Clark County Press, Neillsville,

February 15, 2006, Page 26

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

February 1876

 

The ups and downs that have attended lumbering in Clark County during the present winter, owing to the changeable state of the weather, has given rise to the many contradictory reports that have been in circulation.  Regarding the success or failure of that enterprise in the locality during the present season, has made us somewhat curious to ascertain the real situation of affairs.  For that purpose, we visited the lumbering district the first of this week.

 

Though the time we could devote to that purpose was limited, we saw enough to convince us that so far, at least, the season has not been an unprofitable one to most of our lumbermen.  Unless the season should break up unusually early, the amount put in will be fully up to what was anticipated last fall.

 

During our trip, we visited what is known here as Weston & Scholfield’s “big camp,” situated near the headwaters of the Eau Claire River, on section one, in township twenty-eight, Range three west.

 

This is beyond doubt the boss camp of the river, and presents more the appearance of a frontier village than a logging camp.  It contains, at present, a population as great as many of our inland towns.  The camp is laid out with as much order as any village to be found, and contains ten buildings; a cook shanty, two sleeping shanties, four stables, a store-room, a blacksmith, a carpenter shop, and a cabin occupied by the family of one of the workers.  The cook shanty is 24’x40’, and fitted up to accommodate over 100 men.  The teamsters who are the first to get out in the morning, occupy one shanty and the hands otherwise employed the other.  The stables are 36’x40’ and afford stable room for 40 teams.  There is a well-filled storeroom, 24’x30’.  In one shop, where a number of hands were actively employed, we noticed five pairs of sleds in the process of construction, while horse shoeing and other repairing was getting attention, completed the camp.

 

There was, however, a feeding stable and lunch shanty about halfway between the main camp and the landing where the horse teams are fed at noon and the teamsters take dinner.  The buildings are high and well ventilated, being more comfortable than the majority of houses and barns to be found in the settlements.  Everything about the camp is kept in the most perfect order.

 

There are at present 80 men in the crew, working 33 teams, 23 ox teams and ten horse teams.  They are putting in on an average of over 1,500,000 feet of lumber per week.  The timber, though taken from the valley of the Eau Claire River, is put into Black River, which necessitates hauling over quite a hill.  The hauling to the top of the hill is done with oxen, four being used on each sled from the skidways to the foot of the hill, and six oxen from there to the top, after that point it is taken with horses.

 

Teams of horses can be seen going from and to the skidways continually, presenting a scene of activity not to be surpassed on many public thoroughfares.

 

At the time we visited the camp, the first of the week, nearly 4,000,000 logs had been landed on the ice and over 3,000 logs were on the skidways, the coppers and sawyers being a long ways ahead of the skidders.

 

This camp, though pronounced by many old loggers a foolish experiment and one that could never be made to pay, under the management of Tip Hilton, its gentlemanly foreman has exceeded the expectations of its proprietors.

 

(This area would have been; what is now the junction of County H and Resewood Ave. D.Z.)

••••••••••

It has been suggested by one possessing the spirit of meekness and a love of fun that we show our appreciation of what our forefathers did for us by an appropriate centennial celebration.  All who join in commemorating their virtues shall lay aside for an evening of dancing and habiliments of this degenerate day, adopting the ancient styles of costume worn by George and Martha, 100 years ago.

••••••••••

Young men from other villages, whose business keeps them in town late Sunday nights, are requested to come without bells.

••••••••••

Our hotels have been filled with prominent and distinguished gentlemen from various parts of the state during the past week.

••••••••••

E. Bruley has 500 barrels of heavy pork for sale, will sell cheap for cash.

••••••••••

A horse race afforded amusement for the people of Humbird, last Saturday.  Several gentlemen from Neillsville attended.

••••••••••

It was kind of slippery after Sunday night’s rain.  The next thing to being a good skater was to be able to fall gracefully.

••••••••••

The gentlemen who were called to this village last Thursday, by the meeting of the Black River Log driving Association, represented more wealth than the city of La Crosse is worth.

