Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

August 27, 1997, Page 18

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Good Old Days 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

August 1882

 

Work on the construction of the telegraph line on the Neillsville Branch of the C. St. P. M. & O. Ry. commenced last Thursday and will be completed sometime next week.  The poles are supplied with arms of double lines.  Only one wire will be put up until after the road is extended from here to Marshfield.

 

The brick-work on the Rossman-Bruley block will be completed in a few days.  It will be, when finished, the finest business block in the city.

 

James Mrazick, of the Town of York, went out to hunt squirrels last Friday.  He found one of the coveted animals perched upon a limb.  His gun missed fire.  Mrazick took the firelock from his shoulder and applied the ramrod to the charge.  The purpose was to force the same within the reach of the percussion and while engaged, the gun went off.  The ramrod and ball blew through his right hand.   He came to town and had the damage to his hand estimated by Dr. Templeton.  The doctor discovered that ramrod and ball had passed through the palm of Mrazick’s hand, but fortunately resulted in only a flesh wound.

 

Benhart Clouse of Loyal lost one of his team horses last week due to pink eye – the worst thing to happen there in a long time.

 

Within the past month Wm. Wolbert, of Humbird, has manufactured pine tar, 625 gallons, from Norway pine.  It is intended to be used for medicinal and mechanical purposes.  Wolbert offers it in any quantities and keeps a supply put-up in pint, quart and gallon cans.

 

Emery Bruley received the patent for a vehicle axle-tree, of his invention, last Monday.  Bruley has already received a number of offers from dealers in patent rights and manufacturers for the right to sell or use the same.

 

Last Saturday, the authorities of the Town of Pine Valley purchased seven acres and a fraction of land to be used as an addition to the Pine Valley Cemetery.  The ground purchased lies on the west and south side of the present cemetery.  The grounds will be graded and fitted before being divided into lots.

 

On August 28, at two o’clock p.m. lots selected for fruit and refreshment stands will be sold at public sale on the Clark County Fairgrounds.  Societies or individuals wishing such privileges on the grounds during the coming Fair should attend this sale.

 

The turnpike west of Unity is still in bad shape and if the wet weather continues a little longer it will be impossible to complete it.  The whistle heard to re-echo so loud in Popple River valleys, is not that of Hein & Myer’s stave mill.  Instead, the loud whistle is that of R. J. Horr’s new steam saw mill, which just recently started.  If the mill does as good of business as the whistle, the community will be well supplied with lumber.

 

The new hall on the fairgrounds is to be 30’ x 80’ and will be used for a Fine Arts Hall.  Agriculture products will be exhibited in the (old) building used for fine arts.

 

A large invoice of the celebrated brand of Gold Medal flour, from the Washburn Mills of Minneapolis, arrived at Hewett’s store this week.

 

There was a fearful commotion in Stovepipe Alley at Greenwood the other night.  Report was that someone was stealing; milking the Elder’s cow and Elder was trying to get even by doing likewise.  A war was declared; the hatchets were dug up.  But by the mediation of friendly powers, the difficulty was settled without bloodshed.

 

The brilliant sun of peace and brotherly love once more illumines the dark corners of the alley. 

 

August 1902

 

Neillsville’s big furniture factory continues at a full speed buzz and even with overtime hours, they are still behind with its orders.  (Editors Note: The furniture factory was located west of what is now Eighth Street, near the Black River.)

 

A boat is kept handy near the furniture factory.  It is used by Co. A. 3rd Regiment WNG boys in going to and from the rifle range.  After the encampment, the boat will be moved up onto the pond.  (Editors Note: The Guards rifle range was located west of 14th Street, along the Black River.  There was also another strip of federal government land on the west side of the river, used for rifle range, near the shale pit.)

 

A rural mail box seller was here last week and sold a great many of mailboxes.  Also, a tour was made of the mill (mail) route to be put in from Neillsille through the western half of York Township.

 

The ladies of the Congregational Church will serve ice cream on the courthouse lawn Saturday evening, this week.

 

The new German Lutheran Church near Wm. Beyer’s, on the Huntley Road, about five miles northwest of Neillsville is nearly finished.  Fred Puttkammer delivered doors for the building this week.

 

We, at Walk Brothers Store, downtown Neillsville, have something to brag about!  A can of salmon for 15¢, 1 lb. XX coffee at 15¢, Queen Quality shoes $2.50 and large size plates at 38¢ a set.

 

All private families wishing to board teachers coming to the teacher’s institute to be held here next week make it known to Fred Draper or County Superintendent A. O. Rhea.  It is thought there will be over a hundred teachers in attendance.

