Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

April 1, 2020,  Page 11 

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled and Contributed by Dee Zimmerman

April 1880

 

The Episcopal Chapel was tastefully decorated last Sabbath Easter Sunday.

 

Rev. Hendren occupied the pulpit at the Methodist Church last Sunday evening.

•••••••••

Sol. Jaseph is indulging in a new picket fence around his premises. It is of the scalloped-topped variety, and a neat one.                                                                                         

•••••••••

The usual preparations for log-driving are now noticeable, and the inevitable peavey is being dragged from its winter quarters.

 

(The logging peavey was a tool with a steel hook attached to the one end of a long wooden handle to be used for prying logs apart that had jammed up while being floated down the river. Years later, after the logging days, occasionally a peavey was found during the low water in the bottom of Black River, having been lost during a log drive. DZ)                                                                                

•••••••••

Go to Ponds for your canned goods, or anything in the grocery line. A new and complete assortment just received and being sold at bottom prices.

 

When it costs but fifteen cents to put a perfect polish on the bosoms of twenty-five shirts, why not have it? Loch’s Starch is sold at C.M. Pond’s that will do the job.             

•••••••••

Last Sunday, the log-drive on O’Neill Creek furnished some outside amusement for many of the village residents.                                                                                          

•••••••••

Benny Tragsdorf thinks there is too much dampness in attending log driving. The trouble with Benny’s experience in business was that he tried to ride the wrong side of the log. He was a very wet boy, but the timely aid rendered by more experienced hands saved him from more serious trouble.

•••••••••

Wm. Faery, an old resident of the county, has sold his farm half a mile north of Rexer’s Corners. He designs returning with his family to his old home in New York where he will reside in the future. Mr. Faery will be missed as one of the foremost farmers of this county. He sold his farm to Mr. Gerloch of Lynn.

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We never knew there were so few horses, hogs and cattle in this village until they all turned into the streets together, this spring. There is room for a few more if they can be had.

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A.F. Robinson of Greenwood, who has been exploring different localities in Dakota during the past two weeks, with a view of locating in that territory, returned last Tuesday and reports Huron, Beadle County, as the place selected. Huron is along the James River, about one hundred miles northwest of Watertown, and great prospects are claimed for it. Mr. Robinson will take his final leave of this county and the many friends he has made while a resident hereof, the first of next week.                        

•••••••••

An unusual number of those weary, overworked pilgrims of the woods, the appropriately styled “commercial bummers,” have been in town during the past week.                

•••••••••  

Our Dakota farmers have about all shouldered their gripsacks and traveled towards the setting sun, and we shall see them no more in this locality until after the fall’s harvest.                       

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The new chandeliers for the Courthouse have been received at Myer’s Bros., and now that building will soon be furnished with light in abundance.                                                 

•••••••••

The fools are not all dead yet, and the Hougate arctic expedition will start about the middle of May in search of the North Pole.                                                                              

•••••••••

The Lowe Brothers are preparing to erect a substantial building on the lot south of Crandall’s on Main Street, formerly occupied by Lindsey’s office, which was removed last Wednesday.

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C. Blakeslee, of this place, has opened a branch store at the Hemlock Dam. The new establishment is under the management of S.C. Boardman.                                       

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Capt. T.J. La Flesh has charge of the East Fork log drive. Those who have watched report a tremendous stock of logs already in the boom at the mouth of the river and logs are going down stream. The flood dams are a success.                                                                                         

 •••••••••

The poles being used for the telephone line to Hemlock Dam are being set and judging from the ones that               ornament the main street of this village, those going to Hemlock are not at all handsome.

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There are several juveniles in this village that are developing a disposition to pilfer that may eventually land them at Waukesha, where the state has fitted quarters for boys possessed of that tendency. Parents should remember that the streets are the great training schools of vice, and if they expect their boys to become useful men and good citizens, they can do nothing more likely to ensure that end than to keep them off the streets, particularly at night.

                      

April 1930

 

The robbery of a Wisconsin bank in Polk County and another in Minnesota indicates that the bank bandits have crawled out of their holes and opened their spring campaign. The continued operation of bank robbers in the northwest part of Wisconsin and northern Minnesota last year makes it seem probable that a well organized gang centering in the Twin Cities were active in last year’s operations. A local man in Neillsville, who has studied the situation, states that there is no doubt that the outlaws made their headquarters during the summer season of certain lake resorts and were well known there due to their free spending of money.

 

It is stated that the vigilantes of Clark County will soon make preparations for activity, the sooner the better.

 

(At that time, one of the notable Chicago gangsters had a hideout in the woods near Couderay in Sawyer County of northwestern Wisconsin. The gangster freely spent money in the Couderay vicinity. People had ill feelings toward banks, due to the money losses of 1929 bank closures. They didn’t attempt to contact federal law officers about the gangster’s occasional presence in the area, as they enjoyed being recipients of the gangster’s generous spending. DZ)                                            

•••••••••

Now is the time to get lined up with a supply of coal for your coal burning brooder-stoves. We have a fair supply of hard coal and briquettes on hand. A. Hauge & Son.              

•••••••••

Thursday afternoon, two armed men entered the bank of Fairchild and forced the cashier, assistant cashier and a customer into the vault, locked them in and helped themselves to about $2,000 in cash. After a short delay, the men held in the fault were released after they called the station agent, from a telephone kept in the vault. The alarm was spread widely by telephone. Some of the Neillsville vigilantes went out on Highway 95 and others on Humbird Road but met no one. Evidently the bandits had turned west. No trace of them has been reported. It is said the bank is heavily insured and no loss will be sustained.

