Time Machine Trip to February 1898

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to February of 1898.

For today’s trip Christine Gray, 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 Third Street on Kaukauna’s Southside.

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

  

Your old newsman – Lyle

PS: It is with a heavy heart that I dedicate this trip to a very special friend who is now part of the past.

Thurston “Turtle” Lambie was an inspiration to all who knew him.   

February 4, 1898

Going home Monday evening Sus. Hilgenberg noticed a light flickering in John Clespill's store on Lawe Street. Breaking down the door, a lamp was spotted over turned and burning on the floor. The lamp must have upset when the door was closed at the end of the day.

A bloody fight occurred on the night train on the Northwestern road near Oshkosh Monday night, between three drunken Indians who got on at DePere, with the train crew and passengers. The Indians attacked a traveling man, who had come from Green Bay, and chewed his ear off. The traveling man was left at Oshkosh to receive surgical attention, while the Indians were bound and taken to Milwaukee and turned over to authorities there.

GREEN ONE CENT STAMP – The new one cent stamp is now on the market but the color is green instead of blue. The one cent United States stamps have always been blue since the first one was issued in 1851, except in 1869 when the color was buff.

KINDERGARTEN ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment will be under the auspices of the children's Study class, Tuesday evening at Heindel's hall, the proceeds derived therefrom to be used to purchase proper decorations and materials for work in the Kindergarten at Park school. The oldest kindergarten in United States will be in the closing feature, the following children being enrolled: Little Willie Mulford, Lessie Chamberlain, Flossie Charlesworth, Ruth Nohl, Johnny Mitchell, Petie Becker, Dodo Vilas, Allie Lovelace, Birdie Locklin, Frankie Charlesworth, Bertha Jones, Jakey Matthews, Lena Wright, Tommy Stoakes, Ethie Titus, Lewis Locklin, Teddy Allen, Henry Hilfert, Abbie Hilfert, Jimmy Toner, Mary Toner, Dollie Ormsbee. Prices of admission, adults $.25, children $.15.

The Kaukauna party who anticipate going to the Klondike should spend a couple of hours daily on the river bridge during the kind of weather that has prevailed this week. A rendezvous there each day would temper them up nicely for the Alaskan breezes.

February 11, 1898

An order was issued yesterday by the Neenah and Menasha Water Power Company directing that the amount of water being drawn by the mills for power be reduced by 10 percent.

Julius Martens’ horse ran away Sunday night, starting just the other side of Little Chute where Julius was tipped out and coming up on into Appleton at a lively pace. The cutter being badly wrecked.

EDISON’S PROJECTOSCOPE – Prof. Young’s Projectoscope and vaudeville company will appear at the Kaukauna Opera house two nights next week, Monday and Tuesday. From all parts of the country where this company has appeared this season, reports of a very flattering nature. Among the many features that will be seen is Edison's latest invention. Presented will be high-class magic, mind reader, a descriptive singer, a troop of performing monkeys and Prof. Young's performing birds. Seats on sale at the usual places. 

February 18, 1898

The United States cruiser Maine, which was recently sent to Cuba, was destroyed by an explosion Tuesday night in the harbor of Havana. It is expected that 258 lives are lost. The government expects it is the work of Spanish treachery.

The Mill and Nugent orchestra is enjoying a rushing business these days. They played at a dance in Wrightstown last Friday.

February 25, 1898

The Finnegan block, corner of Crooks avenue and Second Street together with the Giles house adjoining were totally destroyed by fire Saturday night. For a time, it looked as if the entire block was going but a shift in the wind and a very heavy snow fall caused the fire to be extinguished.

The storm that prevailed Saturday night and all day Sunday was the most severe one that has visited this area in several winters. The wind blew a steady gale for twenty hours during a steady snow fall. Snow was whirled into heavy drifts and traffic on the railroads was stopped in all directions.

An Italian astronomer has discovered that the earth actually has two moons. That's nothing. There are men in Kaukauna who declare that, under certain circumstances, the earth has four moons, two for each eye.