January 29, 2020, Page 9, Neillsville, Clark Co., Wisconsin

The fire department engine was driven to O’Neill Creek pond Wednesday afternoon, where the pumper was used to flood the skating pond.

The new high speed Northwestern “400” passenger train, which went into service Wednesday afternoon between Chicago and the Twin cities, hits a terrific pace according to reports of several who saw the train near Eau Claire on its initial trip Wednesday night. The train, which stops only at Adams and Eau Claire, covers the Chicago to Twin Cities distance of 400 miles in 400 minutes. It is hauled by a special steam-locomotive, the Northwestern line holding to the idea that steam still is superior to any other form of railroad power. Other roads have gone in for streamlined diesel engines. The Northwestern’s experiment in high speed steam-operated trains is being watched with great interest by railroad officials throughout the country.

Monday, as Arthur Drescher was cutting timber in his woods, he fell a tree, which lodged in another. In order to dislodge the tree, he felled another across it, the later tree shot back catching Mr. Drescher’s leg, fracturing the bones above the ankle, a compound fracture.

He was working alone and began to call for help that was heard by Albert Walter and Lennie Drescher, working some distance away. They came quickly to his assistance.

Luckily, Mr. Drescher had driven from his house to the woods that morning with a horse and cutter. He was helped into the cutter and taken to the Neillsville Hospital, with the fracture being set by Dr. Housley. Drescher is being kept there for a couple days.

(The Walter and Drescher farms were located one and-three-quarter miles south of USH 10 on Miller Avenue. DZ)

There were 450 more farms in Clark County last fall than there were in 1929 and 3,667 more cattle, according to statistics by the Feed and Livestock survey taken in each school district and recently made public.

(It is difficult to imagine 450 more farms added in Clark County during a period of five years. However, the farms were of much smaller acreages in that era. One square mile consists of 640 acres, so it was possible to have eight 80-acre farms within a square mile, each including a small woodlot. A farm of that size was considered large, having enough acreage for a family to make a living. Some farms were even smaller. Such as 60 acres and few of only 40 acres. DZ)

Cheesemakers and buttermakers in Wisconsin are receiving a suggestion from the dairy promotion division of the department of agriculture and markets that the 53 Civilian Conservation Camps in Wisconsin are potential outlets for their produces, according to a recent report.

The basis for the fact is C.C.C. camp diets are reported to be governed by regular army rations and that a recent report shows that the United States Army used cheese in double the amount, or almost three times the national per capita consumption.

The Firemen’s Ball will be held at the Neillsville armory tonight, Wednesday, and promises to be a “red hot” affair, judging from the heavy advance sale of tickets. More than 100 tickets had been sold up to Tuesday evening.

The sale of tickets will be continued today and with what tickets are sold at the window this evening it is estimated that between 150 and 200 couples will be on hand when the “siren” sounds to officially start the affair. Keller’s Eight-piece Ho-Bo Orchestra will be on the scene to do the music for the footwork.

The Moose Lodge, the leading characters, members of the choruses and groups are all ready for the big production, “Crazy Politics,” which used over 125 local people and will be staged on Thursday and Friday at the Opera House at 8:15 o’clock.

This comedy, which is billed as a master stage show with its singing and dancing numbers furnished by high school girls and its cast made up of the most prominent and best dramatic talent in town, is one of the biggest amateur productions ever staged in this community, from the Universal Producing company.

Snow shoveled from the streets of Neillsville has been dumped off the west side of the Grand Avenue bridge, until a “mountain of snow” extends the full width of the creek and is piled up as high as the bridge. With the first thaw and freeze, this barrier is likely to form a solid dam that may result in serious consequences if high water comes before it melts away.

Eight hundred Clark County farmers are now working out feed relief loans, according to W.E. Roberts, directory. Those who contracted loans prior to July 27, 1934, are paid at the rate of 45 cents an hour if they bring a team of horses to work. Those who contracted after that date are paid at the rate of 30 cents an hour for either human labor or teams of horses.

(There were public work jobs available for farmers to do in paying off their debt under the federally funded program. My dad worked under that program in the fall of 1935. Dad, with is team of horses, hitched to a boxed-top wagon, worked at hauling gravel. Dad, with the help of another man, would shovel gravel from a pit onto the wagon and then drive to a nearby township road, where they would throw shovels full of gravel, strewing it across the roadway from shoulder to shoulder. There were also several other farmers working with them on the project. DZ)

Residents of a section of Northside Neillsville were without water for about 14 hours over New Year’s Eve after an automobile broke off a fire hydrant at the corner of Hewett and 14th Streets early that evening.

The driver of the car, which failed to stop, later was identified. The man pleaded guilty before Justice Henry Wittke to charges of leaving the scene of an accident and driving too fast for conditions. He paid a fine of $100 on two counts, and other costs of $11.90.

The Rev. V.A. Ganz was installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran church in Loyal last Sunday afternoon. The Rev. Carl Schulte of Stratford was installing officer and guest speaker.

