Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Time Machine Trip to December 1902 - 1912

 Kaukauna Times - December 1902-1912

By Lyle Hansen

1902 – December

December 5, 1902

Edward Fricke of Kaukauna was killed instantly at the coal sheds while working for the railroad here Monday. He was crushed to death by a chute which was struck by engine No. 830 which was backing into the station.


Menominee, Mich., - Joseph Levalleo, 12, had his fingers blown off in school yesterday. He had a dynamite cartridge which he was holding in one hand and poking with a pencil which he held in the other hand. Suddenly the cartridge exploded making a terrific noise and frightening all the students.

 

J.P. Helf of the north side brewery is gaining quite a wide reputation with a new brew of beer he has recently placed on the market. A few days ago, he sent several bottles of his beer to the laboratory of the U.S. Health company in New York. The laboratory came back as his was the purest and best beer to drink.

 

The deer season closed Sunday and the hunters who have been in the northern woods dodging bullets for several weeks are all back home. Kaukauna hunters fared well, most everyone that went having brought back two deer each.

 

A reception was tendered the football team of Kaukauna High school by the high school girls on Friday evening at the high school rooms. Ed Weston was again elected team captain.

 

Carloads of Christmas trees have been passing south this week, another indication that it will soon be time for Santa Claus to make his annual visit.


The Railroad Commission has ordered all railroads in Wisconsin to equip their locomotives with electric headlights. The lights must be strong enough to enable the engineer to see an object at 800 feet away. 

 

December 12, 1902

Engine No. 970 started out of the round house unguided Monday morning on its own and as a result tumbled head first into the turn table pit. The iron horse was being steamed up for use and the throttle must have been left open sufficiently to allow steam to escape with pressure enough to start it moving. No one was in the engine at the time. It was damaged enough by the fall to place it in "dry dock" for repairs.

 

The dead trees in the small patch of land known as a city park on the south side, have been cut down this week and converted into firewood for the city poor.

 

La Crosse, Wis., - The Pastors’ Union, has appointed a committee to look into the intemperance among women of this city. This was brought about by recent wine room raids by the police at homes of the ultra-fashionable. 

The miniature engine built by the Kaukauna railroad boys has been the subject of illustrations in magazines and newspapers. The engine was loaned to the Firemen’s annual ball at Fond du Lac last Thursday.

 

December 19, 1902

Half a dozen carloads of coal have been received here within the week, partially relieving the fuel famine.  This, however, is not enough to finish the winter season, and if more is not near forthcoming, many who have started their coal stoves with a small quantity on hand may find it necessary to revert to wood again inside a few weeks.

 

A woman cured her husband of staying out late at night by going to the door when he came home and whispering through the keyhole, “Is that you Willie?” Her husband’s name is John. He now stays home every night and sleeps with one eye open.

Washington D.C. Dec. 15Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, widow of the former President of the United States, is dead. She died of heart failure at the age of 76 years.

 

La Crosse, Wis., Dec. 15 – The folly of youth marrying age was shown in court when three babies were taken from J. Fosdick and wife, on the grounds that the home was not a fit place for them. They married five years ago, when she was 14 and he was 57.

 

December 26, 1902

The new Princess Bowling Alley, situated on the Donahue property on Third Street, Southside Kaukauna was formally opened to the public Christmas Day. The large roomy hall built especially for this purpose affords an excellent place, as there is plenty of room not only for the bowlers but spectators as well, an amphitheater with opera chairs being provided at one end.


Sheboygan, Wis., Dec. 22 – The Social Democracy of this city, which expects to win in the spring election, promises to afford free baths, free concert, free theatrical performances, municipal ownership of street railway, electric light and water works plant.


Tony Heid of the north side of Kaukauna performed a very heroic act recently, having saved the life of a Wrightstown young lady. A few days ago, he skated down the river to Wrightstown. Just as he is about to return home, he heard the scream for help from a party of Wrightstown young people who were also on the river. A young woman had fallen through the thin ice. Tony did not propose to witness a drowning if he could avoid it. He rushed to the dangerous spot, reached out and pulled the young lady from the water, but in doing so was swung around on to the thin ice himself and down he went. He was able to pull himself up onto the ice.

