Time Machine Trip to June 1907

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to June of 1907.

For today’s trip Tom Duescher 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 

PS: Employee asked his boss, “Could you raise my salary?” Boss responded “Well, I’ve been able to every payday so far.”    

June 7, 1907

The party of fisherman who returned from the northern trout streams a week ago had a laugh at the expense of a carload of Italians. One of the members had a bottle of "Cachoo" and shortly after the train had left Kaukauna he went through a coach of sleeping Italians and distributed it with a generous hand. The fun commenced at once. A sneeze here and a sneeze there was followed by a succession of sneezes in all parts of the car and as fast as the Italians woke up they gazed at each other in bewilderment.

The government is preparing to introduce some sort of system in the distribution of the Immigrants who weekly come to our ports by the thousands and to prevent the concentration of these people in diseased-breeding, crime generating colonies in the larger cities.  This is an outgrowth of the legislation of the last session of Congress with respect to Immigration and its utility will be quickly discerned.

Twenty employees of the Little Chute pulp mill struck for higher wages Friday necessitating a shutdown of the plant.  The wood room employees who had been receiving $1.50 per day demanded $1.75. The foremen and skilled workers who received $2.25 want $2.50. A compromise was made the following day.

The paper manufactures of the state report a scarcity of competent help.  The mills in the Fox River Valley are handicapped in this respect as well as those of the Wisconsin River Valley.  The Combined Locks Mill has been badly crippled for some time.

June 14, 1907

The draining of the trail race of the railway shops which was made necessary by the building of the new electric power plant, furnished an opportunity for a crowd of boys to catch all the carp, red horse, and suckers they could carry home. The youthful fishermen got into the water and caught fish with their hands or scooped them out with forks and shovels or whatever they could get hold of. The fishing continued until late in the evening.

The corner stone of the new church of the Holy Name at Kimberly was laid Sunday with an impressive ceremony.  The crowd was estimated at nearly 2,000, all the neighboring cities and villages being represented.

June 21, 1907

The telephone service of the south side has been badly crippled since Tuesday owing to water having gotten into the cable that crosses the river, during the storm Tuesday morning. The necessary repairs are being made as rapidly as possible and the manager expects to have the lines again in working order within a day or two. The business district suffered more than the residence district.

Charles Mahn, one of the men engaged in digging out the canal embankment at the site of the new electric power plant, was injured Tuesday afternoon by several tons of earth sliding down upon him.  He was partially buried, but was promptly rescued by other members of the crew. He will be laid up for several weeks as a result of his injuries.

The game Sunday between Kaukauna and DePere was too one-sided to be interesting, the locals having the best of it from the very start.  The DePere team is not in our class and will have to play better ball or the lovers of the great national game will lose interest and forget to attend the games.  To keep the public interested the contests must be close and exciting and the teams somewhere evenly matched.

June 28, 1907

The Evelyn continues to find it a difficult matter to get through the bridges and locks here without getting around or coming in contact with some other craft. Monday, she collided with the Marston which was tied up in front of the Union Bag company's plant but did not do much damage. On another occasion, a few days before she came in contact with the side of the canal, damaging the walk. The trouble is caused by the sharp turn in the canal just above the bridge and the swift current.

A young man employed in one of the local depots got two of his friends to assist him unload several cases of beer and whisky Saturday night and after the work was completed the friends suggested that he treat them which he did.

Joseph Fiala, an expert swimmer drifted into town Saturday and gave two exhibitions.   One Saturday evening and the other Sunday afternoon, in the government canal, diving from the Lawe Street bridge.

Appleton baseball fans are pouting over the refusal of the Wisconsin Traction, Light, Heat and Power Company to donate to their baseball fund and refuse to ride over their interurban line in attending games out of the city. As very few have automobiles or care to go to the expense of engaging a livery rig they remain at home.