“Short Takes.” from the July 11, 1896 Door County Advocate
SHORT TAKES.
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—Ed. Kraft has had a well sunk on his premises on St. John street, the job having been done by Ed. Birmingham.
—The attention of builders is directed to the advertisement of “Sealed Proposals Wanted,” published elsewhere in today’s paper.
—The following letters remain uncalled for at the local postoffice: Mrs. A. B. Gillice, Olaf Larson, August Naumann, Lui Usinger.
—Chas. H. Lown has put a stock of choice groceries in the store building owned by him and which has been vacant for the past few months.
—Only one arrest on the Fourth, and that was for being drunk and disorderly. As this happened on the National holiday no names are mentioned.
—The front of the First National Hotel has been made beautiful beyond comparison by the deft hands of John Rasmussen and his son Richard, the painters.
—No bulletins were received here during the progress of the convention at Chicago, hence there was a great demand for the Milwaukee and Chicago dailies.
—The excursions given by the Ann Arbor were not as well patronized as was anticipated. The weather no doubt caused many to refrain from venturing across the water.
—The Kings Daughters of the Moravian church realized about $25 net from their supper which they gave at Washburn’s hall on the afternoon and evening of the Fourth.
—Engine No. 1 was put on duty Monday while No. 2 is receiving an overhauling at the hands of workmen here. The trouble is with the flues, which had begun to leak pretty badly.
—The new disease is still holding the fort, and hardly an hour passes but some new case is reported. Thus far nothing more serious has resulted than a temporary disability on the part of the patient.
—By some new arrangement made by the carrier the mail for Evergreen leaves the local postoffice at 11:45 a. m. This makes it impossible for this office to get the papers in time and a delay of a day is the result.
—We presume it will be perfectly proper and the correct thing to speak of our neighbors on the south as “Algomanacs” hereafter. That’s much easier and sounds smoother than “Ahnapeeites,” or “Ahnapeepers.”
—The Owen Co. which held the boards at the Opera House on the 3d, 4th and 5th, gave some very creditable performances, which was greatly enjoyed by those who witnessed them. They had good crowds, all things considered.
—New potatoes in limited quantities have made their appearance in this market. They are brought in from outside, but the home growers will soon be able to supply the demand. The crop will no doubt be a large one this year.
—The horse of Rev. H. Margetts took fright from the explosion of a firecracker on the Fourth and running away was severely bruised before being stopped. Fortunately no one was in the rig at the time. This is the only runaway reported.
—Owing to some changes in the pulleys of the band saw in the island mill no work was done from Friday until Wednesday. A part of the outfit was taken to Marinette for overhauling while the other was done by a machinist sent from that city.
—The band which went to Baileys Harbor from here on the Fourth played for Carl Hendrick and not Gus. Pfeifer, as reported last week. The ADVOCATE got its information from one who was supposed to know all about the matter, but who appears to have been mistaken.
—Idlewild is now the scene of numerous campers, parties being there from Manitowoc, Oconto, Marinette and elsewhere. This is a favorite place for camping out and affords plenty of opportunity for thoroughly enjoying the fine bathing, boating and fishing in that immediate, vicinity.
—Strawberries having gone out blue berries are now on, to be followed immediately afterward by raspberries, specimens of which are also already to be seen in this market. Then comes the blackberries, which promises to be the biggest yield of all the wild fruits indigenous to this region.
—Between the needs of the electric lighting plant and that of the cannery about all the spalts turned out in the Brown mill are utilized for steaming purposes. The battery of boilers in the latter establishment are kept in full running order to supply the power and hot water that is needed.
—Merchant Noll is gradually enlarging his clearing just across the town line in Sevastopol, and in the course of a few years he will have one of the most thrifty farms in this section of the county. The land has a gentle slope to the west and south which admirably adapts it to fruit culture, we should think.
—The Merchants Exchange Bank people were the first to display the McKinley and Hobart banner this time. Other houses will follow suit as fast as they can secure streamers and burgees. In fact there is going to be the greatest display of McKinley flags this year that has ever been seen in a presidential campaign.
