Time Machine Trip to January 1919

By Lyle Hansen

January 3, 1919

A one-armed soldier hopped off the train at La Crosse Dec. 25 and indulged in a little Christmas celebration, cheered on by other veterans on crutches. He did an impromptu dance on the station platform. To everybody he shouted: “We got the Kaiser and that's Christmas enough for anybody.”

January 10, 1919

John Alger of this city who is with the American expeditionary forces in France and from whom no word had been received by his family since last September, is in a hospital abroad as a wounded soldier according to a card received Christmas night by his wife. 

Matt. Hopfensperger of Darboy while shopping at Kimberly for gasoline in the evening on December 31 was attacked by a supposed holdup man who struck him on the head. Mr. Hopfensberger landed on his assailant a counterattack and managed to reenter his auto and escape.

January 17, 1919

The name of Albert Balck Jr. of the Black Hawk Army division whose family lives in this city, appeared in the casualty list last Sunday among those reported at having died of wounds sustained in a battle in France. No official announcement of his death has been received by his father and mother of the North side. Albert, who is 27 years old, left here for Grant last July and was sent to France five months ago.

Spring like winds following the heavy fall of snow brought a welcome interruption to winter weather this week and helped to reduce the coal bills, relieving householders from the steady shoveling of the expense of black diamond into ravenous maw of his furnace.

Arthur Rosenthal, a Kaukauna soldier, was wounded in France while engaged in action near the Argonne Forest has been sent to the United States and is now at Fort Sheridan recovering from his injuries. He is expecting to obtain a furlough in the near future to visit his parents.

Nebraska pulled the United States over the line in the great tug-of-war between the “Wets” and the “dry’s” yesterday and became the thirty-sixth state to ratify the prohibition amendment to the federal constitution, thus making prohibition of the manufacture and sale of liquor the law of the land and placing the enforcement of the law in the hands United States authorities.

Matt. Britten, U.S. Infantry, one of the four sons of Mr. and Mrs. Nick Britten of Kaukauna, who served in the Army and Navy during the war, died of pneumonia in France according to word recently received. 

The funeral of Edward Meulemans, who lost his life by freezing to death Thursday, January 2, was held at St. Paul's church on Monday morning January 6. Burial was in the Wrightstown Catholic cemetery. Mr. Meulemans was 43 years old and is survived by his wife and eight children.

January 23, 1919

Feeling inclined to brag a little about the beautiful mild winter weather the Times asked Mr. Nic. Blau of the North side if he could remember in the course of his long residence a winter milder than this. Without hesitation Mr. Blau replied, “Yes in 1874 we had almost no winter and it rained practically the entire month of February.”

Dr. Joel Powless recently killed in France while bravely defending a position held by Wisconsin troops in the World's War was a descended from the Civil War veteran, Henry Powless an Oneida Indian who served in Company K, 17th Wisconsin volunteer infantry. He left a good practice among his people, determined to fight the Hun and beat him back to his own country and was trying to drive him out of France when he met his death while valiantly fighting the enemy.

January 30, 1919

Sam Casey, 19, of Kaukauna, who went early to France, came back Wednesday of last week. He was seriously wounded at Argonne Forest in October when he was struck in the right shoulder with a piece of shrapnel nearly ending his life as it lodged in his neck. Another shot went through his left wrist and right arm.