Time Machine Trip to June 1886

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to June of 1886.

For today’s trip Georgianna McGinnes is 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 Wisconsin Avenue on Kaukauna’s Northside.

 

• Rain is needed or crops may be lost.
• A large excursion party passed through on a riverboat.
• Work has begun on the new Methodist Church.

Charles Raught, Times owner, has left the newspapers for us on the chair.  

  

Your old newsman - Lyle 

June 4, 1886

Rain would be of incalculable value to farmers at the present time, and unless it falls in the near future, considerable damage will be done to the crops. This spring has been exceptionally drier than any in the past fifteen years. Many crops are beyond recovery.

A pretty good scheme for unloading pulp wood from a barge was instituted by the manufactories on the Meade & Edward's canal last week. The plan was to dump the wood into the river above the dam and the current would carry it directly to its destination. Several loads have been delivered this way without the loss of one stick.

Rapid City D.T. – The first postmaster was commissioned in 1877 at a wage of $50 per year. The present income is $1,900 per year. 

June 11, 1886

Col. Frambach now holds the reins over the finest driving and best matched team in the county; Col. Frambach recently acquired Prince, a chestnut gelding, from Appleton, which he will mate with his brown gelding Ned. The pair will make one of the finest teams in the state.

The first official reception under the new regime was held at the White House on the 15^th. A brilliant gathering assembled to do honor President Grover Cleveland and his wife. 

June 18, 1886

The Evelyn passed through here about twelve o'clock last Sunday with an excursion party from Neenah to DePere. The boat was well loaded. Quite a number from this city took advantage of the low rates and made the trip.

June 25, 1886

On Wednesday morning the first load of stone for the new Methodist Church was placed in the ground by Geo. F. Kelso.  The preliminaries have been arranged, and the work will be pushed with vigor until the new house of worship is ready for occupancy.

Chicago is not yet a comfortable place for pedestrians. A copper bomb operated by clock work was found recently by the police under the sidewalk. A hole beneath a sidewalk seems to be a favorite place for the concealment of bombs. Most people in Chicago are beginning to take to the middle of the street.

The police of Boston were notified that an old woman named Kitty Murphy was dying of starvation.  A police wagon was sent and found her covered with filth and clothed in rags tied together with twine. She was taken to the station-house where she said she had not eaten in three days and begged for food. She was given some food and when she was searched, it was discovered she had $500 fastened to the inside of her rags. 

Now here is a nut for the workingmen to crack. Recent estimates indicate that the income of preachers is about $600 a year, and a lawyers is $650, while even newspaper men only make about $700. Many workingmen receive wages ranging from $12 to $20 a week and they are not expected to support half as much style as the preachers, the editors or the lawyers.