 

February 1946

 

Dr. J. H. Brooks, who has practiced dentistry in Neillsville more than 45 years, has sold his business to Dr. Carroll N. Schield, and will retire.  He will remain for a short time with Dr. Schield, who is already in possession.

 

Dr. Brooks came to Neillsville in 1900, just after his graduation from Northwestern University.  He went to the old O’Neill House, which was still at that time the leading hostelry of this section.  His first professional service was to pull a tooth for the father of Art Haugen.  Mr. Haugen had a tooth that bothered, and he found the young dentist at the hotel.  Forceps were produced and the tooth was extracted in a retired portion of the hotel office.  Since that time, Dr. Brooks has attended to a large number of teeth for not a few persons in the Neillsville community.  Dr. Brooks intends to catch up on some fishing and golfing, being rather badly behind in his pursuit of such activities.

 

Dr. Shield is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schield of Neillsville.  He graduated from Neillsville High School in 1936, spent six years in preparation, graduated in dentistry at Marquette University in 1942, and was promptly taken over by Uncle Sam.

 

He spent 41 months in the Army.  He was stationed in England for a time, and after the invasion, went to France and later to Belgium and Germany.  He was a captain in the Medical Department of the Engineers.

 

When Hitler received his quietus, Dr. Schield had 79 points, one less than enough to secure a discharge.  So he was put on a transport and headed through the Panama Canal for the Pacific theater.  He was halfway across the Pacific Ocean when the Japs caved in, but his ship kept right on to Manila.  The points soon dropped, and Dr. Schield had an excess, but it took until January 13 for him to bid farewell to the Army.

 

Dr. Schield is married and is the father of Patricia, who is not quite three years of age.  In the present lack of housing, Dr. and Mrs. Schield and their daughter are making their home with his parents.

••••••••••

The Paulson garage building, corner of Fifth and Grand, has been sold to Charles Perko of Willard.  This is the building often spoken of locally as the Moose Hall.  The price is understood to have been not far from $7,000.

 

Peter Paulson constructed the building in 1914.  It was the first garage building in Neillsville, and housed the original Ford agency here, as well as the Dodge agency, Mr. Paulson having represented both lines.  The building has been in the Paulson family since Mr. Paulson’s death, and has been rented to the Moose Lodge, which occupied the upper floor, and to William Whaley, whose garage occupied the ground floor.

 

Mr. Perko wanted this location for his agency of farm implements.  He will eventually develop the location for this purpose.  He plans to erect a new front to the building.  For the immediate future, however, he has no plans which are likely to disrupt the present occupancies.  He will more likely try to arrange the space in such manner that the Whaley business can be accommodated along with his own implement business.

 

 

Paulson’s Garage was a landmark on the northeast corner of Grand Avenue and Fifth Street.  The building was constructed by Peter Paulson in 1914.  Representing sales agencies of the Ford and Dodge motor companies, Paulson used the main floor as a salesroom and garage.  A large sign at the front of the building read, “Paulson’s Garage, gasoline, oil & auto accessories.  Peter Paulson, Prop.”  The upper-level was known as the Moose Lodge Hall, where many lodge events, as well as community dinners and dances were held.  The building was razed in the early 1950’s.  (Photo courtesy of the Clark County Jail Museum Collection)

••••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Jule Neverman have received work of the death, January 23, of Miss Mollie Dignin, 85.  Miss Dignin operated a millinery shop in Neillsville about 40 years ago.  The death occurred in Minneapolis.  Burial will be made in Tony, Wis., in the spring.

••••••••••

Advertising their dance of last Friday night, students of Neillsville High School wrote this display on their bulletin board at the high school:

 

“Don’t dream, but grab your chickery chick and do the Tico Tico at the jolly Free for all.  Come and dig your neighbor at the shindig of the century, ‘46”

 

“Don’t be a drip, but come and drool.”

 

This must have been good advertising copy, for the dance was well attended and turned out to be an excellent opportunity for digging and drooling.

••••••••••

Rufus Karl went through the Battle of the Bulge and a lot more in the war and didn’t get a scratch.  Then right in Marshfield, within 30 miles of home, he and his car had a run-in with a Soo Line train.  The accident resulted in a contusion on Rufus’ forehead and with his car rather badly smashed up.

