Time Machine Trip to June 1886

 This Trip is sponsored by:

 Look Back in Time

Antiques and Collectables

112 E. 2^nd St.

Kaukauna, Wi 54130

920-759-1985   

Kaukauna Times

By Lyke Hansen HAHS

 

June 4, 1886

Rain would be of incalculable value to farmers at the present time, and unless it falls in the near future, considerable damage will be done to the crops. This spring has been exceptionally drier than any in the past fifteen years. Many crops are beyond recovery.

 

A pretty good scheme for unloading pulp wood from a barge was instituted by the manufactories on the Meade & Edward's canal last week. The plan was to dump the wood into the river above the dam and the current would carry it directly to its destination. Several loads have been delivered this way without the loss of one stick.

 

What started as a joke nearly ended in a funeral. A group of local young men from Kaukauna were hanging out when one of them, as a prank, threw a large stone at a young man named Patrick J. Collins. The stone struck Collins square in the forehead, knocking him completely unconscious and fracturing his skull. The paper notes grimly that while the act was "done in sport," Collins' life hangs in the balance, and it serves as a warning against dangerous horseplay.

 

June 11, 1886.

Col. Frambach now holds the reins over the finest driving and best matched team in the county; Col. Frambach recently acquired Prince, a chestnut gelding, from Appleton, which he will mate with his brown gelding Ned. The pair will make one of the finest teams in the state.

The first official reception under the new regime was held at the White House on the 15^th. A brilliant gathering assembled to do honor President Grover Cleveland and his wife. 

 

June 18, 1886

 

The Evelyn passed through here about twelve o'clock last Sunday with an excursion party from Neenah to DePere. The boat was well loaded. Quite a number from this city took advantage of the low rates and made the trip.

 

In a classic 1886 neighborhood disruption, a cow belonging to local resident Henry Nooyen broke loose and decided to explore South Kaukauna. The cow ran rampant through the streets, tearing through private gardens and knocking down fences. A small crowd of citizens spent a significant portion of their afternoon chasing the animal down, providing quite a bit of free entertainment for neighbors watching from their porches before it was finally cornered.

 

A horse hitched to a delivery wagon took flight near the corner of Crooks Avenue and Second Street and bolted at full speed. The runaway horse dashed wildly through the business district, dragging the heavy wagon behind it. Spectators scrambled for safety as it narrowly missed several pedestrians and other carriages before the wagon finally collided with a hitching post, bringing the chaotic chase to a sudden, splintering halt.

 

June 25, 1886

On Wednesday morning the first load of stone for the new Methodist Church was placed in the ground by Geo. F. Kelso.  The preliminaries have been arranged, and the work will be pushed with vigor until the new house of worship is ready for occupancy.

 

Chas. Newman, the proud proprietor of the popular "O.K." Barber Shop, officially moved his business into a new, much larger room on Second Street. To celebrate the grand opening and accommodate his growing clientele, Newman installed a luxury feature for the era: a brand-new, first-class pool table in the back room for patrons to use while waiting their turn for a shave or a haircut.

 

Chicago is not yet a comfortable place for pedestrians. A copper bomb operated by clock work was found recently by the police under the sidewalk. A hole beneath a sidewalk seems to be a favorite place for the concealment of bombs. Most people in Chicago are beginning to take to the middle of the street.

The police of Boston were notified that an old woman named Kitty Murphy was dying of starvation.  A police wagon was sent and found her covered with filth and clothed in rags tied together with twine. She was taken to the stationhouse where she said she had not eaten in three days and begged for food. She was given some food and when she was searched, it was discovered she had $500 fastened to the inside of her rags. 

 

Now here is a nut for the workingmen to crack. Recent estimates indicate that the income of preachers is about $600 a year, and a lawyers is $650, while even newspaper men only make about $700. Many workingmen receive wages ranging from $12 to $20 a week and they are not expected to support half as much style as the preachers, the editors or the lawyers.