|
|
|
April 24, 2024, Page 9 Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"
Extracted by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon. Index of "Oldies" Articles |
The Good Old Days
April 20, 1944
Heavy storm damage to telephone lines here
Half the rural phones are temporarily out from sleet and wind
Otto Warren sat in the cab of his milk truck last Saturday morning and watched the road ahead of him filled with falling poles and wires. As he came to the bottom of the hill on the Kubat road, about a mile and a half northeast of his own home, the first pole went right down ahead of his truck. He stopped with the wires right over his engine and scraping the cab. Then puzzled as to what he had better do, he sat and watched as one pole went down after another, all the way up the hill. Before his eyes those poles fell somewhat as dominos fall when they caromed one against the other. In a very short time, the poles were all down, all the way up to the John Kelly place. Hit by wind from the east, the poles and wires were all blown into the highway.
It was thus given to Mr. Warren, who has nothing to do with public utilities except to use them and pay for the service, to see the exact action of the wind and the response of the wires and poles in a wind and sleet storm. Mr. Warren said that the wires, laden with ice about half an inch in diameter, seemed to jump up and down. The wind came in gusts, and there was evidently a lateral force in addition to the jumping of the wires. As the calm came after each gust, there was a reverse motion which only added to the strain.
Many rural phones out
What Mr. Warren saw at 10 o’clock Saturday morning was being duplicated without similar witnesses all through Friday night throughout this area. By Saturday noon half the rural telephones on the Neillsville and Granton switchboards were out of service, and some 200 poles down. It was a devastating attack by nature, calling for a major job of repair and reconstruction. The local telephone company succeeded in finding eight extra men, making a total of eleven men at work on the lines.
The first effort was to restore service. By Tuesday this had been about all accomplished, but in many places the repairs were temporary. It would still be necessary to replace many poles.
Fortunately, the storm found the telephone company with a liberal supply of poles on hand. There are enough poles for the duration, unless the war is very long and unless there is a lot of windstorm damage. The supply now on hand will have to do, for poles are off the market.
The storm had practically no effect on electric service. This is due to the fact that fewer wires are used, and the construction is of a different type.
*****
Military News
A/C Richard N. Lowe, son of Mrs. Ella C. Lowe, has finished another step in his training to become an army air force pilot and has been transferred to the Enid, Okal., Army airfield for training in instrument flying. He is in Class 44H.
Mr. and Mrs. John Verschay of Willard have recently returned from a trip to Chicago. There they visited with their son, John, who was on a weekend leave from Ft. Custer, Mich. He is in the military police corps and has recently completed training at a school for mechanics. He entered the service in November 1943.
Pvt. Forrest W. Selves, who recently returned to the West coast from the Southwest Pacific area, arrived in Neillsville Wednesday to spend a 23-day furlough at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Selves, town of Grant. Pvt. Selves has seen about three and a half years’ service overseas. He is to report to Chicago on May 6.
Pvt. Woodrow Jeffery of the Humbird community is reported missing in action on the Italian front. Pvt. Tony Kuznacic of the Willard community is back in the States after duty in Alaska. He is now visiting his wife and children at Sheboygan; and may later come to Clark County.
*****
The new undersheriff Sheriff Ray Kutsche last week appointed Frank Dobes, of the town of Levis undersheriff of Clark County. Mr. Dobes has been a supervisor of the town of Levis for ten years, and has been employed for several years by Allen Covell, county forester. Mr. Dobes is about 45 years of age and owns and operates a farm in the town of Levis.
*****
April 15, 1954
130 parents at PTA
Approximately 130 parents turned students last Thursday evening when they attended “Go To School Night” at the monthly PTA meeting held at the local high school. The parents attended classes of their children from 8 to 9 and all gathered in the assembly room at 9 for the business meeting.
The program was opened by the sixth-grade students of the south side singing several selections under the direction of Miss Marion Hubbard.
*****
Rainfall is a scant 2.81 inches in 1954
Rain of thirty-two-one-hundredths of an inch fell in the Neillsville area in the 24 hours ending at 7 o’clock Wednesday morning, April 14. In comparison with the very dry period preceding it was quite a rain, by in comparison with the usual rainfall it was insignificant.
The Press has checked up on the rainfall of the entire year of 1954, with the help of Mrs. Elmer Meyer, who is keeping the government records at the Indian school farm. The total rainfall for the entire period, three and one-half months, is 2.81 inches. This is at the rate of about 10 inches per year, and that rate is rainfall about like that of the western deserts. Some parts of the United States have a normal rainfall of about 13 inches, but those areas are considered arid.
The normal rainfall of the humid Midwest averages about 36 inches per year.