Two new officers have been added to Company E, First Battle Group of the 128th Infantry, quartered in Neillsville, Capt. Heron (Pink) Van Gorden, commanding officer, said this week.

David Atwood of Loyal, who teaches music in the Fairchild school system, has been commissioned a second lieutenant; and Fred Fredrickson of Willard, a graduate of the state O.C.S. academy, also has been attached to the company.

The building committee of the United Church of Christ in Neillsville has contacted Wisconsin Rapids architects to prepare tentative building plans and rough sketches for a new church for presentation to the congregation.

The committee has secured an option from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Braatz on approximately one acre of land located west of the Braatz residence on Second Street, with the right to purchase it for $2,000. The committee also reports the receipt from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Neff Sr., of a written promise to donate a small parcel of adjacent land directly to the north, if that property is needed for the building project. Also, the promise of Judge and Mrs. Lowell C. Schoengarth who will give additional land adjacent to the north is available, if needed.

Beckwith Walls, 36, has been appointed the fourth member of the Neillsville City Police Department and will assume his new duties April 16.

Walls is presently employed on a farm south of Neillsville owned by Frank Gutman. He and his family expect to remain there until the expiration of their present contract, on April 1, according to Police Chief Lawrence Drescher.

Drescher said Walls had 32 months of service with the Mauston Police Department before coming to the Neillsville area.

Fred E. Wall, widely-known Neillsville service station proprietor, was honored by the Deep Rock division of the Kerr-McGee Oil Company at a dinner at Club 10 Tuesday evening.

Mr. Wall was presented with a silver tray in recognition of 32 years-service with the Deep Rock.

Attending in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Wall were Mr. and Mrs. Milo A. Reese of the Neillsville Oil company, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Wall; Miss Susan Wall; Ford Thompson, Minneapolis, a district manager of the Kerr-McGee company; and Francis S. Arnault of Eau Claire, district representative of the oil company.

Fred E Wall became owner of the Deep Rock Service Station, located on the southwest corner of Grand Ave. and 5th streets in 1928, operating there for many years. The above photo of the station was taken in 1936, which also shows a young boy. Although not identified, the boy could have been Wall’s son, Todd.

Calvin Mills, superintendent of the Clark County Hospital at Owen, and a former county clerk, has been appointed by Gov. Gaylord Nelson to a joint committee to develop state standards of care and treatment in Wisconsin’s 38 county mental hospital. He is one of three new members appointed.

Most folks don’t tell their ages, but W.F. Hein of Humbird, better known as “Bill,” is proud of his 77 years.

He thinks ice fishing is a bit strenuous, so is taking up ice-skating as a pastime. He really does very swell, with nary a spill.

Seven safety awards were presented to bus drivers of the Greenwood Community School system at the safety meeting Monday evening. John Jasurda, Giles Susa and Ed Brumbaugh received seven-year awards; and Frank Lamovec, Joe Starenic, Don Tieman, Jr., and Bill Bayuk received awards for a lesser number of years.

The purchase by the Clark County Highway committee of the Agnes Holverson property, at the corner of Grand and Eighth Streets, was approved by Judge Lowell D. Schoengarth. The price was $2,525.

The property adjoins the present county garage property on Eighth Street. The offering brought five bids, ranging from $300 to the top offer given to the highway committee.

The former Julia Dwyer home and property on North Grand Avenue, has been purchased by Edward and Walter Zank, who are now making the house into a duplex.

Thirty families of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church announce the purchase of property in the Town of Lynn, located three miles east and two miles south of Granton on County Trunk W, for a future church. George Olishkewych of the Town of Grant informed The Press that the members had purchased about one and one-quarter acres of land on which was located the former Walter Schmidt cheese factory. The building is approximately 42 by 40 feet, and the members are now at work removing partitions and making it into a church.

Walter Schmidt, who now operated the South Grant Cheese Factory on Highway 10, said that he operated the factory is South Lynn in 1951, previously operated by Edwin Verhagen.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bertz of Loyal spent the weekend in Berlin with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rueben Bertz, and attended the wedding of his sister, Miss Deanna Bertz who was married to Gilbert Will of Van Dyne in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Saturday morning. A reception was held in Oshkosh, with a dance following at the Eagle Hall.

While Mr. and Mrs. Bertz were away their children, Kathleen and Anthony, stayed with their maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Claude G. Ayers, in Neillsville.

The establishment of skating rinks at the high school football field and St. John’s Lutheran School, should the board of these two institutions receive the idea favorably, is projected by the city council. This proposition was suggested to the city council Tuesday night, by Alderman Morris Blodgett. He pointed out that the early breakup of ice on O’Neill Creek has made development of a rink impossible this year.

The council also voted to install a streetlight at the corner of Hewett and 18th Streets, the intersection at the northwest corner of Prock’s store.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Opelt presented their daughter, Darlene Kay, for baptism Sunday morning at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Neillsville. The Rev. Norman W. Lindloff officiated and Mr. and Mrs. Duane Sternitzky were sponsors.

Following the service, 57 relatives and friends gathered at the Carl Opelt home for dinner and supper.

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