June 9, 2021, Page 9

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

 

Extracted by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

 

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

  

Clark County News

 

June 8, 1939

 

Children and pets attract 3,500 to city for parade

 

Seventy “best pets in the world” compete for 27 awards

 

Pets and children and doggone cute.

 

And they were never cuter than they were last Saturday afternoon, when an estimated 3,500 persons lined several blocks of Neillsville’s city streets to see the Pet Parade.

 

Seventy children from the city and surrounding countryside entered their favorite companions in the event. Twenty-nine of them won ribbons in the nine divisions, and the first-place winner in each division was awarded a prize which he was allowed to select from a group of awards offered.

 

Award winners

 

Winners in the divisions were: Best pet –Darrell Grottke and his little Chihuahua dog, first; Ellen Crocker and her dog, second; and N. Kluhsman and his dog, third.

 

Best trained pet – D. Schweinler and his dog, second; and Glen Wachholz and his dog, third.

 

Best combination of pets – Harold and Harley Miller and their family of banties, first; E. Dorst and M. Meihack for their basketful of black puppies, second; and R. Seidelmann and V. Nolan and their dogs, third.

 

Best cared for pet – O. Schaub and his pony, first; Herron Van Gorden and his Logansburg goat, second; and Shirley Dietz and her kitten, third.

 

Cutest pet – D. Hantke and his dog, first; A. Davis and his cat, second; and L. Davis and his cat, third.

 

Most unusual pet – Lawrence Kutchera and his pig, first; Richard Johnson and his goat, second; and J. Dahnert and his crow, third.

 

Largest pet – Addie Jean Farrand and her horse, first; D. Wood and his horse, second; and O. Schaub and his pony, third.

 

Smallest pets – Dorothy Vine and her baby turtles, first; E. Gillard and her mud turtle, second; and Shirley Diercks and her kitten, third.

 

Ugliest pet – Joyce Shock and her bulldog, first; Laura Lee Rosekrans and her Saint Bernard dog, second; and Mildred Halle and her pony and buggy, third.

 

Select prizes

 

Among the prizes chosen by those who won first places were a fishing reel, tennis shoes, roller skates, softball, fishing rod, flashlights and a fishing tackle box.

 

Judges for the events each judged one division separately and collaborated in judging the following divisions: best pet, ugliest pet, smallest pet and largest pet. Mrs. A.O. Berg, county 4-H Club leader last year, judged the best combination of pets; Mrs. Thomas, wife of the chairman of the town of Warner, judged the cutest pets; Elmer F. Anderson, chairman of the county board of supervisors, judged the best cared for pets; Harold Huckstead, secretary of the Clark County Agricultural Society, judged the best trained pets; and Joe Horehled, well-known Washburn farmer, judged the most unusual pets.

 

The judges had their hands full in selecting the best three in each division out of the 70 entries. And that they did the best they possibly could was indicated by the careful inspection of each pet they made at the end of the parade route.

 

When the judging was finished, all the judges remarked to the effect that all entries were the “best pets in the world to their companions, and how can anyone possibly put them down in first, second, third order and feel absolutely certain the selections were right?”

 

But there was no doubt that the parade was a huge success from the standpoint of the spectators. Too long for pig But the parade was a little too long for Lawrence Kutchera’s pet pig. The little thing, scrubbed so well that its pink skin glowed softly under the thin coat of white hair, sagged slowly – but definitely – about two blocks from the reviewing stand. First, he settled down carefully on his haunches, then he rolled over. Lawrence showed concern over the condition of his pet. But Joe Zilk and his truck came to the rescue and carried the pig the rest of the way to the reviewing stand. There the pig took a little water and found a cool spot beneath the reviewing stand. He revived slowly.

 

One entrant who caused considerable comment among spectators was Richard Johnson and his pet kid. The kid – only a few days old – carried a “blanket” which read: “Wee kids need lots of milk.”

 

And Richard carried a nipple bottle filled with milk. The way that little kid went after the bottle was a spectacle to behold! All Richard had to do was lower the nipple within reach of the kid, and the kid would lunge for it like nothing else in the whole wide world mattered a hang.

 

To conclude the judging, the pets which usually perform tricks in private were called to the reviewing stand to perform in public. And therein was the difficulty. Just as it always happens, the pets wouldn’t keep their minds on the task at hand. No, sir, they’d rather rubberneck at the crowd. And, after all, that was fair enough. Wasn’t the crown rubbernecking at them?

 

Children who entered pets in the parade were given complimentary tickets to the Adler theater’s matinee performance, which followed the parade.

 

Proud of their pets!

