Reflections

The following excerpts are exactly as published in that particular issue of the Lansing papers.

75 Years Ago

March 5, 1930

Harpers Ferry

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Meyer returned Tuesday of last week from Escanaba, Mich., where Frank had been supervising work on the Ore Docks, making a very good record. He is enjoying a vacation with pay before resuming his work as general bridge foreman. His duties at present will be on the Dubuque division.

Forester’s Hall was the scene of a pleasant social gathering Monday evening, March 3, when a large party of friends assembled there as a farewell courtesy to the Herman Schwartzhoff family, who will leave in the near future for their new home near Waukon. A social evening was spent at Euchre, John Clark winning first prize and Mrs. Leo Martell the consolation. A delicious luncheon was served from the ladies. After a few remarks by Father Nolan in behalf of those present, he presented Mr. and Mrs. Schwartzhoff with a purse as a token of the esteem in which they are held in this community. We regret very much to see them leave but wish them happiness and success in their new home.

This Week’s Bridge Situation

Bridge activities are practically at a standstill, owing to the early opening of the river and the government’s instruction to have a 500-ft. channel opened for navigation by March 10th caused the first change in program week before last, and then the recent cold spell and heavy floating ice in the river necessitated another change.

Supt. Storey of the Industrial Construction Company was down from Minneapolis, again last Wednesday and gave orders to resume work on Piers 3 and 4, on the east side of the channel, as soon as possible, instead of on the piers on this side. This because the big pile driver is on that side of the river. He was pleased that his company met with such a small loss by the early break-up of the ice.

Some of the men have returned to their homes in Minneapolis but most of the day and night crews are still here patiently waiting for the river to clear of floating ice when they are to resume work on the east side again.

The dyke contractors are back on the job and getting the big dragline ready to begin moving dirt on the causeway before high water interferes with the work.

Lansing

Some plowing was done early last week on sandy and warm exposures and farmer generally were preparing to get into the fields this week but for the change in weather conditions. At present prospects for an early spring have gone a glimmering.

For the first time in several years Lansing was without its Sunday Chicago and Dubuque papers, which come via De Soto and the Burlington and are brought across the river by Adolph Ellickson. He attempted the trip as usual Sunday, but had to give it up on account of the heavy floating ice. The Des Moines Register, which is trucked overland, came as usual, as did the La Crosse Tribune, which is brought down Sundays on a freight train.

The trapping season on muskrats opened in Wisconsin March 1st and will close in the southern counties April 10. Herman Haas has a crew of men, Ike, Duffy and Frank Hickok and son, at "Muskrateer" cabin, south of Lansing, who will trap on the J. Boeckh lands. Their work, of course, was badly handicapped by the cold spell which set in just as the season opened.

New Albin

Drayman Howard (Connie) Irons is nursing a smashed finger which he received last Thursday while doing some rock work near his home.

A petition to the State Highway Commission has been circulated here the past week, and which carried a large number of signatures, will be presented to the commission asking that Highway No. 9 be extended from Lansing to the state line, via New Albin.

Adolph Meyer and his brother Irvin returned home last Saturday from Chicago to which place they accompanied a car load of corn fed steers. They were some of the best stock shipped from this market for some time. The steers averaged a weight of 1,300 pounds and nearly topped the price on the Chicago market, receiving $13.65 per hundred.

Waukon

Saturday, March 1, was moving day for tenant farmers and it was reported there was quite a change around this year, the roads being cluttered with movers Saturday.

Misses Marion Ahlstrom and Frances Bieber went to Milwaukee last Wednesday and returned Friday, driving two Nash cars for the West Side Garage. They were accompanied from Strawberry Point by Miss Althea Steffen, who teaches there, and her friend, Miss Vivian Reese, who visited the Albert Steffen family until Sunday, when they returned to Strawberry Point by bus.

35 Years Ago (1895)

Florence Kelly of Village Creek has closed a four months term of school at Rossville, and Rudolph Massiker will close at Village Creek March 23 with a program and entertainment. Mayor Geo. H. Markley of Lansing was re-elected over W. H. Wiehe by 80 votes, and John Mobley beat Pat Gilroy for Assessor by 129. The vote on Councilmen was as follows: 1st ward, Bert Christiansen 28, John Brophy 34; 2nd ward, A. M. Fellows 64, Jake Dorman 37; 3rd ward, W. A. Wittbecker 80, C. Bergeler 51; 4th ward, Aug. Niepple 32, Wm. Johnson 17. Jacob Flies of Center sold his farm to Peter Riser for $8,500; who also bought the Rob Thompson farm near New Albin for $12,000; and owns 320 acres in Lansing township besides. Mrs. Polleys, Lansing’s famous woman swindler, has lately been operating her game at Mauston, Wis. Pat Callahan of Lafayette sold 66 pigs in Lansing Monday, that brought him $750.

60 Years Ago

March 7, 1945

21st Bomber Command Hdqs. Guam Feb. 28, (AP) – 240 city blocks of Tokyo’s most highly congested industrial and business district are in smoldering ruins today as a result of Sunday’s Superfortress raid, and the greatest punishment yet dealt the Japanese nation’s proud capital was inflicted without the loss of one sky giant of the more than 200 which participated in stormy weather.

Washington, March 1, (INS) – Secretary of War Stimson bluntly said today battle emergencies have forced the use of 18-year-old boys in combat after only 15 weeks of basic training, as he revealed overall U. S. casualties of 814,032.