•••••••••

On a beautiful Sunday morning 1,900 years ago, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and in honor of this day we are still celebrating Easter Day. On that day years ago stones were rolled away, soldiers were suddenly stricken with fear and trembling, and the followers of this Leader were both horrified and gratified with the news and rumor of the risen Christ as the early morning grew into light of day. This result was the climax of a very eventful week, now known as Passion Week, which had just preceded this beautiful morning.

 

A church survey is being conducted this week in Neillsville by 50 people who have been chosen from the Methodist and Presbyterian congregations to stimulate Sunday School and church attendance in all of the churches of Neillsville.

 

The Church census takers are traveling in teams of two and it is the intention of the sponsors to visit every residence in the entire community to find out the church affiliations of the people and to note the homes, which have no connection with church or Sunday School.

 

Signed, Jess W. Scott, Supt., of the Methodist-Presbyterian Sunday School.

•••••••••

The Neillsville Baseball Club launched its 1930 season with a banquet held at the Merchants Hotel Tuesday and laid plans for making the coming year the greatest in the city’s baseball history. With prospects of having four pitchers and a number of men as new candidates for other positions, Neillsville is assured of seeing some great baseball this summer.

 

Lyndon Smith was re-elected manager. The local club attracted more than $1,600 at last year’s games and spent slightly more than $1,300, leaving a surplus of $300 to start this season.

 

Those who attended the banquet were: F.E. Clifton, Fritz Grap, Walter Weaver, Arman Gerhardt, John F. Zallar, Free Carleton, Albert Zank, A.D. Zittleman, Leo Wasserburger, A. Hardies, Herbert Smith, Lyman Smith, Ed Zank, J.A. Leason, C.A. Olson, Ivan Ruzich, Floyd Bush, Wayne Bush and Wendell Claflin.

•••••••••                           

The old weather vane that responded so many years to the breezes on the spire of the Presbyterian Church, was rescued from the fire ruins and brought into the First National Bank by Attorney R.F. Kountz. This old vane  is made of wrought iron and was hand-forged by J.W. Hommel in 1876. Mr. Hommel’s skill as a blacksmith is well proven by the fact that this vane was so delicately adjusted that notwithstanding its considerable weight, it turned readily at any shift of the wind, and until the church burned was relied upon by all to view the wind’s direction.

 

 

The Presbyterian Church was located on the south side of East Fifth Street in the 100-block.

It was destroyed by fire in early 1930.

•••••••••

32-Piece Dinnerware Set $6.40

These Open Stock Sets are of Paramount Ivory,

Made by Taylor & Smith

Moldenhauer Gift Shop

•••••••••

A law enacted by the last Legislature and which went into effect September 1, 1929, makes it unlawful to uproot certain flowers and plants growing on the land of another, without the consent of the owner of the land. Among the flowers so protected are trailing arbutus, trilliums, and all the orchid family, including lady slippers.

 

(This notice reminds me of a little girl who came home from Schuster Park one day, carrying a small bouquet of trilliums, a gift to her mother. The mother told her, “Those are pretty but, the law is, “You can’t pick trilliums.’” The little girl responded, “All flowers should be picked!” DZ)      

•••••••••

The Kiwanis Club members were spectators at a “necktie party,” during the luncheon Monday, when Herb Brown introduced a municipal guessing contest as his contribution to the weekly programs and rewarded the successful members with neckties. Then questions ranging from “what is the capacity of city water standpipe?” to “:who was the seventh president?” were asked. Mr. Brown got a ‘big hand” when the program was over, and the novelty was enjoyed.                                                                 

•••••••••

Walter and Alfons Wucki of the Town of Washburn went fishing down at East Fork Sunday and caught 33 large red-horse and one carp, the total catch weighing 75 pounds. They drove in an auto as close to the river as they could get but had to carry the fish out about two miles, but state that they were well satisfied to do that.

 

(That was a lot of red-horse suckers to be canned or smoked.

 

My husband refused to eat pickled herring, due to having eaten so much pickled fish as a kid during the Depression. Every spring his dad would spear many suckers during the “spring run,” from the nearby Rock Creek that ran across their farmland. His mom would then prepare and home-can pickled fish that was later to be served as the main course of many meals. DZ)                            

•••••••••            

Al Sherman has sold the lot where his residence stands, on West Fifth Street, to W.F. Schiller. Sherman will now move his house to a lot he has purchased to a lot he has purchased from Mrs. C.W. Bullard, on Grand Avenue. Work on a new basement is under way for the house to be set upon.

•••••••••

Land Bargain!

120 Acres – Includes House, Barn, Silo, & Sheds,

Town of Levis, Section 23, $4,000,

Recent improvements are nearly the asking price!

A.R. Templeton

•••••••••

For Rent on Shares 80-Acre Farm, with personal property and nine cows,

Renter must furnish  seven cows.

Emil Pagelsdorf, Route 1, Greenwood

•••••••••            

We Bake Good Cake!

Quality Bakery

Located in the Odd Fellows Lodge Bldg.

West 5th Street, Neillsville.

•••••••••

Easter Ham Special!

*Ham & Eggs For Breakfast,

*Baked Ham For Dinner,

*Cold Ham for Supper.

We Sell Mild Cured hams at the right price!

May & Spaete Sanitary Market

A Better Place to Trade, Phone 101, Neillsville.

•••••••••

Dear Readers: I am sorry to say this will be my last “Good Old Days” page to appear in the Clark County Press after this week’s edition, for a while at least, due to the present slowdown for now. The future will dictate whether it returns as my work or not. I have enjoy compiling the Clark County history page each week, sharing many of the county’s and its residents’ historical memories with you, the readers. Sincerely, Dee Zimmerman. 

 

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