Time Machine Trip to September 1884

 

Kaukauna and Ledyard Times

By Lyle Hansen

September 5, 1884

Now that the harvest is being gotten along with, the farmers begin to come in with their grain and market freely. We noticed a number of them in our village with teams loaded with all kinds of produce.

The county treasurer at Crawfordsville, Ind., is found to be short in his accounts by $38,000. The explanation given in a statement is that “He spent money lavishly, kept a fast horse and a begot driver and lived in a very fine residence.” Splurging in that style on other people’s money always results that way. 

 

September 12, 1884

 

Officer Dick Conlon arrested a thief who had attempted to steal a lap robe from the buggy of Mr. Daily last Friday night. He was sent up for, six months in the county jail.

A New York judge refused to grant a telephone company an injunction to restrain certain property owners from cutting down telephone poles in front of their residences. He claims the state legislature had no authority to permit the erection of such structures on the streets. Axes will now be in popular demand.

Galveston News - “You are lucky,” a lawyer told his client, a thief. “Am I acquitted?” inquired the thief. “No, not that, but you will be the first inmate of the new prison and will get a write-up as such.”

There are sixty-five more patients in the insane asylum at Philadelphia than the lunacy commissioners say the place should contain.

September 19, 1884

An eel, weighing four and one-half pounds, was caught in the river here on Tuesday. It is the largest ever caught here and was examined with much curiosity. The eel is a good food fish and is believed to come from the Mississippi via the Wisconsin River.

Many readers may remember the loss of little Charles Behrend a year ago last winter. He lived with his parents on Grignon Street. On December 5^th he took his skates and went to the river and was never seen again. Last Thursday a fisherman named Davidson hauled up a set line and found attached to the hook a boy’s boot with a skate on it along with the leg bone. Mr. Behrend identified the boot and skate as his son’s.  

The American committee being in charge of the erection of the pedestal for the statue of “Liberty Enlightening the World,” the gift of France to the United States, has sent out an appeal for more funds for the that purpose. Over $125,000 will yet be required. The appeal is on behalf of our National pride the statue is not a local affair, but one in which the entire country is interested.

The emperors of Austria and Germany and the czar of Russia met at Skiernevice, Russia on the 15^th and enjoyed a social feed.

The cholera epidemic appears unabated in Italy. A report for twenty-four hours on the night of the 13^th shows 1000 fresh cases and 417 deaths. Naples alone has reported 687 deaths in two days. 

The Electrical Exhibition at Philadelphia, with more than 2,000 exhibits, is said to be much more remarkable for the novel ideas on making old ideas better than for new discoveries. This century has produced many wonders but none more practical than the 2,000 applications of electricity for useful purposes.

September 26, 1884

Mr. Luther Lindauer has purchased the icehouse and business formerly owned by Frank Hoberg and will furnish the citizens of Kaukauna and Ledyard with ice during the coming season.

 

President Garfield once said that one-third of his time was taken up with applications for offices. He said that he had the most humiliating position was when a young lady told me that my predecessor had obtained a job for her at the printing office and hoped I would not turn her out. I felt ashamed that such a system had ever existed.

 

The limit of longevity seems to be extending. Twenty years ago, a centenarian was very rare; now they are common enough not to be curious. 

Berlin, Wis., was visited by a disastrous conflagration on the night of the 18^th. Sixteen frame buildings on Main Street were destroyed. The loss is placed at between $15,000 and $20,000. 

“Jane will you be mine?” he said. “If I thought you loved me.” She answered. “Love you; I would wander the world over for your sake.” “Then I will be yours but only on one condition. If you would solemnly swear you will never say after we are married that I can’t cook as well as your mother.” The young man shook his head and departed very sorrowfully; the sacrifice was too great.