at Stratford where he would try to go, but inquiries from the police at Tomah brought no information.                               

•••••••••

Some of us in Cannonville are ready to see the area baseball games come to an end as it seems that some boys can’t play fair.  It’s too bad when they quarrel over a ball game and make enemies.

•••••••••

Not a knot in a thousand feet, Satin Finish, Clear Redwood Siding. This is the siding you will want for your new house, available at Farmers’ Cooperative Lumber Yard, Telephone 181

 

August 1945

 

There is an old honored basic law of physics that says: “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

 

The reaction had set in Saturday at the fairground.

 

It was a reaction to the tremendous activity of Clark County children, who, last fall, answered their country’s call with a zeal that produced from 9,000 to 10,000 bags of milkweed pods.

 

These pods, rather, their feather-like inner stuffing were needed to take the place of kapok in life preservers.

 

For several months almost all winter, the bags of milkweed pods were stored in the 4-H building at the fairground.  Sometime during that period, a few bags burst and spilled their contents.

 

Then came the reaction –

 

Light feathery milkweed swirled into the air.  It settled on as fog settles into the lowland clung to the ceiling, walls, floors, the tops, bottoms and sides of tables, benches, in fact, it was all over.

 

The place had to be cleared of the milkweed.  So Saturday, County Agent W. R. Marquart pitched into the mess.  Like a good manager, Marquart pressed into service Herbert Kenney, his former assistant who now is county agent in Iron County.  Mr. Kenney had come here for a two-day vacation.

 

Even John Marquart, son of the county agent, was pressed into service.

 

To try to sweep up the floating milkweed was worse than attempting to sweep up a mountain of light feathers or pushing a broom through a billowing cloud.  Every current of air caught and carried some of the weeds in a most tantalizing manner.

 

Had it not been for the spraying equipment of a spray rig brought around by Maynard Anason, who lives south of Neillsville, the job might still be un-done.  But the sprayer, hurtling water under a pressure of 40 pounds, added needed bulk to the milkweed and swept the substance to the floor.

 

It took a lot of spraying and elbow grease to clean the remains of kapok substitute from the building.

•••••••••

Sgt. Norbert N. Fredrickson, Curtiss, Wis., recently was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in action in Italy.  He served on the Fifth Army front with the 338th Infantry regiment of the “Custer” division.  His mother, Mrs. Rose Fredrickson, lives on Curtiss Rt. 1.                                                 

•••••••••

Robert K. Prior, who was a staff sergeant with the Eighth Troop Carrier Squadron, has received his honorable discharge at Fort Sheridan, Ill.  Robert saw action in the Egyptian, Sicilian and Normandy campaigns and wears the European-African-Middle Eastern theatre ribbon with eight battle stars and five overseas service bars.  He arrived in the States May 20 after 3 ½ years of military service.  Robert was a radio mechanic and wears a unit badge with two Oak Leaf clusters and the Good Conduct Medal.  The ex-serviceman was a senior in the Loyal High School Class of 1942, when he entered service in January of that year.  He was awarded his diploma.  His parents are the Ray Priors of Loyal.

•••••••••

An old and sunken cemetery was brought to surface a few days ago when water backed up by the Hatfield Dam was released to permit repairs to the dam.

 

The cemetery is located off the shore of the C. A. Olson cottage, several hundred feet northwest of the Boy Scout Camp.  It is at the southern end of the small island. To those familiar with artificial Lake Arbutus, this island is known as “Dead Man’s Island.”  Apparently this name was given to it because of the position of the one-time burial ground of early white men in that area.

 

Under ordinary lake levels, the cemetery is under from three to six feet of water.  Thus, a few days ago when the level of the lake was lowered to the original river channel, the cemetery was uncovered for the first time in several years.

 

Its only marking now is a single headstone, which still can be recognized as such. The inscription upon it has been so worn by the washing of water and the action of erosion that it is now indiscernible.

 

Edward Murphy recalls that the inscription read: “As you pass by, So once was I, And as I am now, So you shall be; So prepare for Death.  And Follow me.”

 

As the water smoothes over marks in the sand, so apparently has time deleted the memory of the man whose grave the headstone marks.

 

According to information that could be gleaned from almost legendary stories, this spot once contained a large cemetery.  It was made up mostly of the mortal remains of loggers who worked through the Hatfield area during the lumbering days.

 

Mrs. Mary Schultz, 84-year-old mother of Guy Schultz, of the Town of Dewhurst, recalls the cemetery. She came to Clark County in 1861 as a child of three.  It is her recollection that the remains were removed from the cemetery before the Hatfield Dam was completed and closed to form the artificial Lake of Arbutus in 1910.

