Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Time Machine Trip to July 1885

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

July 3, 1885

Herman Zimmerman, of Freedom, while returning home from this city and riding on a load of lumber. The load tipped, and he fell to the ground and one of the wagon wheels passed over his neck, but surprising as it may seem he was not badly injured. The accident, however, served to sober him up, and thus proved a benefit.


Maryland has reinstituted the whipping post, and wife beating is an offense punishable by whipping. One wife beater has had his back opened at the post. 

Louisville, Ky., - No less than four bands of armed men are gunning for each other among the mountains and bloodshed is so common that it hardly attracts attention. At a recent murder trial, a fight broke out resulting in two men killed and several injured. Family feuds are frequent, and human life is worth very little.


Gainesville, Tex., - On June 20th five horse thieves were reported lynched in addition to a recent report of fifteen men being hanged two weeks ago there.


July 10, 1885



Judge – “What is your age, Miss?” “Please sir, I don’t like to say.” Judge - “If you don’t want to say what your age is now then tell me what your age was ten years ago.” “Oh, that would have been 31, sir.”

 


The much-longed-for and the much-talked-street sprinkler will soon lay down the dust on our streets.  Blacksmith John Kramer is now at work getting the machine in running order and will probably have it ready for business some time next week. Jas. Doyle is the proprietor of the sprinkler and has been assured of sufficient support from the North Side businessmen to keep it running during the balance of the dry season.


Officer Mulloy arrested a stranger for drunkenness on Wednesday and gave him safe quarters in the “little brown jug.” The man was just drunk enough to insist on lying across the sidewalk, to see whether people would walk over him or go around him. He had in his possession a ticket for Clintonville and was shipped to that place on the evening train.  

Sitting Bull must regret his abandonment of the warpath for the peaceful pursuits of show business. 


July 17, 1885

Fire visited Kaukauna again Sunday night and again found the city without a fire engine. The property destroyed was the machine shop belonging to Rivers & Yost, in the fifth ward. The fire caused by lightning and commenced about 1 o’clock, entirely destroying the building and its contents. The firm carried insurance to the amount of $1,500. As soon as the insurance is adjusted the firm will rebuild, probably larger than before.

 

Charleston, SC., - Gov. Thompson was informed that the convicts employed in grading the Savannah railroad grading were cruelly treated. One convict has died as result of brutal whipping by the guards and that they were all over-worked. The governor instructed the superintendent to investigate the charges. The official report just made shows sixteen deaths have occurred since January 1 out of a force of 120 men seven are unable to work at this time. Dr. Pope states there is evidence of severity of the whipping inflicted on the men and the punishments have been very cruel. The guard responsible for the beatings has fled to Georgia. Steps will be taken to discontinue the practice of hiring out the convicts.


July 24, 1885

The census was completed by City Clerk Charlesworth. The report furnished shows a total population in the city of 3,243, which is about equally divided between the north and the south sides, there being 1,645 on the north side and 1,598 on the south side. Of this number there are 1,735 males, and 1,508 females. There are 703 men of militia age, of whom 458 are in South Kaukauna. In 1880 the census showed a population of only 700 in what is now the north side of the city, there being at that time but two or three buildings on the south side.


Albert, the huge elephant attached to Barnum’s show, killed his keeper on the 18th.  On the afternoon of the 21st. after the performance, an announcement was made, and Albert was led to a secluded spot outside of town and shot by a detachment of the Light Guards in the presence of 2000 spectators.

 

The first, and perhaps the only excursion from this city during the present season, will be on the steamer Evelyn under the auspices of the Kaukauna Military Company, on Sunday August 2nd. The trip will be a very desirable one giving all a chance to view the beautiful scenery of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, the object of the excursion is to give people a fine pleasure trip for a small sum of money and also for the financial benefit of the new military organization in our city.


July 31, 1885

Nearly everybody is now looking anxiously for the pay car, which went through one day this week, but failed to stop.


The new steam fire engine which arrived in this city on the 18th was pretty thoroughly tested by the council committee on a fire on Friday and Saturday of last week. The engine is a very handsome machine throughout, and according to the report of Frank Slater, Chief of the Fire Department, who, by the way, is a practical engineer, and a first-class machinist, and is certainly fully qualified to act as judge in this matter, fills to the letter the contract made by the builders of the engine with this city. Mr. Slater also states in his report that he has carefully examined the engine and finds that it exhibits first-class workmanship in every particular. He therefore recommended the council to accept the engine.

 

A Milwaukee liveryman mourns the loss of a $200 horse which he let to two young men to drive to Cedarburg. The men so cruelly beat the animal that it died on reaching there. The men will be made to settle up for the loss.

 


 

Ulysses S. Grant 

The death of one of the most illustrious citizens in American history has occurred in the demise of Gen. and Ex-President U.S. Grant, which took place on July 23d, 1885. Every household in the land, every commonwealth and foreign nation will pay tribute of sorrow to this great soldier and great citizen. 

The view of Wisconsin Avenue on Kaukauna’s northside shows a busy place this time of the year. Take notice of the mud streets that are now dry, but the horse droppings are not, so watch your step when we cross the street for your newspapers.







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