Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

February 11, 1998, Page 24

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

Good Old Days

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

February 1878

 

St. Mary’s Catholic services will be held in the new church in this village, Sunday, Feb. 10, at 10:30 a.m.  The services will be conducted by Father Hess, the newly appointed priest for this charge.

 

Our neighbors in Jackson County are thinking of duplicating our County’s Courthouse.  If they do, they will have one of the finest buildings of the kind in the state.

 

Last Wednesday, greenbacks were seen blowing around the streets.  The astonished beholders thought that the promised issue of desired irredeemable had actually commenced and the question of getting them into circulation was being solved.  Several parties were soon engaged in picking up the wealth that lay at their feet.  Soon after, George Lloyd discovered he had lost his pocket-book.  The shower of greenbacks having been distributed through the streets belonged to Lloyd.  The lost pocket-book had contained a considerable sum of money, most of which was found and returned to the owner.

 

A number of the schools throughout the county closed for the winter term, during the past week.

 

Al Brown is experimenting with trucks as a means of getting logs to the river.  The logs will be loaded onto wagons and wheeled to the riverbanks.  The result is yet in doubt; it is yet to be proved a profitable venture.  There will be a reasonable amount of logs put in on the river during the present winter, snow or no snow.

 

Last Tuesday, in the company with Hon. F. D. Lindsey, we visited his camp north of Scholfield’s.  About three hundred thousand feet of logs had been in the manner known as “crocheting in”.  Several “Go Devils” have been kept going for some time with good effect.  A considerable amount of progress has been accomplished but that means of transportation of logs is considered too slow by Free.  The Pennsylvania system known as “tailing,” will be an improvement on logging sleds, claims Free, and experiment worth trying.

 

Quite a number of lumbermen on the river have been using ice roads during the past week.  The roads are made by hauling ice from the river which is crushed in the track and covered with water making a solid sheet of ice.  It is reported to work well but is very expensive.

 

The Hatfield stage line is meeting with a lively opposition.  There are now two daily stages going between Neillsville and Hatfield.  The new schedule is an advantage to the public but it is doubtful whether the travel over that road is sufficient to support two lines per day.

 

Tom Hommel is the happy “parent” of a healthy female baby and his happiness is like unto that of a clam.

 

When a fellow comes to town and hitches his team on the street rail for several hours, should that fellow get mad because a neighbor put the team into a livery barn and fed them at his own expense?

 

During the past week the sidewalk on Main Street has been extended from Furlong’s to John Thayer’s by the property holders.  A continuous stretch, in all, of one mile lines the street.  It will be the boss promenade of the village during summer’s promenading season.

 

“Paul may plant and Apollo’s water, but God must give the increase.”  That doesn’t settle the dispute between Frank Darling and Johnny McMillan as to the superiority of the increase to their respective families the first of the week.  Frank, as the father of a nine pound daughter, thinks that boy of Johnny’s is nothing in comparison.  However, Johnny places a lower estimate on girl babies, pleased with his new son.

 

The days of grace allowed to the taxpayers are fast drawing to a close and the tax gatherer should be remembered.

 

F. D. Lindsey’s Blacksmith Shop, on Neillsville’s north side, does all kinds of blacksmithing promptly and well.  See W. S. Payn, who supervises all the work done in the shop. 

 

Lacey’s Drug Store has a full supply for medicinal purposes of drugs, medicines as well as wines, liquors and the best cigars in town.

 

Herman Schuster is Register of Deeds for Clark County, Wis., Notary Public and conveyancer.  Schuster has a complete set of Abstract of Title to all lands in Clark County and is prepared to furnish any information regarding titles and taxes on county lands.

 

He will furnish powers of attorney to be recognized by any court of the German Empire or Austria and will collect and press claims in any of the last named countries.  Also will sell passenger tickets; to and from Germany by either Hamburg or Bremen lines.

 

George W. Trogner has opened a new carriage and wagon shop adjoining Campbell & Hommel’s Blacksmith Shop in the village of Neillsville.

 

February 1928

 

Dr. R. L. Frisbie of Humbird has been appointed State deputy health officer and left for Madison this week to assume his new duties.  Dr. Frisbie will have a district composed of thirteen counties with headquarters in Madison.  He will spend weekends with his family, who will remain here.

 

Cash Hardware has been sold by Mrs. Elston, store owner since her husband passed away last fall.  The business has been sold to Jens Neilsen and his son, Herbert Neilsen.

 

Under the new gas tax law $25 per mile is paid to each township for the upkeep of town highways not on State, County or Federal trunk lines.  Village streets are also included if not on trunk lines.

 

On Thursday, of this week, Wheeler Forman, rural letter carrier on route 3, Neillsville, will complete a quarter of a century of service for the people on that route.  He is the only driver the route has had since it was established.  For 25 years the route was 25 miles in length and the past year it has extended to 30 miles.

