Time Machine Trip to June 1921

 

Kaukauna Times - June 1921

By Lyle Hansen

June 2, 1921

 

The closing down last Saturday of the railroad shops in this city has thrown out of employment, temporarily it is earnestly hoped by all, more than three hundred skilled employees. The U.S. labor board, in its decision announced Wednesday, reduced the wages of all railroad employee’s 12 percent which will slash $400,000,000.00 annually from the payrolls of the different roads. The decision affects approximately two million workers in every class of railroad labor. Six hundred thousand maintenance railway employees are given a wage reduction of 8 ½ cents per hour. Conductors, ticket collectors, brakemen, flagmen and baggage men in passenger service are cut $18 a month. Engineers, firemen and helpers in passenger service are cut from 71/2 to 10 cents an hour and unskilled labor is reduced 8 1/2 cents an hour. Shopmen are given 8 cents an hour cut: signal department employees a slash of 6 to 8 cents an hour.

June 9, 1921

A son of Peter De Koster, who lives near Wrightstown, suffered a bad shaking up and sustained a number of bruises and cuts when his team ran away at the Kaukauna Lumber Company's yards. The boy was hastily cared for until medical aid could be secured. The wagon was smashed to flinders and the runaway team was not captured until they had reached the top of the south side bluff.

Most every service man in the city turned out for the funeral procession honoring Pvt. George Bodde of this city who was among those killed in the war in 1918. His body sent home, arriving last Monday morning. Businessmen closed their places of business for the hour that the funeral was in progress.

June 16, 1921

John Coppes was ignominiously overcome and thrown from his high and royal state and forced to even take the coat off his back and give it to Michael Williams of Hollandtown who won the “schut” at the neighboring village last Tuesday morning.

June 23, 1921

A disastrous fire Sunday morning destroyed the Valley Pulp Company’s mill on the waterpower, throwing 75 men out of work and completely stopping the mill's activities.

  

The Hotel Kaukauna has been sold by the Thilmany Pulp and Paper company to Paul H. W. Pagel of this city who intends to immediately reopen the hotel and operate it in conjunction with his automobile business.  

June 30, 1921

John Wheaton, the officer in charge of the swimming resort at the Fourth Lock states there are not less than 75 bathers at the Lock every afternoon.

The Wisconsin Traction, Light Heat and Power company, which operated the streetcar service between Neenah and Kaukauna, was given permission to increase its fares. It will now cost the Kaukauna visitor from Appleton 20 cents to make the trip to this city.

The 60-year lease on the waterpower of the flour mill at Little Chute, the oldest landmark in that village, expires this year. During its life all the rental the owners of the mill has had to pay for the 100-horsepower used was $1.00 a year. After the lease expires this year, it is understood it will cost increase from $1.00 to $1,000 per year. The lease was granted to John Verstegen who built the flour mill.