Waukon

A large number of relatives, neighbors and friends were in attendance Sunday afternoon at the memorial services held at the Zion Reformed Church for Sgt. Donald O. Kosbau, who died Dec. 20th of injuries suffered a few days previously while serving on the Western front in Europe.

Word was received the past week that Raymond Zoll had been injured a second time while serving in action. He had been back to the front less than two weeks when he again suffered injuries to his shoulder, but to what extent they do not know. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vic Zoll of Waukon received two letters from him Monday, written from the hospital which was formerly a Sisters convent home and which is still in charge of Sisters. He did not divulge the extent of his injuries or how long he would be there.

Another Allamakee county young man has been wounded in action, he being Gerald Kelly, son of Mrs. Francis Kelly of Paint Creek township, who according to word received by his mother is a patient in a hospital in the Philippines. He is receiving treatment for shrapnel wounds suffered in his forehead while serving on the battle front.

Charles Keenan, Waukon, was over-joyed Saturday upon receiving a letter from his son, Clem, 25, who had been released from a Jap prison camp at Santo Tomas in the Philippines where he had been held a prisoner the past three years.

Harpers Ferry

Pvt. Harold Luster and Pvt. Emmett O’Brien left Tuesday for Camp Ord, California.

Celestine O’Neill of Wexford is working at the Brazell Bros. farm.

Waterville

AAM1-c John Frederick Johnson and wife arrived Friday night from Ottumwa to spend a week’s leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Johnson and family.

Sever H. Kolsrud, one of Allamakee county’s successful farmers, shipped a carload of choice Hereford cattle to Walter Bros. at Chicago, Tuesday.

French Creek

Last week moving was in order on the ridge as Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Wild, who had been employed on the Rob’t Hartley farm the past year, moved to the home of Mrs. W.’s father, Adolph Fossum, near Elon; the Lloyd Nelson family who had tenanted the Olivia Tolander farm near Elon the past year, moved to the Robert Hartley farm here, where they will be employed.

Lansing

Relatives and friends of Rita Unterberger, Y2-c of the Waves, were sorry to learn that she has recently been confined to a hospital at Stillwater , Okla., for medical treatment.

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Glynn returned to his employment at Sioux Falls, S. D., with the Brennan Bros. construction company, Friday, following a few days visit with relatives and friends here.

Arthur Magnusson, a radio operator in the U. S. Navy and now home on leave after a couple of years service in Auckland, New Zealand, accompanied by his sister-in-law, Mrs. Horace Magnusson, went to Chicago Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with the latter’s husband. Horace is an Electrician 2-c in the Navy and is stationed at the Service School at Great Lakes. They were expected home Monday or Tuesday of this week.

Mr. and Mrs. Oren Bray went over to Baraboo, Wis., yesterday, where both will be employed in the defense or munitions plant of the Hercules Powder Company.

Robert Feuerhelm terminated a couple of months visit with home folks, the Ben Feuerhelm family on Mays Prairie, and left early last week for San Diego, Calif., where he will be employed and make his permanent home at least for the duration of the war.

A telephone call early Sunday morning to the Ben Mullarkey family of Lafayette township was from their son Linus, who had just arrived in San Francisco, Calif., telling them he would be home on furlough in a couple of weeks. He has been overseas and stationed in Iran for two years.

A deal was closed last week-end whereby Ray Mooney, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Mooney, became the owner of the Joe Manning farm at the top of the Whalen Hill in Lafayette twp. The price was not disclosed and Mr. Manning and wife will move to Lansing April 1st. The Ray Mooney family have been living on the former Richard Cassidy farm which was sold to the Mooney family a year or so ago. Joe Manning will have a big auction sale next Wednesday, March 14.

Pfc. John Becker arrived here last Tuesday for a visit with home folks, the Mrs. Maggie Becker family, after about a year’s overseas service. He has been to Australia and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands and lucky to get a furlough so soon. It was indeed a pleasant surprise to his folks and he has until the latter part of this week before returning to the west coast from where he came. This was the second time John was lucky enough to catch a free ride via airplane to Chicago, coming from the Windy City to Lansing by train.

New Albin

S/Sgt. Joe Deeney, who recently returned from overseas, and wife of Waukon visited relatives of the latter, the Leo Crowley and R. F. Jordan families here last Wednesday.

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Lenz sold their home to Mr. and Mrs. Otto Gade and then bought the Dr. Eischeid place from Real Estate Agen Julius Boeckh of Lansing.

50 Years Ago

March 2, 1955

New Albin

New Albin’s tall and fast basketball team which represented the high school in the district tournament at Postville Friday evening easily defeated Notre Dame of Cresco by the score of 72 to 50. James Dollar chalked up 28 points for the victors with Bruce Ferguson hitting 17 markers to be a good second and Lloyd Pottratz following closely with 14 to lead the local scorers. Walt Puffer of Cresco had 22 points to be high for Notre Dame. New Albin to date has a 24 win and 1 loss record for the season, that being by 2 points to Postville in the county tournament last month.

Lansing

Billy Plein was at the hospital in La Crosse Monday morning undergoing an operation on his left eye which was injured a couple of weeks ago when he was struck in the face by a branch of a brush.

Clem Peters, shop manager at the Ford Garage, is attending a 3 days mechanic school at Winona, Minn., this week.

Cpl. Donald Johnson arrived here Thursday from Fort Sheridan, Ill., where he had received his honorable discharge from the Army after a couple of years service, 18 months of which were spent in Germany. He will make home folks, the Hjalmer Johnson family a visit before returning to work with the Lansing Company Inc.