Time Machine Trip to July 1895

Kaukauna Times

July 5, 1895

R. Chauncey Depew, who was asked whether he thought the horse was doomed said: “I imagine that one fine morning we will wake up with apparatus ready to take us to our offices by an automobile carriage, or, perchance through the air.

 The Appleton baseball team met with a defeat at the hand of our players last Sunday. Kaukauna won so easily that after the third inning our boys crossed the home plate seven times. The score was 14 to 4.

The Hutchinson has considerable trouble in making a landing Friday evening after returning with the excursion party. The current swung the boat crosswise in the canal, the wheel striking one bank and the bow into the other.

 

Nic. Van Gompel, a young boy from Little Chute, was out with two playmates on a raft in the river on Thursday afternoon at Little Chute. His hat blew into the water, and in, reaching after it he fell into the river. The little fellow’s body was found below the stone lock.

 

The water in the Fox River and Lake Winnebago is falling at a rapid rate, and navigation, which is now difficult, is in danger of being totally suspended. The water in the river has fallen one and one-half inches in five days, being that much lower yesterday than it was last Wednesday. This leaves the stage of water only an inch higher than it was on May 22.

 

The next time the present member of the police force and the ex-member, indulge in a wrestling bout, they ought to let their friends know it so that the fun can be shared by all of us. The bridge isn’t in a very good location either.

The meanest man on earth lives in up Maine. He told his wife he was going to Lake Asusangwatonsogamagogwacontongwaukaunobago for a week’s fishing and then had his friends go ask her where he had gone.

Marshals Kuehn and McCormick were out hunting for dogs Monday on which the tax had not been paid.  The third and fourth wards were gone over, and twenty-two dogs were shot, the owners refusing to pay the $2 license.     

 

July 12, 1895

Officer Kuehn placed Albert Newman in custody, Tuesday afternoon, after receiving a telegram from his sister at Minneapolis. He walked here from Minneapolis making the trip in two weeks, He is simple minded and has to be watched closely. He had lived in Kaukauna originally.  He told Officer Kuehn that if he had a pair of new shoes he could walk back again and that there was no use in his folks spending money, for his car fare.     

 

At the Fourth of July celebration at the city park last week, liquor was dealt out without the necessary city license, and in consequence four members of the fire company, who acted as cashiers at the various stands and received the money, have been arrested and will be tried for violation of the license laws of the state.

 

The taking of the census of the city of Kaukauna has been completed. The population of the city is 5473 of which 2917 live on the south side and 2556 in the north district.  

 

There is a gentleman in the city this week with twenty of Edison’s phonographs on exhibition. He is raking in a goodly number of nickels. 

 July 19, 1895

The fiery demon again played havoc with the north side property early Thursday morning, cutting a swath through the center of the block that lies between Sarah & Doty Streets. The fire originated from a lamp explosion in Frank Kloehn's residence. The fire soon spread to buildings adjoining Kloehn’s residence and within a short time a half dozen dwellings and as many barns were wrapped in flames and doomed to destruction, H. S. Tuttle's store building being among the number.

Several years ago, the residents of the north side district voted to build a new schoolhouse, and the site decided upon was what is known as Lawe’s Park. However, when the district board got around to purchasing the property, it was found difficult to secure a clear title as the particle of land was set aside as a public park. Upon learning this the city at once stepped in and took possession of the park and an order to secure the ownership thereof Mr. Peter Reuter, who had purchased the property from Mr. Lawe, in behalf of the schoolboard commenced an action against Mr. Lawe to recover the purchase price. The case has lingered in the courts for several years, the final hearing coming up last week in which a decision that Mr. G. W. Lawe had a clear title to the property and now it passes into the ownership of the school district.

The Appleton Crescent says that no less than 300 men were on the spot Tuesday morning when the 7 o’clock whistle blew, looking for work on the new street paving job. This shows what the shutting off water at the mills does in this valley. Hundreds are now out of work.

 July 26, 1895

Oscar Thilmany, proprietor of the Thilmany Paper Mills was forbidden last week by engineer Mann of Oshkosh from drawing even enough water from the government canal for use in his boilers. Mr. Thilmany telephoned the bristled-backed specimen at Oshkosh that he did not intend to blow up his mill endangering the lives of the employees, and government or no government he would continue to draw water from the river for the boilers.

 

Mabel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michleson, died at her home on the south side, last Sunday, after a brief struggle with diphtheria, age 10 years, 6 months. The bereaved parents have the sympathy of many friends in their sudden affliction.

Albert Vandenberg has the contract for re-shingling the St. Johns church at Little Chute. It will take about 100,000 shingles. He will receive $1 per 1000 for taking off the old shingles and putting on the new ones.