*****
Six young men of Neillsville High brought to the school and to the community in 1954 the top honors of the school’s history in farm management and crops judging. The two teams scored first in the state contest at Madison, and each team had an individual first. The two teams are shown in this picture. Members of the farm management teams are standing, having a problem of farm management before them on the blackboard. They are, left to right, Bradley Hubing, Robert Quast and Roy Elmhorst. Bradley Hubing took first individual honors. Members of the crops judging team are seated, being, in order, Wendel Suckow at the left, James Gies and Theodore Steimke. James Gies took first individual honors. (Press photo April 15, 1954)
*****
April 25, 1974
Donation of oats is FFA area project
FFA members from the Granton High School will be calling on farmers in the Granton-Chili area this Friday, April 26 in the morning to ask for a small sack of oats or a small donation from which they will donate the proceeds to the Clark County Easter Seal Society sending Brian Jennings to Camp Wawbeek, Wisconsin Dells, this summer.
Brian, nine years old and suffering from a birth defect is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jennings, rural Chili. The cost of the camp is $150 and the local FFA hopes to earn enough to cover the cost of the camp for Brian.
Camp Wawbeek is a camp located at Wisconsin Dells and is for physically handicapped children and adults. It is operated to provide an experience of outdoor living, recreational adventures and social contacts. Skills are taught that encourage normal living and is operated by the Easter Seal Society of Wisconsin.
If any farmer or interested persons are missed and would like to contribute oats or cash, they may call the Granton school today and the boys will stop.
*****
Sewing “Explosion” scheduled May 2 in Greenwood
A “clothing explosion” will be held Thursday afternoon and evening, May 2, at the Clark Electric auditorium in Greenwood. Mrs. M.E. Sjolin, county home economist, announces this week. Sessions will be held at 1:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Featured will be talks by Miss Lenore Landry, a native of Neillsville, who is a University of Wisconsin extension clothing specialist; and Miss Merra Brown, sewing consultant.
Miss Landry’s talk entitled “Inspiration by the Yard,” will cover selection of material; while Miss Brown will cover special techniques, couture sewing methods and show how to save time by fusing fabrics.
Added features will include lessons in selecting proper threads and adjustments for fabrics and sewing machine.
A representative of a fabric house will talk about, “The Fusibles.”
*****
Royalty for the Neillsville High School junior prom to be held Saturday night, May 4, are Kevin Grap, king, and Joan Schnabel, queen. Their parents are Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Grap and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Schnable. Members of their court will be Gary Lukes and Cindy Kunze, Jerry Gross and Barb Watenpuhl, Marlin Golomski and Julie Menne, and Tim Harder and Tracey Meredith. Theme for this year’s prom in “Sunshine.” (Press photo April 25, 1974)
*****
April 27, 1994
Granton Showcase draws large crowd
Granton’s first Showcase was a success.
According to Francis Steiner, one of the organizers, 450 people attended the event Thursday at the Granton Sportsmen’s Club, and 32 businesses or organizations exhibited their products, offered free samples and conducted drawings for prizes.
The Clark County Press was one of the exhibitors, and it offered free Presses, free notepads, and the opportunity to win one of five one-year subscriptions.
The winners of the five one year subscriptions were Diane Wolf, Chili; Duane Anding, Granton; Donna Chase, Granton; Bev Blasing, Granton and Les Burkhalter, Granton.
*****
Greenwood FBLA advances
The Greenwood FBLA Chapter attended the Wisconsin Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Green Bay on April 14-16, 1994. The three-day conference was presided over by State President, Holly Meyer, from Colby. The conference theme, “FBLA: Seek the World, Meet the Challenge,” was promoted throughout the three days. Highlights of the conference included speakers, special interest sectionals, competitive events competition, and an awards banquet. Members also elected Nannette Pawlek from Thorp as the new state president.
Greenwood members took part in the March of Dimes Walkathon. Locally they raised $192 for the March of Dimes.
Local members attending were Bridget Nigon and Jeannie Bravener as voting delegates; Kari Haunschild, Jill Gardner, and Nicky Felix as delegates at large; Amy Sautebin in Job Interview, Jill Druschke in Information Processing Concepts; Connie Lindner in Shorthand, and Candy Trunkel in Business Law. They were accompanied by their advisor, Connie Bushman.
Amy Sautebin received a WHO’S WHO IN FBLA certificate for her many contributions to the local chapter’s activities. She also placed second in the Job Interview event and is the alternate to national competition if the first place winner cannot go.
Jill Druschke received second place in Information Processing Concepts competition and will represent Wisconsin FBLA at the National Leadership Conference this summer in Anaheim, Calif., on July 4-7, 1994.
*****
Michael Gregorich of Greenwood (left) won the grand champion trophy and ribbon for his heifer at the annual Classic Heifer show at Owen last week. Doug Hansen, also of Greenwood (center) took the reserve champion trophy and ribbon and the first-place trophy in showmanship. Gregorich placed fourth in showmanship. Peter Opelt (right) took third with his heifer. All three are members of the Greenwood chapter of the Future Farmers of American. Ron Hendrickson is their advisor. (Press photo April 25, 1994)
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
|
© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.
Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.
Become a Clark County History Buff
|
|
A site created and
maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke, Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,
|
