Time Machine Trip to February 1888.

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to February of 1888.

For today’s trip Bill Conrad, 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 Wisconsin Avenue on Kaukauna’s Northside.

Charles Raught, Times owner and editor, has left the newspapers on the chair out front.

  

Your old newsman - Lyle Hansen

February 3, 1888

Henry C. Tanner, brother of Dr. H. B. Tanner, has this week bought an interest in H.D. Silverfriends' dry goods store, and will manage the business during the absence of H.D. who will soon depart for Chicago, to attend college. Mr. Tanner is a young man well known to a large number of citizens and we are pleased to say is an upright and thorough business man.

In an encounter between the McCoy and Hatfield gangs, one McCoy was wounded and a Hatfield follower named Dempsey was shot down after being taken prisoner. Six of the men are now in jail. Judge Waggoner, of Pike County, will lay the case before the governor and ask him for arms to protect the people and property.

February 10, 1888

Tuesday evening while we were deeply interested in the latest work on "the Scarcity of Collateral" or "How to Make Subscribers Pay up Their Arrears" the door of our sanctum was opened and we recognized Mr. John Salschrieder. After passing the time of day John laid several fine Havana’s on our desk, with the remark, "Celebrate my birthday." We certainly did John and hope you may pass many more mile stones along life's journey. John is getting old, but is still "on the list," and we would advise him to keep shy of the fairer sex, as this is 1888 (leap year).

Texas has a beautiful climate. One day a man was driving a yoke of ox, and one of them died from over-heat. While the owner was skinning it, a blizzard came along and the other ox froze to death. 

Leaving horses hitched outside in this bitter cold weather without being covered with blankets is downright cruelty that ought to be severely punished.

Mass. – A pastor was dismissed by the parish for smoking a pipe. Apparently, he did not get enough happiness out of his $850 a year job.

February 17, 1888

The leap year party given by the ladies at the Island opera house on Friday evening was a grand success, and more than filled all expectations. About fifty couples were present, and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. We might add that the gentlemen conducted themselves in a very lady like manner, and gave the ladies "full away" for carrying out the program.  Supper was served in the hall at 12 o'clock.

The “Kermes” was observed at Little Chute on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The feature of the Kermes is the dancing which is continued with the utmost violence for two days.

February 24, 1888

Wisconsin at present is bordered on the north by snow banks, on the west by blizzards, on the south by tornadoes, and on the east by bank failures. People who are fortunate enough to be inside of this shall, "thank their stars" for the extraordinary good luck.

The engine house is now supplied with a steam heater. The heater was purchased last week at Green Bay at the cost of $80.

Texas – Brack Cornett the desperado leader of the notorious Texas train robbers was shot and killed on the 13^th, while resisting arrest by Sheriff Allee, of Trio County Tex.  Cornett was a noted outlaw and, horse thief.  In 1887 the gang robbed an express train and secured $65,000. Two weeks later they robbed $18,000 from another train.

Two women of disrepute arrived in this city from Antigo on Monday of this week. They engaged rooms on the south side and forthwith proceeded to arrange for a grand opening (?) in their new location. Marshal Mulloy however was on their track and notified them to immediately “pack their duds and vacate”.

St. Louis, Mo. – Feb. 14 at 2 o’clock, a mob of sixty men marched to the jail in Pinckneyville, Ill., and demanded the sheriff to deliver Alonzo Holly, a negro, who assaulted a white woman at St. Johns two months ago. The sheriff refused but the mob knocked down the door and seized him. He was dragged fifty yards from the jail and hanged from a tree.