July 1937

Stockholders of the Neillsville Country Club, which recently acquired the Hawthorne Hills Country Club, met Monday night to elect officers, and outline activities for the rest of the season.  R. E. Schmedel was elected president, Otto Zaeske, vice president, R. P. Munger, secretary, and Everett Skroch, treasurer.  The above with William Campman, also constitute the board of directors.  Dr. Ell Lee was named chairman of the committee on sports and tournaments.

The stockholders decided to install a bar at the club, and sell beer, and liquors as a means of raising funds for helping maintain the course.  It was estimated that between $1,500 and $1,600, will be needed to pay expenses during the season.

Art Tangen will be the professional in charge with Carl Johnson as greenskeeper and Clifford Moe as his assistant.

The organization now has a clear title to the course, and has paid up owed water bills, rent, and taxes.  The outlook for the course is considered promising, and under the new set-up should have no difficulty in continuing to hold its reputation as one of the outstanding courses in the state.             

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In most parts of Clark County, the prospects are good for a big hay crop this year, and some farmers expect to find difficulty getting extra help in haying.  Lenus Frank of the Town of Weston, who was a pioneer farmer when all the hay was cut with scythes among the stumps, states that he and Ernest Menning, still living in Weston, cut 100 tons of hay with scythes on his farm, raked, and pitched it by hand.  Mr. Menning worked for him seven years on the farm, and for several years, the two of them did the haying by hand.  The crop was usually very heavy when the land was first farmed.

(As a child, I remember watching my grandfather cut hay around the farmyard, using a scythe.  There was a technique in handling, and using the long-handled tool, moving it back and forth in the rhythm needed to cut tall grass.  A scythe has 30”-36”-long curved, sharp steel blade, with one end riveted to the bottom of a 5-ft. long wooden shaft, two offset the handles on it.  I can’t imagine someone cutting hay or grain all day with a heavy, cumbersome scythe.  That person would have to be in good physical shape.

Grandpa had learned the art of using a scythe as a young man growing up in Slovakia. DZ)

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The Neillsville Milk Pool Cooperative has altered its plans for a steel smokestack on its new boiler installation, and will erect a brick chimney.  The chimney, which will be built by the Continental Chimney Co., Inc., of Chicago, will be 85 feet high, nine feet in diameter at the base, and five feet at the top.  Radial brick will be used.  It is expected to take from two to three weeks to build the chimney.

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Mr. and Mrs. Oluf Olson and son Kenneth drove to Curtiss Sunday, attending the Norwegian Lutheran Picnic, and visiting the old farm where Mr. Olson was raised.  Mr Olson reports a very pleasant trip, meeting old friends he had not seen in 25 years.                                                           

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Pumping 1,200 gallons of water in an hour Monday for more than two hours at the Adler Theater by John Martens failed to lower the 30-foot level of water.  The well is 60-feet deep, according to Mr. Martens, and will be used to supply water for the air-cooling system in the theater.  The temperature of the well water was measured at 50 degrees.  City water, which has been used to cool the theater, was said to run about 70 degrees.                                                                                        

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In a mumblety-peg contest held last week at the playground, Richard Maxon, 7 years old, was crowned the undefeated champion with Leo Neville, the consolation winner.  If any old-timers think they can hand Richard a defeat, they are advised to scour the rust off their jackknives, and do a considerable amount of practicing first.

Mumblety-peg is an individual game of skill, which was more popular a few years back, and needs to be reinstated.  Richard, however, has excellent control over his knife, and is an old warrior at the game.

The playground will continue this week under the same supervision.  Unless the WPA will sponsor it from then on, the supervision will have to be discontinued indefinitely.  Parents are urged to send their children regularly.  Both locations are very cool, and the children are not allowed to become overheated during their game periods.

Playground hours will continue to be from 9 to 11 a.m., at the North Side School and from 2 to 4 p.m. at Schuster Park.

(The game of mumblety-peg has long disappeared, along with the days when every boy could carry a jackknife in his pants pocket. DZ)                                                                 

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Two men are being held in New Yo9rk City as suspects in the Granton Bank robbery of last week, according to information received by Sheriff Mats Madsen.  Fingerprints will be sent to New York to link the men with the robbery. 

The two men entered the bank disguised as working men in overalls, and carried a lunch box.

They escaped with $1,187.02.  Sheriff Madsen was called, but no trace of bandits was found.  It was believed they went east on Highway 10 for a short distance before turning into a side road.

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The O&N Lumber Co. has purchased from Geo. E. Crothers the tract known as Temby or Cornelius Park, and will soon begin the erection of a model home in the park.

An effort is being made to save some of the fine trees that had to be removed to make room for the house.  These trees are being dug out and moved bodily to the Hawthorne Hills golf course grounds, and transplanted there.  Every effort will be made to keep them alive.

Work on the foundation of the home will start soon.

(Temby or Cornelius Park was located within a block square, bordered by Grand Avenue, First, Second, and Clay Streets.  Charles Cornelius maintained the park that had trees, flowers, and pathways within the area, which was south of his home at 118 Clay Street.  The park was open for the public to enjoy.  After Cornelius’ death in 1918, the house was sold as well as the park property. DZ)

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One block of East Sixth Street between Hewett and Court Streets is being widened by cutting off two feet of the concrete sidewalk on each side.  Robert Quinnell helped street commissioner Emil Mattson with the work.

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Neillsville can boast of three men of more than 90 years of age, all in a fair state of health, and likely to live for some time yet.

Otto Walter, who lives on South Grand Ave., will be 93 in September, and is the oldest of the group.  He came to Clark County at an early date, and cleared up a large farm in the Town of Grant.  About 23 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Walter built a house on South Grand Ave., which has been their home since.  Mrs. Walter is 81.

