Saturday, December 3, 2016

Time Machine Trip to December 1886


December 3, 1886
The new furnace for the Catholic school building arrived this week, and will be placed in position for use immediately.  The furnace is one of the latest improved, and manufactured by Ratan Co., of Chicago. This furnace will heat the three class rooms on the first floor.

Old winter has been upon us in full force this week and many of our merchants are displaying a fine stock of holiday goods.

Rev. Father Hens, who has recently been appointed pastor of St. Mary’s Congregation in South Kaukauna. He comes here from Grandlec, Kewaunee Co., where has had charge of the church. Rev. Hens will find a vast field of labor in his new location and will meet with success in the undertaking. 

December 10, 1886
The work of sinking the shaft of the alleged Dundas coal mine has been progressing as well as the weather would permit. Wednesday, John Holberg informed us that they had gone to the depth of about 17 ft. and thus far every indication was favorable to the discovery of a good paying bed of coal. The water depth has caused considerable delay in the work, but it is expected that an increase in this depth by but two or three feet will be all that is necessary to show the prospects whether or not they have a "bonanza"' on their hands.



In reporting the birth of a fine boy baby in the last week’s TIMES the compositor made the father’s name Ed. Posson when it should have been Ed. Parton. Both Eds. are happy that the mistake was only in the print.



December 17, 1886
The building of the new water power canal in Kaukauna is attracting much attention from the press throughout the state and county.  The recent discovery of coal east of the city and the abundance of natural gas all tend to assist to make Kaukauna what she is evidently destined to be; the greatest manufacturing city in Wisconsin if not in the United States.

The skating season of the Kaukauna Roller Rink will open tonight.  Kaukauna band will furnish music for the occasion.

Alphonso King, a young Frenchman, recently accepted a bet of $3000 that he could not walk across the Niagara River, a distance of 100 feet, in a pair of shoes of his own invention.  The shoes used are shaped like fish and are 32 inches long by 8 inches wide. He walked one third of the way until he hit a swift current and fell forward. Those who witnessed the feat are of the opinion that his shoes could be made practical in ordinary waters.

December 24, 1886
Jac. Lenssen, the Little Chute harness maker, will erect a building to be used as a beer garden in that village. Work will begin on the proposed building early in spring. Jake will endeavor to make Little Chute attractive as a summer resort.

As is well known the thrifty people or a majority which form Little Chute inhabitants have introduced an industry that is carried on no other place in the United States, that of carving wooden shoes.  The business is quite a monopoly and the shoes are in great demand in the Chicago area as well.


December 31, 1886
The ice forming on the new railroad bridge has kept a large crew of men busy this week to prevent the ice and water from carrying out the structure. The ice has also been forming between the two north piers of the city bridge, thus endangering that structure.

Dynamite was used to break open the Meade & Edwards’ canal of ice on Wednesday.

The Coal Company’s machinery, we understand, has arrived and will be placed in position for operation immediately. The men who have the coal mine business on their hands are apparently confident that the Dundas farms can be made to pay.



(Describes this?)







C. G. Loeber, a native of Germany, is said to be engaged at his work in Boston building air ships. He says that after years of study he has discovered a law of motion that will make it as easy to navigate in the air as it is now to navigate the ocean. The steamer will carry its own fuel, passengers and freight as easily as traveling on the water. The wings will be of steel in the form of a bird and will be immovable with the mechanism for propulsion situated in them. The body of the structure will contain the steam boilers, engines and coal for fuel.



 Map of Kaukauna 1886

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