—The net proceeds of the races at the Fair grounds on the Fourth will be devoted to the erection of a fence around the premises, to replace that destroyed by fire and wind during the past few years. It is confidently expected that if enough money can be raised to put the place in good condition a fair may be held there this fall. Anyway the matter is being talked of.
—The school census which is now being taken shows a considerable increase in the population of the city over that of last year. It has always been a question in the minds of some people whether the count that took place in ’95 did this municipality justice or, to be more explicit, was the census complete as far as the enumeration is concerned.
—The influx of summer visitors has begun to set in, but a halt was occasioned during the week by the cool weather which set in on the Fourth and continued for a number of days afterward. Nothing whatever has been done with the Idlewild property since the destruction of the house by fire several years ago, and the premises are now occupied wholly by camping parties.
—The ADVOCATE leaves this office for the south on the 2 o’clock train, every Friday afternoon, and there has not been a “slip of the cog” since the present mail arrangements went into force, upward of a year ago. We make this statement at this time because we now and then hear complaints about the paper not reaching subscribers promptly and at the time when they are in the habit of receiving same.
—The various Catholic church societies at Marinette and Menominee will unite in a grand excursion to this city next Monday, the trip, to be made on one of the Hart steamers. Dana’s Third Regiment Band has been secured for the occasion, and our people will therefore enjoy the rare privilege of listening to some of the finest music ever produced in this region. A picnic dinner is to be served in the grove at the head of Garland street.
—Miss Lily Arle surprised her many friends in this city by stealing a march on them and getting married at Ahnapee on the Fourth to Irving McDonald. Miss Arle has for the past couple of years been employed in the telephone office here and was well and most favorably known, being a general favorite with the young people. She is the daughter of Mrs. Jacob Jacobs. Mr. McDonald is a promising young lawyer of Ahnapee, and the ADVOCATE extends the happy young couple the usual congratulations.
—A number of young fellows made spectacles of themselves on the afternoon of the Fourth by indulging in a scrap, the affair occurring at the intersection of Garland and Grant streets. While poor on fighting the boys were simply immense in the use of choice epithets and blackguardism. The next time these fellows desire to indulge in a frolic of that kind they had better seek the sylvan shades of a cedar swamp, or some other equally isolated place where they cannot be observed by any considerable number of people.
—At the rate in which clearing is going on and has been progressing during the last few years it will not be long before the entire country lying east of the city will be brought under cultivation. By surmounting an elevation such as the Lawrence hill one is able to see out as far as the Lance Stephenson and John Gilbert farms in Sevastopol and Sturgeon Bay town, and the sight is exhilarating to say the least. This is going to be a fine country in good time in spite of the prediction of some people to the contrary. And what is better it will always be tributary to the city, which insures its permanent growth and stability as a business center.
—H. G. Birmingham came near being the victim of a serious accident on the Fourth. He was standing in front of Lester Cheeseman’s store that evening when the latter threw a large firecracker toward the street from the sidewalk. Before it had gone far it exploded and rebounded with great force. Henry saw it just in time to throw up his arm to shield his face, and striking his forearm it tore a hole three inches long through the coat and two shirts and lacerated the skin. Had it hit him in the face it would undoubtedly have seriously hurt if not have killed him. A small piece of the same cracker struck a little girl on the side of the neck, hurting her severely.
—The Fourth opened with leaden sky and gloomy outlook for any kind of a celebration, as the indications were that it would rain any minute, and it did sprinkle several times. And thus it remained all day, Old Sol not once showing his face. But notwithstanding this drawback the streets were well filled with people at an early hour, Young America being especially conspicuous. The bicycle parade at 10 a. m. was not as well filled as was anticipated, the threatened rain keeping many out, but the sixty odd wheels nevertheless made a handsome appearance, most of them being decorated in patriotic style. The races at the fair grounds was well attended and the sports on Cedar street in the evening drew out a big crowd, who thoroughly enjoyed the fun. The fireworks was also witnessed by many, and the day closed with everybody feeling that they had indeed spent a glorious Fourth.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
Articles written by Frank Long
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/frank-long
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