Harve Fuller will be 92 on August 14.  He was on the payroll at the Condensery until he was past 90.  During the past winter, he had a long siege of flu, but is about town again, as lively as a cricket. 

Homer M. Root, former County Clerk and for many years prominent in business in this county, was 91 last week, June 22.  He still attends to some insurance, and other business, and lives a quiet life at the Merchants Hotel, and enjoys good health. He came to Clark County from New York State in 1869, and became active in the logging business, which he followed for 19 years.  In 1888, he was elected County Clerk, serving eight years, and has lived in Neillsville ever since.                                                          

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A motorcycle hill-climbing contest will be held at Burdock Mound 15 miles east of Neillsville Sunday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m.  Sylvester Polacek of Chicago, national champion, will be on hand with other stars, both amateur and professional, to take part.  The American Motorcycle Association, will sanction the contest and will furnish the spectators with exciting and thrilling amusement. Following is a list of entries: Wm. Zurn, Marshfield; Sylvester Polacek, national champion, Chicago; Wilfred Dotter, Tomahawk; Melvin Krueger, Wausau; Norman Zutlow, Wausau; L. Lauby, Marshfield; Roger Arndt, Wisconsin Rapids; Frank Ulicki, Waukegan, Ill., Ray Tursky, Madison, Wis., Roy Egeberg, Minneapolis; Leo Hernick, Rochester, Minn.; Steve Kakuk, Manitowoc, Wis.; Louie Kakuk, Manitowoc, Wis.

(Burdock Mound is located 15 miles east on Highway 10 to Fairhaven Avenue, then two miles south where the road dead-ends, on Clark-Wood County line. DZ)

July 1957

Eighteen seniors have completed their service with the Neillsville High School Band and in concluding the final concert for the summer at the high school Thursday night, “Skipper” Lee announced that a final number would be played in honor of this group.

They are: Susan Wall, Mary Hanson, Patricia Bollom, Anton Adamec, Betty Ylvisaker, Diane Haack, Bill Zank, Dave De Mert, Lee Steinhilber, Pat Miller, Terry Schwantes, Tom Barr, Arlene Trachte, Betsy Norman, Beverly Bemis, Mona Hoesly, Janice Urlaub, and Allen Meier.

At the final concert, Jackie Stucki and Boyd Meyer played a cornet duet to band accompaniment.  Mr. Upton thanked the 200-people attending and gave special thanks to the graduating seniors.

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Jimmie Urban, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles (Bob) Urban of Neillsville, battled a 12-pound catfish for 15 minutes, and landed it last Sunday night.

Fishing in the mouth of Arnold Creek from a boat, Jimmie was with his older brother, Chuck.  His dad was fishing from a dock about 50 yards from the weed-bed in which Jimmie had his line.

Jimmie was told in Hatfield that his fish, which measures 30½ inches, was the largest ever brought in by a boy of his age.  The only help he had in landing it was that given by Chuck when he put the net under the fish after Jimmie had brought it up to the boat.  He caught it on a 2-ounce daredevil.

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Defective wiring in the attic was believed to have caused the fire which destroyed the Pine Grove Cheese Factory in the Town of Beaver, six miles northeast of Loyal, about noon Monday.

The plant, a three-day inventory of cheese amounting to about 6,500 pounds, and about 22,000 pounds of milk was destroyed.  No estimate of the substantial loss was available.

Milk of the plant’s patrons now is being hauled to another plant at Riplinger owned by the Pauly Cheese Company of Green Bay, when purchased the Pine Grove Factory from George Foelsch several years ago.

The Loyal rural fire department under Chief James Christenson, and a unit from Spencer succeeded in preventing the spread of the fire to a three-car garage nearby.

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An Army post in far-off Korea, where he gave his life in a gallant stand, has been renamed Camp Red Cloud in honor of Corp. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., Congressional Medal of Honor winner, and a former resident of the Winnebago Indian School in Neillsville.  The area was formerly called “Jackson Compound.”

Word of the dedication on May 18 by the I Corps, United States Army, as well as pictures of the ceremonies, and a copy of the Gen. Trudeau’s speech of dedication at that time, received here late last week by the Rev. Benjamin Stucki, superintendent.

This was the first notice that anyone in the area had concerning the additional honor that has come to the late Corp. Red Cloud.  Fatally hit in the action November 5, 1950, which won for him, posthumously, the highest honor the nation can bestow, his body was brought back to this country, and was buried in the Winnebago Indian Mission at Black River Falls on April 20, 1951.  His mother, Mrs. Nellie Red Clou7d, lives in Black River Falls.  She is an aunt of John Winneshiek, who is well known locally.

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“Grandma” Mazola and her ever-ready broom were credited this week with preventing a holdup at the “Meadowview Club” tavern, five miles south of Neillsville.

When a stranger threatened her husband Frank, better known among area residents as “Grandpa,” saying:

“What would you think if I’d kill you?”  Mrs. Frank Mazola, Sr., didn’t hesitate one second.  Sweeping up the flor just a few feet from the stranger, she up-ended her broom and whacked him full in the face with the bristle end.

Then, as the stranger turned, she put him in full retreat, clubbing him with a fusillade of broom whacks as he beat a hasty retreat out the door.

Granma followed, never letting up the pressure until the man climbed in a car in which another man was waiting.  Before they could start the car moving, Grandma poked her trusty broom through the open window and clobbered him twice again, both times in the face.

The car headed southward on a town road, going full tilt, but not before Grandpa Mazola recovered from his shock sufficiently to take down the license number.

Soon after, authorities had toe two men under custody due to another incident, before being notified of the tavern occurrence and had order the men to get out of Clark County and stay out.

(Never underestimate the possible wrath of a riled grandma! DZ)

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