Time Machine Trip to October 1895

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

October 4, 1895

The case of State of Wisconsin vs. Geo. Brenzel for selling liquor without a license came up for jury trial before Justice Mitchell here last Friday. Witnesses were put on the stand who swore they had obtained drinks at Brenzel’s place of business and the liquids tasted like beer and whiskey. With such evidence that the laws of Wisconsin had been openly violated, the men who were on the jury rendered a verdict of not guilty and Brenzel was discharged.

 

There are few roadways as yet in the Union upon which a horseless carriage might safely travel. Whether petroleum or electricity is to be the favorite motive power; there is no doubt that horseless carriages will soon be no novelty in this land. At first, they will no doubt be so costly that only the rich can afford to ride in such chaises, but soon they will probably be brought within the reach of people of moderate means. 

It may seem strange to some people that firms in Chicago should be able to get printing at better rates in Kaukauna than in the metropolis, but it is a fact nevertheless, for The Times has of late, in cooperation with the Badger mill furnished some very large orders for Chicago houses. On Monday the Times presses finished an order for 1,000,000 soap wrappers for the Cosmo Soap Company of Chicago.

  

Several cases of diphtheria are reported on the north side, and everyone should exert the utmost precaution to stamp it out before another epidemic sets in. Use disinfectants and preventatives. 

  

The red man is rapidly joining the ranks of the good Indians. There are now about 357,000 left in the United States – a decrease of one-third in twenty-five years. At that rate the race will have vanished within half a century.

 

DePere. Wis., Oct. 2 – The second annual fair of the Oneida Agricultural society opened at the reservation. The fair is exclusively managed by the Indians. Music is furnished by a band of all Oneida Indians conducted by Dennison Wheelock.

The new tissue machine at the Thilmany mill was started up Wednesday and moved off nicely.

October 11, 1895

It was much colder Tuesday night than many are aware. Water froze so hard as to burst water pipes that were not covered.  The pipes at Affronter’s corner, used by Chas. Jacobs to fill his sprinkler, were cracked open by ice. John Bodman, the Lawe street bridge tender, declares that a thin scale of ice formed on the government canal that night.

Oshkosh saw an opening for a little free advertising, so she just dipped her pen and sent a telegram to Dallas, Texas asking that the Corbet-Fitzsimmons fight be pulled off at Oshkosh and offered $30,000 for it. Wisconsin has a law against prize fighting but if the offer is accepted the event will be brought to the Indian reservation near Shawano, which is not under state authority. 

 

The Kaukauna Electric Light Company has ordered meters and will put them in several hotels, churches and halls of the city. The current used will not be paid so much per light.

 

October 18, 1895

On Friday last the mill owners on the government canal received notice from U.S. Marshall Pratt that warrants had been issued for their arrest by U.S. District Attorney Weigman of Green Bay. The charge   being   repeated violations of the law in regard to the use of water from the canal.  All the mills on the list, were: The Western Bag company, Thilmany Pulp and Paper company (greatest offender), Kaukauna Electric Light company, (next worst of offender), Kaukauna Lumber Manufacturing company, and Russell Bros.' flouring mill.

Two wagonloads of fish, illegally netted at Oshkosh were seized at Little Chute early Monday morning by Deputy Game Warden Julius Wait. The wagons contained 19 barrels of fish, weighing about 5000 pounds. The drivers of the outfit were arrested.

Several new cases of diphtheria broke out on the north side this week and on Wednesday morning the schools were ordered closed for the week.

 

President Grover Cleveland

While the president of United States intends to the affairs of the richest country on earth for about $175 per day the president of France get $750 per day. The incomes of crowned rulers vary from $2000 per day the King of Belgium to $30,000 a day the income for the Czar.

October 25, 1895

A man in this vicinity states that he "first met his wife in a storm, took her to the first ball in a storm, popped the question in a storm, and has lived in a storm ever since.

The three-year-old child of Anton Reith died Wednesday afternoon of black diphtheria. The little one was playing around the house Tuesday, apparently in good health: before the next evening had breathed its last and by Thursday was interned in the Catholic cemetery. 

Just watch for the smiles coming your way tonight, when you tell her you have ordered a ton of coal from F. H. Hayes.

Unless heavy rain comes the mills and manufactories operated by waterpower along the Fox River will be obliged to shut down inside of a week. During the past 10 days the water level of Lake Winnebago lowered more than 3 inches, though complying with the order of the war department, this brings the water down to within 1 inch of the limit established by the department.