 

The collision between Rufus and the train took place at 1:52 a.m. Saturday morning.  The train came out all right; Rufus was hurt only a little; the car is yet to be heard from.  Rufus was given first aid at the Marshfield hospital.  Then he walked out and on his way; but the car lingered on in Marshfield.

 

Rufus is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Karl (of south Pine Valley).  He belonged to the 101st Airborne in World War II.

••••••••••

Due to the spreading epidemic of scarlet fever in the Rib Lake area, the 3-C Conference Play-off games, originally scheduled at Loyal Friday, Feb. 15, have been postponed indefinitely.  Albert Moldenhauer, Conference secretary, announced that these games will be played after the district tournaments.

••••••••••

Milk cows in Wisconsin were worth an average of $140 per head in January, according to the crop reporting service.  This is $14 above the price current in January 1945.

 

Without taking into account the subsidy payments, the average price of milk in Wisconsin in January was $2.76 per hundred.  Upon this basis 5,100 pounds of milk are required to buy a milk cow now, as compared with 4,600 pounds a year ago.

••••••••••

The Guy Independent Cab Company has rented office space in the Carl building at the corner of Grand Avenue and Sixth Street, and will occupy it on and after March 1.  This date will mark the beginning of regular taxi service in Neillsville.

 

The ownership and management of the business is in the hands of Vernon (Jack) Guy, who is a native of Sparta and who was in business in Black River Falls prior to the war.  Mr. Guy’s war record, as was taken from his discharge card, follows:

 

“Served as construction foreman and First Sergeant of Reconnaissance Engineer Company in European Theater; supervised directly, the training and activities of approximately 170 men.  He led patrols in combat with mission of drawing enemy strong points.  Led mine sweeping groups prior to advance.  Also worked with demolition squads; supervised construction of airports, and railway right of way, which include laying roadbed, ties and bridges.  Directed work in four coal mines in Germany after end of war.”

 

In the office with Mr. Guy will be his wife, who was Margaret McEldowney of West Salem. She is a graduate nurse and was engaged during the war in industrial nursing and personnel work for the War Department.

••••••••••

Harold Francis is home after three years’ service in the Army.  He will be working with his father in the Francis Barber Shop.

••••••••••

Neillsville faces the pleasant prospect in May of this year of becoming debt-free for the first time since perhaps its very early history.

 

For, in May, the last $2,000 of an original $20,000 bond issue for the construction of the city hall and fire station will be paid off.  And, unless something unforeseen occurs to change the picture, the municipality will then have cleared away the last of its bonded indebtedness.

 

How many years before that Neillsville paying off on bonds is not known, for many of the records of the city clerk were destroyed in the fire, which burned the old city hall in the early 1930s.

 

The peak bond load was reached in 1935, when bonds totaling $41,000 were outstanding.  These consisted of street improvement bonds, as well as the city hall and fire station issue.  Thus a period of 11 years will separate the peak indebtedness from the first bond free breath the city takes in May.

••••••••••

There will be a free wedding dance Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Levis Town Hall.  The dance will be in honor of Mildred Shramek and Arnold Lawson.

 

Merry Ol’ Gardens will have a wedding dance on Sunday, Feb. 17, in honor of Paul Ampe and Clara Aumann.  Music is to be provided by Emil’s Band.

••••••••••

Julia Reber invites you to stop at the Al’Aboard for a good sandwich or a tasty snack late at night.  It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.  Come to the place where old friendships are constantly being renewed, and many new ones are made every day.

••••••••••

Svetlik Motor Company has a policy on new car orders, in accordance with fair practice.

 

We intend to fill orders for new cars in the order in which they are received.  There are two exceptions to this basic rule:

 

We will definitely reserve a percentage of our cars for those who have served in the Armed Forces. We feel sure that all our customers will agree with the justice of this exception.

 

If definite need for a new car is a factor, we will, in the public interest, determine such cases on the basis of the now abolished, but publicly accepted, OPA priority lists.

 

Wisconsin Trivia

Q. What were Wisconsin’s three leading industries in 1910?

A. Lumber, foundries and dairying.

 

 


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