 

The rural routes system started in Neillsville in 1901 when Joe Green was made carrier on route 1 which covered parts of other present routes.  Green was followed by A. M. Harriman, Bob Eunson, G. H. Egery and then by J. L. Walk who for the past 23 years has been on continuously as a carrier.  Route 2 was started by Elliott Sturdevant, followed by Richard Welsh who drove for 14 years.  Welsh was succeeded by J.D. Cummings the present carrier who has been on the route for 8 years.

 

Route 4’s first carrier was Mart Lastofka who started 25 years ago.  He was succeeded by Will Poff, then Blucker Paulus and lately by Arnold Yankee the present driver.

 

Route 5 was established about 19 years ago by Otto Neverman as carrier.  Neverman has been on the route continuously.  He said the 25 mile route satisfies him as he laid it out to suit himself.

 

Route 6 was the old Columbia route, Ole Aspen being the carrier when it was changed over to Neillsville Route 6.

 

Good service has been provided on the Neillsville routes through the years.  Of course roads have greatly improved with years and methods of travel having also improved, all these enabling good delivery service.

 

Last week Frank Bartell, proprietor of “The Sweet Shop” sold the business to Harry Eide of Granton and Rev. C. A. Rawson of Neillsville.

 

The Sweet Shop was established in 1920 by Otto Raske who operated it for about two years.  During Bartell’s ownership, the business has become well known for its fine confectionery, soft drinks and most of all, its fine restaurant.

 

Eide will be actively in charge of the restaurant and will be assisted by his wife.  Rawson plans to continue his work, as pastor of the Presbyterian Church here giving only incidental assistance in the business.

 

A masquerade ball was held at the Levis town hall last Saturday evening.  It was a great success as many attended and had a fine time.  Judging the many masked dancers was difficult as there were so many good costumes.  Winners were as follows: Mrs. Ladd Shramek, Edna Thess, Mrs. C. F. Lueck, Kathryn Meier, Mrs. Chas. Shramek, Sr., Frank Matousek, Sr., C. F. Lueck, Geo. Holub and John Kuraz.

 

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Brussow of Loyal was gladdened by the arrival of a little son, last Sunday.

 

Art Wagner is showing a household size dishwasher which he has a part in perfecting and has now acquired patent rights.  The dishes are stacked in the washer and a rapidly revolving blade throws a spray of water onto the dishes and washes them clean in a few minutes.  The neat appearing machine is being made of copper and enameled in white.  An eastern manufacturer will produce the machines in quantities.

 

February 1953

 

A modern motel will be built on Sunset Hills, the new subdivision of Herman North, on the west side of Neillsville.  Harvey A. Owen and his brother, Gerald M. Owen, of Alma Center, are behind the enterprise.  The two men appeared at the city council meeting Tuesday evening, seeking approval and official action with a zoning ordinance.

 

The original construction calls for 12 units with an office at the center.

 

Lorraine Feuerstein graduates this year from the St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Marshfield.

 

The last stand of virgin pine near the city of Neillsville is being cut.  From thirty acres of mixed forest, being logged out by Ira Leach, some large pines are being harvested.

 

The lot is producing about 300,000 board feet of pine, maple and red oak.  The stand is believed to be the last virgin pine in the county.  The largest pine tree cut down was 39 inches in diameter at the stump and at the 80 foot height mark up from the trunk, was 10 inches in diameter.

 

In the early logging days the logs were floated down to the saw mills to be lumbered out.  Leach assisted by his son-in-law, Rudy Volk, move their modern saw mill into the woods where they are working to do the milling.

 

Hubert Quicker, Jr. and Jack Tibbett, members of the local Boy Scout Troop, will become Eagle Scouts in an award ceremony to be held at the legion Hall.  The annual Scout-Parent banquet will be held Thursday evening when the Eagle awards are presented by officers of the Chippewa Valley council.

 

Other awards to be made at occasion are: First Class Scout: Paul Manz, Skipper Lee, Jon Swenson, Tom Overman and Jerry Svetlik.  Second Class Scout: Tom Hart, William Ormond and Billy Covell.

 

Harland Carl, ace football star of Greenwood possesses a plaque as a remembrance of the big tribute paid to him by his hometown folks on Saturday evening.  The plaque was presented by Dr. Wm. A. Olson, who recounted Hy Carl’s exploits in high school football as the Greenwood team’s halfback.

 

To have what you want is riches; but to be able to do without is power.  George MacDonald

 

A reconstruction of the O’Neill Creek Dam under Hewett Street Bridge was done in 1911.

(Photo courtesy of Clark County Historical jail Museum)

 

 


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