Time Machine Trip to April 1911

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to April of 1911.

For today’s trip Donna Marinello will be sitting in the front seat operating the Time Machine.  The big wheel is spinning, the years are clicking back and in no time we are back on East Second Street on Kaukauna’s Southside.

• Appleton high school wins’ state basketball championship
• John A. Kilsdonk the father of Little Chute dies.
• Marshal Dick Conlon dies

Charlie has left the papers for us on the chair out front of the Times office.

Charles E. Raught – Owner, Editor & Publisher

Let’s see what’s in the news this month.

Your old newsman - Lyle Hansen

PS: My old friend and classmate from 1963 Charley Schuh has passed into history. 

"Goodbye Chuck"

April 7, 1911

Otto Ringling, one of the Ringling Bros. of circus fame, died Friday last at the home of his brother John in New York. He was 51 years of age. The funeral was held at Baraboo Sunday, this being the home of the Ringling’s, who have always maintained their winter quarters there.

Appleton - Appleton high school basketball team won undisputed title to the championship of Wisconsin when they defeated the La Crosse team in the final game of the seventh annual tournament held under the auspices of the Lawrence college athletic Association. The champions were presented with a sheepskin championship banner of blue and white, the Lawrence colors, while the individual members were given watch fobs of solid gold basketballs. Silver medals were awarded to the members of the La Crosse team for 2nd place while bronze medals were given to Janesville third place. 

Carl Morris 

Sapulpa, Okla. – Before one of the largest crowds, probably 10,000 people, ever gathered to see a boxing contest. Carl Morris of Sapulpa, Okla., knocked out Mike Schreck of Cincinnati, Ohio in the sixth round after giving Schreck one of the hardest beatings he ever received in the sixth round battle.

P. A. Gloudeman was elected President of the Village of Little Chute in Tuesday’s Election.

April 14, 1911

Littleton, Ala., - 128 miners were believed to have met death in an explosion at the Banner coal mines. Due to the massive destruction of the ventilating system all hope for the men remaining in the mine was given up.  It is believed the explosion was caused by powder ignited by a lamp.  There were 170 man in all only five were free laborers. The others were convicts, mostly Negros, sent up from the surrounding counties to serve sentences.  

The Kaukauna Gun Club members made the highest average score Sunday at their shoot of any time in their existence. Not one of them was below 18 out of 25. Walter Cooper, Gus Hilgenberg and Frank Hilgenberg were high with 23 each. Frank Hilgenberg was also high gun for the day with 44 out of 50. Others who took part were Peter Eimmerman, Joseph Jansen, J. Simon, John Essler and H. Lee.

Telephone managers say they lose more operators during May and June than any other months of the year. This loss is due to the young ladies leaving to get married. District manager French, of Milwaukee, also says that telephone girls make the best wives.

John Kinney of the south side was severely injured Tuesday afternoon while at work in the railroad shops. Mr. Kinney was standing 20 feet away from a trip hammer, which was being used to cut a piece of steel when the accident occurred. The hammer was let down rapidly and it cut a piece of steel which flew and embedded in his thigh. Mr. Kinney was taken at once to his home. The injury is a serious one and will disable Mr. Kenny for a considerable time.    

Three ten-year old Kaukauna boys found a small cartridge in an alley Tuesday on Dixon St. While one boy drove a nail into it with a stone, the other two stood back. When the cartridge exploded one boy received a piece of cartridge in the eye, another received a cut on his arm, and the third received cuts on his hands.

April 21, 1911

John A. Kilsdonk, often referred to as the “Father of Little Chute”, died at his home Saturday, April 15 from heart trouble. John A. Kilsdonk was born on a farm two miles north of the Little Chute on April 30, 1864, his parents being early settlers in the Holland community founded by Father Vandenbroek. John’s parents died when he was very young. He then made his home with his sister, Mrs. Mary Vanden Wallenberg, until able to provide for himself. He worked on a farm availing himself of every opportunity to attend school or study privately until his 16th year when he became a teacher and which profession he spent three years. When Little Chute was incorporated as a village he was chosen village president.

The circuit court in Sheboygan is swamped with the biggest grist of naturalizations in its history. Over sixty applications are being heard. No naturalization term has been held since a year ago.

The population of cities and villages Outagamie County were announced by the census: Appleton 16773, Kaukauna 4717, Seymour 1109, Little Chute 1354, Hortonville 863, Black Creek 516 and Shiocton 536.

April 28, 1911

Richard "Dick" Conlon, well known Kaukauna marshal, died Tuesday evening at the Charles Ristau home, where he had been stricken about 9 o'clock while attending the wedding of Miss Annabelle Childs and William Graef. Mr. Conlon was 55 years of age. He had been connected with the local police department for twenty-nine years.

The Farmers Home, at the corner of Third Street and Crooks avenue, is receiving a general renovation this week, all the rooms being painted and papered as the case may be. George Kromer started to build the home twenty-eight years’ ago from logs from the Haupt farm south of town. Kromer has managed the Farmers Home since its construction for that reason all the old settlers for miles around know Landlord Kromer and never fail to stop by for a social stay when in town. 

Cranking automobiles is an exceedingly dangerous business to judge by the accidents in Kaukauna last Sunday. Charles Towsley while cranking his E. M. F. car sustained a fracture arm. Norbert Rennicke also sustained a fractured forearm while cranking an automobile.

Arthur Black, five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Black, was killed Monday evening by the 5:15 interurban car which was on its way to Appleton, the accident happening in front of C. W. Stribley's residence. The boy was badly mangled being cut in two and the head being severed from his body.