Time Machine Trip to August 1885

 

Kaukauna Times and Kaukauna Sun

By Lyle Hansen

August 7, 1885

Several excursionists, on their return from Oshkosh, stopped in Appleton just long enough to get "boozed" and returned from there on the evening train. It was "pitch" dark after they left the depot at South Kaukauna, and they were consequently obliged to feel their way on the disconnected sidewalks. It was all right until they reached the low place between C. Reible's residence and Aug. Mill's block. It was then they stepped into air and their profanity, on coming suddenly down upon themselves, was enough to rise to the proper grade, the buildings on 4th Street.

 

Shamokin, Pa., - Five hundred boys have been discharged from work as result of the laws passed by the Legislature forbidding child labor in mines and as coal breakers.

 

Sixty Russian prisoners sentenced to exile in Siberia, while on the way, rose up against their guards. Twenty were shot dead and thirty escaped. Two soldiers were killed.   

 

August 14, 1885

 A Fourth ward lady from Kaukauna sees a dead cat and recognizes it as her own. Taking it in her arms she goes home crying. Her husband finds her and the children crying when he comes home. He makes a coffin and the is cat wrapped in cloth and placed inside. With plenty of tears the procession walks to the back yard grave site. Hearing a meow the family turns to see their cat following them. “Don’t say a word, this does not go in the newspaper.”

 

The work of building the flume for the new Badger Paper Mill is progressing as rapidly as possible. In the meantime, Kline Bros.' Flour Mill, the Bradner Smith Pulp Mill, and the Delaney Machine Shop are shut down for want of water. However, they are all improving the time by making necessary repairs and will be ready to run with full force when the water is again let into the canal. The railroad shops have the advantage of other manufactories on an occasion like this, their flume being above the head gates of the canal, and receive their water direct from the river.

 

The first of the new sidewalks on Wisconsin Avenue was laid last Saturday. Since then, the sounds of hammers and saws fill the air and soon many places will have new plank walks.

 

The state department at Washington is advised from Honolulu that the terrible disease of leprosy is increasing in the Hawaiian Islands so rapidly that there is no hope of ridding the kingdom of it. The leprosy was introduced there about forty years ago.

 

August 21, 1885

The Union Pulp Co. soon will take out some of the Taylor water wheels and replace them with "Elmores." This improvement is expected to give them better waterpower advantage.

 

Druggists say that the price of patent medicines has gone down so much that there is little money in them now. The day of large fortunes from them is over.

 

Elmore Creel living near Greeve’s Run, W. Va., having established for himself a bad reputation for cruelty to his family was called upon by a mob of masked men and punished. They took him from his bed, tied him to a tree, and gave him 100 lashes with a rawhide.

 

August 28, 1885

 

A caravan party, made up of "kids" from ten to fourteen years of age started fourth on Sunday evening last, and proceeded to make the night hideous with tin pans, horns and bells. When, in the midst of their music, Officer Mulloy was espied by one of the sentinels and the whole gang scattered. The policeman started in pursuit but failed to overtake any of them. One of the boys, in his sudden flight, stumbled over a stump, at the same time receiving the full force of the policeman's club in a very tender spot, which drew from the lad a most unearthly yell. The boys will probably be more careful of their serenades in the future.

 

Green Bay Advacate: The new city of Kaukauna is prospering and being rapidly built up. The frequent fires that have occurred there have only resulted in replacing the buildings. The south side of the city has more growth than the north side. 

Rev. Fr. F. Rohde, pastor of the Catholic church in Kaukauna informs us that six lots have been purchased in South Kaukauna and a congregation incorporated there. He has now the oversight of about 400 families.

 

Fifteen years ago, a stagecoach coming out of Blackfoot Idaho was robbed of five hundred pounds of gold dust.  The robbers were arrested and sent to the penitentiary, but they had succeeded in burying the gold. They will be released in a few weeks, and the inhabitants of the town are said to be watching the prison door to follow them when they get out. 

 

A long open trestle spanned bridge about sixty feet high is located at Marlborough, Md. The engineer of the train approaching the bridge was horrified to see a woman crossing the bridge carrying an infant and leading a small child. The engineer at once applied the brakes and blew the danger signal, but he saw it was impossible to stop in time. To jump to the water was certain death and to remain was sure death for them. People seeing the situation began screaming for the train to stop but this was impossible. The engineer went to front of the train in hopes of catching them before impact. As the train came upon them the woman grabbed both children in one arm and swung over the side as the train passed. When the train stopped the crew ran back to see if they could see them in the water. They found her hanging over the side by one arm with both children in the other. She and the children were pulled up to safety.

  

This is a view of the 4^th Street bridge looking south up what is today’s Reaume Ave.