 

A party of citizens and their wives or best girls went up to the poor farm Saturday night and helped oversee Frantz celebrate the competition of the big new barn.  They ate a gorgeous banquet and danced until tired, getting home at a late hour.  (Editors Note: The poor farm was on Hwy. B three miles northeast of Neillsville.)

 

A dispatch was received here Sunday from Fresno, Calif., the news of the death of Ernst Eilert.  Mrs. Eilert, her daughters, Mrs. Fred Huntzicker and Miss Leta, were here visiting when notified of Ernst’s death.

 

Ernst Eilert was an old resident of Neillsville, where in the early 1880s; he bought the Neverman & Sontag Brewery.  He transformed it into a modern institution and ran it successfully for many years.  The business was later sold to Kirth Listeman, (who later married his daughter, Maggie) and the Eilert family moved to Fresno.  There, in company with another son-in-law, Frederick Huntzicker, they erected the largest brewery on the Pacific Coast, the Fresno Brewing Co., building up a big business.

 

Eilert’s first brewery, before Neillsville, was located at Humbird.

 

The Eilert family will gather here for the funeral to be held at his old home – the brewery.  The burial will be at Neillsville Cemetery.

 

Lute Garfield and his crew set up their big steam thresher at Fred Hemp’s farm.  They threshed out 450 bushels of No. 1 winter wheat, the product of a nine and one-half acre plot.  The average was about 47 bushels to the acre, a yield that should astonish new-comers.

 

Workmen have been busy this past week extending the rear main floor of Ring and Youman’s building on East Fifth Street.  They are now building the tracks for the bowling alley being put in by Major H. W. Hommel.  There will be three alleys, with plans to be one of the most attractive places in the city, when completed.  Bowling is a popular and healthy sport and as Neillsville people are devoted to athletics, it should have a booming business.

 

There will be a dance at Cardella’s grove, near the Black River, southwest of Neillsville, on Saturday.  Everyone’s invited to join in the good time.

 

The stone gutters in front of the A. B. Marsh and Schuster homes are the neatest thing in town.  W. L. Hemphill has followed suit, join them.  The city lays the gutters free if the lot owner will furnish the sand and stone.

 

The Neillsville Marble and Granite Works, since s. M. Warman bought the business, has done some fine work.  The monuments, large or small, are beautifully finished and truly artistic.

 

A newspaper exchange truthfully says, boys with hats on the backs of their heads, cigarettes hanging from their lips and smutty stories in their mouths are cheaper than worn-out horses.  No one wants them at any price.  Men will not employ them and girls will not marry them.  They are not worth their keeping to anyone and will never be able to work to keep themselves.

 

Blodgett is receiving a new coat of paint, also sleeping rooms and halls are being repapered.  The firm of Cole & Lupient is doing the work in a tasty manner.  The office and writing room floors are to be replaced with tile and other improvements will be made.  The barbershop will have a tile floor and other changes, too.

 

Tuesday there was a record breaking shipment of butter and cheese going out of the Loyal railroad station.  Adjacent creameries and cheese factories shipped 17,049 lbs. of butter and cheese on the same day. 

 

J. D. Stannard, of Neillsville, met with a painful accident out at the Stockwell surveying camps near Spokeville.  Stannard was cooking and while carrying a pot of hot coffee, tripped, spilling the boiling coffee on his arm.  Dr. Richmond treated Stannard’s injuries and they needed to hire a new cook in the camp while the injury heals.

 

Neillsville’s city street crew laid some new sidewalk in Goose Creek hollow, Court Street, this week.

 

Carl Haberland has put out a notice: Whoever stole the keg of ten-penny nails from his farm south of town, can call again.  He will make him a present of a few more nails of a “different caliber.”

 

B. Danger’s solid brick store has been going steadily skyward as the walls are being built and will soon possess a roof.  Danger is anxious to fill the store, from basement to roof, with goods.

 

Adding a third story and other improvements to the Merchants Hotel has been postponed to 1903.  It has been impossible to get skilled labor this year.

 

A train crew standing near the locomotive which ran the railroad line going through Willard in the early 1900s.

 

Teamsters, teams and wagons halted long enough to be photographed on the busy Main Street of Neillsville on a late 1800s day.   A load of hay being hauled to a livery stable stopped in front of the O’Neill House, as a line-up of wagons were traveling northward.  The O’Neill House was an elegant hotel, later destroyed by fire.  The Neillsville post office now occupies the lot.  (Photo courtesy of the Clark County Jail Museum)

 

 


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