 

 

Time Machine Trip to October 1885

 This Trip is sponsored by:

 Look Back in Time

Antiques and Collectables

112 E. 2^nd St.

Kaukauna, Wi 54130

920-759-1985

October 2, 1885

The new bridge and roadway leading from the Island to the South side canal is fast nearing completion under the supervision of Street Commissioner Posson. The old bridge will not hold out much longer and the new one cannot be finished too quickly.

The 5th ward sidewalks are now being built as ordered by a recent council resolution. Improvements of this kind the Islanders can fully appreciate after years of hard trials tramping through mud and mire whenever they wished to go in any direction.

 

There is small wonder that Texans adopt lynch law in the name of justice. Cattle thieves Jim and Pink Lee are charged with forty-five murders in the past two years. They have at last been shot down by men as desperate as themselves and who by the act have earned $7,000 reward.

 

A party consisting of three men, a woman and a boy were ambushed by a band of Apaches in Sonora on the 17^th. Two of the men being killed, the boy wounded, and the woman carried into captivity. A later battle between soldiers and the Apaches resulted in the killing of seven and the capture of thirty-five women and children.

 

The new ten-hour law of Michigan, allowing men to collect extra pay for work over ten hours per day went into effect on the 21^st. The owners of the mill of Menominee wanted the laborers to sign an agreement not to collect the extra and work eleven hours. The men refused, twelve hundred men are now out of work, and the mills were not started. The Marinette mill men are in sympathy and will stop work unless the Menominee men go back to work.

 

Winnipeg – Wandering Spirit was sentenced to hang for murder and a dozen other Indians were sentenced from four to fourteen years for arson and horse stealing. Dressyman and Charieois were convicted of murdering a squaw and were sentenced to hang.  Bright-Eyes was given twenty-two years for manslaughter. Wandering Spirit and Mongrand are to hang for murder on November 27^th. Yesterday Big Bear and three others were sentenced to three years in the Penitentiary. Left Hand, Poor Crow and two other Sioux Indians got two years.

 

October 9, 1885

Landlord Nettekoven has placed a fine streetlamp on the corner near the Vilas House, which makes a great improvement in that locality on dark nights. This lamp is one which has been recently invented and needs filing but once a week. When lighted it will burn for a period of ten hours when it goes out automatically. This lap was purchased at the small cost of ten dollars.

 

The sewer on Wisconsin Avenue has been completed this week and is one of the most substantial improvements made in this city.

 

Peterburg, Va., - Senator Mahone’s son Butler was fined $50 and put under bonds of $200 to keep the peace. He attempted to shoot a police officer, who had arrested him for using profane and indecent language on the street.

 

October 16, 1885

In the blacksmith shop, at the railroad car works, there has recently been placed a new furnace for the purpose of utilizing the scrap iron. At these shops there is constantly accumulating vast quantities of old iron which the company had formerly sold for a "mere song." With the assistance of this new furnace the iron is now used for the manufacture of car axles.

 

Cincinnati, O. - The rapid growth of 3-cent saloons has rather stricken terror in the heart of the average saloon-man. Some of the 3-cent saloons also throw in lunch. Beer prices have gone from $8 per barrel to $6.  

 

Deming, N.M. – Reports are coming in from parts of Arizona, of men tempted by the reward of $250 for Indian scalps, having started out on the hunt for redskins with a view on obtaining their scalps. The $250 is merely incidental to the hunt to pay for the whisky and tobacco used in camp. It is believed that several New Mexico cities will adopt this plan of exterminating the savages.

October 23, 1885

While returning from the baseball game on Sunday last, several of the boys entered John Brill's barn and, on their departure, left the doors open. Cattle and hogs made a raid on the premises the same night and destroyed a large amount of grain and other produce. Mr. Brill wishes these boys to take warning that if they are caught trespassing on his premises in the future they will quite likely find lodging in the county jail.

October 30, 1885

The commander of the French troops in Annam, telegraphed from Hanoi on the 26^th that he had defeated the Black Flag 6,000 army and three chiefs were killed. The three-day fight resulted in only thirteen men killed or wounded. Great enthusiasm prevails in France.

Frank Neseltrel of Racine started for town with a load of oats with his wife and small child. He was about halfway there when the child suddenly died. The mother carried it home while he continued the journey, sold the oats and purchased a coffin.

 

A well-known farmer living in the town of Kaukauna, is sometimes troubled by absent-mindedness, but seldom has it as badly as he did last Sunday. On that day, after taking care of his stock, as is his custom he loaded up his wagon with pumpkins, squash, and other vegetables and hitching up his team started for town to sell his produce. As the streets of Kaukauna looked rather quiet, he concluded to continue to Appleton, when in the vicinity of Little Chute, he was informed it was the Sabbath and not market day. This was a damper on the farmer, and he returned home.