 

 

Above are pictured two of the entries and the first-place winners in the Pet Parade held here last Saturday. Top left is Mary Johnson and her puppy. Top right, Jeanette Stiemke proudly hugs her three-day-old goat. Bottom, the prize winners line up for their pictures. Their names and divisions they headed are: (front row, left to right) Harley and Harold Miller, best combination of pets; Darrell Grottke, best pet. (Back row, left to right) Addie Jean Farrand, largest pet; Dorothy Vine, smallest pets; D. Schweinler, best trained pet; O. Schaub, best cared for pet; Lawrence Kutchers, most unusual pet; and Joyce Shock, ugliest pet. Absent, D. Hantke, cutest pet. (From June 8, 1939, Press) 

*****

Committee to make a survey of sanitation

 

“The committee on sanitation, authorized by the city council primarily to deal with the garbage problem, begins work without any preconceived plan,” said Dr. M.C. Rosekrans, chairman of the committee, in an interview with The Clark County Press.

 

“We do not know the answer, but we know that there is a problem. Our first effort will undoubtedly be to make a survey of the present situation.

 

“One of the places which I shall suggest that the committee visit is the city dump. This dump has been in charge of Carl Zschernitz for fourteen years, and he is undoubtedly doing as well as he can with the facilities he has. He keeps fires going and disposes of refuse as far as possible. But even with the present volume of dumping he lacks sufficient fuel and soil; hence there is no possibility of burning or covering all the combustible refuse. Furthermore, there is at present no limit to the area of dumping. Each citizens visiting the dump puts his refuse where he sees fits, and it is impossible for the custodiam to find and dispose of all of it.

 

“Therefore, it would seem entirely clear that the enlarged use of the present city dump is no answer to the problem. If we had complete collection and took the material to the dump, we would vastly increase the problem there, and the result might be injurious rather than helpful.

 

“At present the dump is undoubtedly a menace. It is a breeding place for flies and rats. If Neillsville is plagued at this time with flies, the city dump cannot be held guiltless. While flies may not regularly travel great distances, especially when feed is at hand, they are inevitably carried by the wind. It is no stretch of the imagination to suppose that dump-bred flies knock at the door of every home in Neillsville.

 

“The common fly is a common nuisance, but it is a much more serious menace than is commonly realized. Upon its sticky feet are carried all sorts of germs and filth. A more complete knowledge of its habit would result in a city-wide crusade to stop its breeding in Neillsville.

 

“The persons who have consented to act with me on the sanitation committee are progressive and public-spirited. It may be depended upon that they will approach the issue in a fair-minded way, with the earnest hope of offering a constructive plan for the improvement of cleanliness in our city. We may be sure, also, that we shall have the complete cooperation of the city council, by whose authority the committee is acting.”

*****

“Two heads better than one” – local men agree after making bull snap

 

Herman Aberle and A.J. Kleckner of Neillsville have proven to their own minds, at least the truth of the old adage that “two heads are better than one.”

 

It all came about a few months ago when a young bull on the Kleckner farm, which Mr. Aberle works, got loose during the night. It had broken a spring bull snap and meandered around the barn all night. Fortunately, the bull was not vicious, so nothing untoward happened – other than that is got some harness mixed up on its horns.

 

However, it set both men thinking about bull snaps. Separately their minds worked. After a few days each had devised a snap – but neither snap would work. So, they got together on their snaps, and taking a part of one and another part of the other, they evolved a snap which they believe is as nearly perfect and foolproof as can be made.

 

“The best of the bull snaps now on the market operate with springs,” Mr. Kleckner explained. They rust, and the springs give out after four or five months and you have to buy a new snap. Maybe the bull gets loose during the night and gores a horse – or something like that.”

 

But chances of anything like a bull breaking loose from the new snap are remote, testifies Mr. Kleckner. The snap is made up of two overlapping hooks which lock when a wedge pivot wheel at the base is in place. To unlock the hooks the pivot wheel is turned.

 

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” declared Mr. Kleckner. One of the snaps has been used on the Kleckner bull, and tests of the strength of the snap have been made. The invention has been patented.

*****

Clean streets

 

Leslie Holmes of Neillsville started to sweep on South Hewett Street at 2:40 a.m. Decoration Day. He was joined by Adolph Schaub, the regular sweeper, at 4 a.m. They had made a good start in cleaning the downtown streets before many were astir. The result was that the city’s pavements looking spic and span, for Memorial Day. Mr. Schaub has regularly been to work at 6 a.m. but is setting his time forward to 5.

*****

Wildings drive 3,377 miles to Neillsville

 

Mr. and Mrs. George Wilding have arrived in Neillsville and will remain here part of the summer as guests of Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Wilding. The two men are brothers.

*****

A good lawn

 

The lawn around the post office is being excellently cared for and contributes to the sightliness of the business portion of Neillsville. Postmaster Kurth takes pride in the lawn, and appreciated the interested service of Joseph Felser, who is largely responsible for its condition this year. Mr. Felser pulls the weeds from the lawn as many do from gardens and has kept it well watered during the dry spell.

*****

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