Time Machine Trip to February 1889

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to February 1889.

For today’s trip Carol Hagens 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.

Charlie has left the papers on the chair out front of the Times building. Let’s see what’s in the news this month.

Your old newsman – Lyle Hansen 

February 1, 1889

W. Benz, the south side cigar manufacturer has turned out 135,050 cigars during the past year. Wm. stands as the fourth largest cigar manufacturer in the country.

The board of supervisors voted to purchase 310-acre farm one mile west of Appleton as the site for the Outagamie county asylum. The asylum will accommodate 100 inmates and will cost about $50,000.

Scarlet fever is prevalent in this vicinity but not in Kaukauna as of yet.

An Indianapolis brute received a timely visit from the Whitecaps. Patrick O’Neil has a wife and five children, and a habit of getting drunk and beating his wife. About 10 pm on the 27^th a crowd of men congregated in front of his house. O’Neil was dragged from the house and given twenty-five lashes with a whip. He was then warned that if he abuses his family again he would receive a double dose.  

February 8, 1889

A tramp who was determined to have a change of underwear waltzed off with a half dozen undershirts that hung in front of Watson Bros. store last Tuesday. When he got as far as the Northwestern depot he hid them in a snow bank so they would keep. He was observed in the act of covering them, as he had a rather suspicious appearance. Marshal McCarty was sent for and he was then waltzed off to the cooler, Jail; 21 days.

February 15, 1889

While oiling a gearing, at the Badger mill, Joseph Chopin had his right hand caught in the cogs and mangled to such an extent that amputation was found necessary. While in the act of oiling, he dropped the oil can and in grabbing for it ran his hand into the cogs. He is a young man about 17 years of age, and had until that morning been employed at the Kaukauna paper mill, leaving there to work with his brother on a new machine that was started at the Badger.  It was a very unfortunate change for he had not been in his new position half an hour before the accident occurred.

The latest invention to hang in the family dining room is the gum board. It is a neat, little circular board, plain or decorated, fastened to the wall. The name of each family member is then painted on the circumference, and marks the spot where the gum is left until wanted.

A skunk farm is one of the curiosities of the state of Michigan. The owner of the skunkery finds profit in the pelts and oil. Thieves never molest his stock.

Quite a bloody fracas is reported as having taken place at Killian’s saloon on the south side Saturday evening. It was reported that knives and revolvers were drawn and one person was slashed in several places.

February 22, 1889

Mr. Oscar Thilmany has bought out the American Pulp Co., which has been doing business here for several years, and has reorganized under the name of Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company.

A Grand Army of the Republic Post was organized in this city Friday evening with about twenty members. The new post was named the Paul H. Beaulieu Post. Paul Beaulieu was from Kaukauna and died in the Civil War in 1863.

Hugging socials are becoming popular for paying off church debts. The scale of prices are as follows: Girls under sixteen 35 cents from 16 to 20 75 cents; school madams 49 ½ cents, widows 10 cents to $3. Old maids are 3c each or 2 for 5 cents, Married ladies whose husbands are not present free for all.

A Bill was introduced in the Michigan Senate Tuesday “prohibiting the transportation of dead Chinamen or their bones over Michigan territory.”

In 1888 some of our subscribers, who are behind in paying their subscription, promised us solemnly to pay if not dead. We presume they are dead, for they have not paid. Sometimes we see them moving about just as if they were alive; but of course, they are dead and merely walking around to save burial expenses.