 

Madison, Wis., Dec. 22 

An initiation at the University Saturday night nearly resulted fatally to the candidate for membership in one of the fraternities. As a result of the affair several expulsions will probably follow. The fraternity members secured a back room of a saloon on Monroe Street to conduct the initiation. They were in the room almost the entire night and until 11 o’clock consuming beer and other drinks. The fact that six students left rather than seven was not noticed by the barkeeper. A few minutes later he went into the back room and was horrified to find one of the students hanging by his neck from the ceiling. He quickly secured a knife and cut the boy down.


The cold weather of the last few days has afforded John Coppes an opportunity to flood and prepare ice of the ballpark rink. The rink will open Saturday evening with music by the Kaukauna Band.

 

1912 – December

December 6, 1912

"There is a saying that a man who squeezes a dollar never squeezes his wife." After glancing over our subscription books, the editor is led to remark that there are a number of good married women in this city who are not getting the attention they deserve.


Charles Faust who owned the second-best pen of pheasants in the state has sold all his fowls. Mr. Faust found that as the birds increased in number,  they took up too much of his time. He sold his full plumaged pairs for $20.00 per pair.


The Kaukauna Electric Department has arranged with the Bank of Little Chute to handle the business of the department in that village.  The bank will also carry and supply the Little Chute patrons with lamps, plugs, etc., and receive all complaints on service which will be immediately transmitted to the Kaukauna office.


Nine young men constituting the night crew employed in the Northwestern Railroad yards in Green Bay were arrested last week for stealing whiskey from the freight house. They were arraigned in court and plead guilty, being fined $2.63 each.


December 13, 1912

A penny Arcade. A new theatre where you drop a penny in the slot and see the pictures or listen to some of the popular songs, will be opening in the building next to Paschen’s restaurant on the southside of Kaukauna.


The Hilgenberg Bros. are arranging for a pocket billiard tournament at their pool hall and want all good pool players in Kaukauna to drop in and learn the particulars. Good prizes will be hung up for the winners.

 

Thousands of the Red Cross Christmas Seals are being sold in Kaukauna this week under the management of the Woman’s club. School children are now busy making a canvass of the city.

4th Street Viaduct

William Reardon, who delivers milk in the city for the Elm Bluff Dairy of Taggart & Reardon, had bad luck Friday while trying to cross Fourth Street between Main and Reaume Avenues. His horse suddenly sank into the new sewer on that street. It took two hours to extricate the beast from its predicament, but it is feared it has badly injured its legs and is not yet able to work.

 

December 20, 1912

The interurban line between Kaukauna and Appleton is now running the evening service a half hour schedule right through to midnight to accommodate holiday traffic.


Garfield Welch lost an eye while engaged as one of the employees of the Thilmany Pulp and Paper company. He was at work in the firepit, and a hot cinder struck his eye Sunday morning, but he kept working the balance of the day and worked Monday with a sore eye. Tuesday his eye was still painful, and he went to the eye doctor in Appleton. The doctor said he thought the sight was destroyed but the eye might be saved.

William Guilfoyle has lost his right eye as a result of an injury received last week at the Northwestern shops in Kaukauna when a flying chip of brass entered the optic. He is now at St. Luke’s hospital, Chicago, where he is being cared for under the direction of the company’s surgeons.



Charles Jacobson has set the pace for Kaukauna in commercial growth by offering to give free a manufacturing site on two to four acres lying along Langlade Street. The site offered is a corner off his farm. He asks others who own land like his should do likewise.

 


December 27, 1912

Messrs. Herman Miller and Art Gustman launched a new auto transfer line this morning. This idea is to furnish a means of conveyance from one side of the river to the other for those who wish to ride and save the walk over the long cold bridge. The fare will be five cents.


John, five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Smith of Little Chute was drowned in the cistern near their house one-day last week. The little fellow was out coasting and returning after dusk walked into the open cistern that had been left open by his mother during the day.

 

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