Time Machine Trip to April 1908

April 3, 1908

The Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company, always abreast of the times in the line of improvements and latest mechanical appliances has just installed sixteen electrical motors driving nearly all their small machines in all parts of the mill, including the printing department.

Gov. Campbell of Texas was visited the other day by an escaped convict. Will Garner. who presented affidavits to show that he was not guilty of embezzlement, on which he was found guilty and sent to prison for two years. Garner says after his escape he walked 700 miles, where he obtained the documents and then walked another 500 miles to the governor’s home in Austin. The governor expressed his admiration for the man’s grit and paid his fare back to the penitentiary, where he will await a pardon which will be issued to him in a few days.

Three Kimberly people were carried over the Kimberly dam Thursday afternoon. While crossing the river by boat one of the oars was torn loose from the boat. The occupants clung to the sides of the boat and were rescued at the foot bridge below the dam. 

April 10, 1908

Work was resumed at the new electric power plant with a crew of about 30 men. This number will be doubled before the end of the month. The greater part of this week spent in disposing of the water. A mammoth pump was installed to empty the tailrace immediately below the wheel pit which has been full of water since operation ceased about fall.

The Wisconsin Telephone Company is investigating a new device which is claimed to prevent the deafening noises transmitted to patrons while using the phone, the trouble is due in the instances to the rule, which requires the operator to ring a certain length of time on each call. When the subscriber put the receiver to his ear, before the ringing was concluded the painful sounds are received in the ear.

April 17, 1908

Eight years ago, the Kaukauna High School was placed on the accredited list of the state university. This meant that its graduates could enter that institution without examination. The school has been inspected annually and retained its accreditation. At a convention in Chicago a few years ago there was formed an association of fourteen states to raise the standards of high schools, colleges and universities. The local high school was approved on this list, which means that its graduates may enter any school in these fourteen states without examination. Out of 300 high schools in Wisconsin only 59 high schools are on this list.

The fire department was called out about 6 o'clock Sunday morning for the first time since January 5. During that interval, which is one of the longest in the history of the city, there was not even so much as a chimney fire. The alarm was turned in from William Hyland's residence, the roof of which supposed to have caught fire from a spark from the chimney. The damage resulting was estimated at $25.

Mayor Julius Kuehn

The Kaukauna Sun says: “The new mayor delivered a short inaugural address in which he outlined his policy for the coming year. He criticized the former administration severally for expenditures made and which he claims had brought little results. He said too much had been spent for salaries. There will be reductions in city salaries coming”. His honor Mayor Kuehn then turned on a cool draught and made the audience turn up their coat collars with words to this affect.  “We have been hit hard in the last year and the town is in bad condition; why you could shoot a cannon up our main street most any time without hitting a soul. Half the buildings are vacant, and our merchants are starving to death”.

All those having empty beer bottles belonging to the Pabst Brewing company which were found during house cleaning are requested to notify J. H. Corcoran by telephone or mail at once.

April 24, 1908

Photographer, W.M. Richardson is mourning the loss of 19 plates. Before going to dinner, he placed the rack where the plates would have an opportunity to dry and when he returned he found that the wind had swept the whole outfit into the river. In order to replace his loss, it will be necessary for Mr. Richardson to have his patrons sit a second time.

Mrs. Olga Bergerman of Hibbing, Minn., was awarded a verdict of $4,750 for a kiss. She was a tenant of Jacob Kitz of Hibbing and claimed that he kissed her by force when he called to collect the rent. Kitz’s defense was he claimed blackmail.

Faith Smith has been selected as valedictorian and Hugo Ringlund as salutatorian of this years’ Kaukauna High School graduating class.

When a policeman called at a residence in Fond du Lac the other afternoon he found the man he was looking for in an unusual condition. He was tied hand and foot and was lying on the floor of his residence. Near him stood two women who had objected to the man being drunk and when he created at disturbance they promptly tied him up. The police untied his feet and took him off to the station.

Charles Bowens of Elton is charged with dynamiting trout in the Evergreen river near Elton. He appeared in court in Antigo and plead not guilty. It is claimed that Bowens set off a charge of dynamite in a pool in the river and slaughtered a large number of fish.