Time Machine Trip to October 1909

Kaukauna Times - By Lyle Hansen

October 1, 1909

Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Lemke and Mrs. Charles Fechter of Reedsville met with a mishap with their automobile about a half mile east of the Little Chicago corners south of Kaukauna. While passing a narrow portion of the roadway the front steering apparatus of the machine broke free. The machine which was one of the high wheeled auto-buggy styles slid off the road and dumped into the ditch. The party occupants were not injured and were able to walk to town.

October 8, 1909

The big rubber manufacturers held a meeting in the east a few days ago and decided to increase the price of rubber footwear ten per cent and that of rubber tires fifteen per cent. They claim a scarcity of rubber on account of so much of it going into auto tires. Shoes have been raised an average of about thirty cents per pair.

Fred Hoehne’s machine shop and foundry at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue had a close call from being destroyed by fire Monday evening. The fire alarm rang hurry up call about 8:30 pm and the department never made a better time. It was fortunate the fire laddies were on hand so quickly. Five minutes longer and the building would have been a total loss.

October 15, 1909

Two ladies were arrested here upon the complaint of a hotel keeper at Wausau, where they had been employed. They were charged with having stolen articles from the hotel in taking their departure from there one-day last week. It seems the manager of the hotel offered the ladies seven dollars a week to work there. When the time came for pay, he only paid them five dollars and refused to abide by his agreement. The ladies left in the late of night. The hotel manager was so incensed over their departure that he swore out a warrant for their arrest. The young ladies proved their innocence to the satisfactory of the sheriff and were released. They have now commenced action against the hotel manager for $2000.00 damages for false imprisonment and slander.

” You, Jimmy Smit, you’re the worst, very worst, boy in this town!”

“Aw, quit yer flattery.”

John Rohm, the Kaukauna ginseng grower, is again enlarging his garden for the multiplication of that prolific plant. He has purchased the lot in the rear of his house on Desnoyer Street and is preparing to double the amount of land devoted to raising this root for which there is an ever increasing demand and which sells for six to eight dollars per pound.

Always at the front in the adoption of new improvements, the big Thilmany plant is still continuing to increase its electrical equipment and this week is connecting up new machinery to be driven by two new electric motors which are being installed.

October 22, 1909

Messrs. J. J. Faust & Son who have been engaged for some time in drilling the new artesian well for the city struck granite at a depth of 790 feet. Not being able to drill through the stone the well is considered complete. The new well will furnish the city with plenty of water for years to come.

October 29, 1909

The Kaukauna Telephone Company was started last week by the filing of articles of incorporation with the State. President J.M. Jansen: Vice Pres. C.E. Raught and Sec. Tres. F.M. Charlesworth.  As soon as a certain number of phones have been subscribed for work on the construction will be taken up.

This has been a record week among duck hunters. At Willow Point on the south shore of Lake Winneconne Kaukauna parties killed ducks by the score including canvas back, mallards, butter balls, blue bills, red heads and other varieties. Monday night an automobile loaded with ducks piled as high as they could be made to stay on, started out of Winneconne for the owners' homes at Menasha.

Dr. H. B. Tanner - A message was received here yesterday hurriedly summoning Mrs. H. B. Tanner and daughter to the bedside of Dr. Tanner in Chicago. The doctor was taken seriously ill Wednesday and taken to the hospital where attending physicians decided that a surgical operation would be necessary. Dr. C. D. Boyd left here for Chicago on the late train last night to be present at the operation this morning.  

FALL - When summer gathers up her robes of glory and like a dream of beauty glides away.