 

But whether all bodies were removed, or one was left, is something she could not state with certainty.  The story, which has grown up about Dead Man’s Island is that the grave still lies beneath the headstone. And all of it is usually buried by water.

•••••••••

Richard Albrecht has succeeded Werner Jenni as lessee of the Wadhams service station at the corner of South Hewett and Fifth Street.  He is already in possession.                                           

•••••••••

World War II is over.  The end came at 6 o’clock Tuesday evening, August 14, 1945, with the announcement of Japan’s final acceptance of the Allie’s terms.

 

The Neillsville streets were as still at 6:30 p.m. as is the Night before Christmas.  At about 6:40 the siren and the Condensery whistle broke loose briefly, followed by two church bells. Then the city relapsed into silence.  At 7:30 p.m. Mayor Anderson, going out upon Main Street, was oppressed by the unseemly silence.  So he used his official persuasion to get some noise.  Thereupon the city siren went to work, and stayed at it.  The whistle valve at the Condensery was fastened down.  Cars began to course up and down the street, with horns at work.

 

The Rotary club, intending to discuss various civic matters, found all discussion drowned out by the insistent din. Accordingly, Art Wagner grabbed a big drum and led fellow Rotarians out upon the Main Street for a snake dance for a block and back.

 

Then the band appeared, with marchers behind.  For a time the band paused upon the bank corner, and played the Star Spangled Banner, a solemn note in the general jubilation.  Then the band went into lighter music, and presently girls and women were dancing around the band.  Neillsville was expressing some of its pent-up feeling of relief after the long period of tension and anxiety.                                                                      

•••••••••

Miss Anne Plautz, daughter of Mrs. Mary Plautz, and Martin Kokaly, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kokaly, Sr., both of Willard were married Saturday, August 18, at the Holy Family parsonage at Willard.  Rev. Raphael Stragisher officiated.

•••••••••

The War is Over!  No Gas Rationing Now!! Fill ‘er Up & Let ‘er Go!

 

Watch for Early Opening of a Gas Station at the Corner of Division & Grand, on Hwys 95 & 73

 

Buy Red Crown Gas at the Dakota Club, as you roll into Christie. Edward Kuester, Proprietor

 

Wadhams Mobilgas – Mobiloil, Your Friendly Tank Men for Farm Service and City Service. Art Epding, North Side of Hwy 10 and Fred Daft, South Side of Highway 10, Neillsville; Roland Quicker, Granton Area.

 

Art Ebert, agent for Deep Rock, Gas, Lubricants, Oils: Buy at these convenient locations: Deep Rock Station, Neillsville; Ford Garage, Neillsville; Hoppe’s Tavern on G; Keller’s Silver Dome; Schwellenbach’s Garage, Christie; Otto Roessler, Chili; South Lynn Dairy; Art Wegner, Seif; Wucki’s Tavern; Art Schultz, in Columbia.

 

Roy Suckow, East of Neillsville on Hwy 10; Standard products, Power Equipment, Feed – Custom Feed Grinding.

 

Cities Service Oil Co., Agent, Ed Hauge; Koolmotor Gasoline & Oils at following dealers: L. J. Chevrolet Co., West 6th St.; LaVerne Cutts, Christie; A. Hauge & Son, West 7th St.; Laabs Dairy Co., Willard; Linus Prock, Globe; Frank Van Horn, Tioga; Whaley Service, West 4th Street; Farmers Union Cooperative, Gas, Oil, Lubricants.  Also Feeds, Fertilizers, Flour, Paint, Batteries & Tires.  Other Farm Supplies available as come in.

 

The New 1946 Nash Cars are Coming Soon!  At Neillsville Agency – Whaley Garage

•••••••••

Mrs. Mary Leatherdale, who died recently at the age of 78, was one of the early rural schoolteachers of Clark County. She was born Mary Boiee and married Attila Leatherdale 55 years ago at Spokeville.  She lived in Loyal 31 years, but sold her home last spring and went to live with her son at Fifield.                     

•••••••••

By virtue of their victory at the Clark County fair, the Loyal Blackhawks city team won the 1945 county baseball championship.                                                                                          

•••••••••

For Sale: 1935 Ford Four-Door Sedan.  Federal OPA ceiling price $225.  Richard Grassman, Granton. Phone 9411

 

 

Wall’s Deep Rock Service Station, corner of Grand Avenue and West 5th Street, was one of many filling stations within the city of Neillsville in the mid-40s.  Despite tire and gas rationing during World War II the stations managed to survive selling only limited amounts of gas and oil products, providing mechanical and tire repair services to supplement their incomes.  No new cars or trucks were manufactured starting with 1943 through 1945, as factories were called upon to build jeeps and other war related vehicles for the armed forces at that time.  So whatever car or truck you owned and drove had to be kept in running order, as good used replacements were hard to find.

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