Douglas County Past: Hail pounds Superior; Gordon fisherman lands hefty trout
Jul. 24—July 21, 1908
City news
A field of big rye — D.S. Webb has just returned from a trip into Nebagamon and the vicinity and says the crops are looking fine. In particular he noticed a field of rye close to the village which had grown to a height of five feet. He states that the farmers new and old are well satisfied that the yield this year will be treble that of any previous season.
Stewart in town — "Si" Stewart, formerly of this city and now a farmer in the vicinity of Rockmont, was in the city today. Mr. Stewart has just started a Douglas county farm and says that there is nothing like the Rockmont soil for fertility.
Installs fine machine — George E. Spindler, the grocer, has introduced a coffee cutting and pulverizing device which has no duplicate west of Chicago. It is run electrically and is handsome in appearance. The bean is steel cut, a method which it is claimed preserves the virtue. The pulverizing attachment reduces the bean to the consistency of talcum powder.
July 21, 1933
Foxboro boy slightly hurt in 24-foot fall
FOXBORO, Wis. — Billy, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Rogge, was injured Thursday when he fell 24 feet from a platform in the barn of his home. The youth was knocked unconscious by the impact but recovered soon afterwards and was taken to Superior for medical attention. An examination revealed no internal injuries.
Inmate of asylum gets out-conduct search
Gust Johnson, an inmate of the Douglas county asylum at Parkland, is at large, it was learned at the office of Frank Carlson, county sheriff, Friday.
Johnson escaped through a window Wednesday night and has not been heard from since, although deputy sheriffs have been detailed to look for him. Upon discovering his disappearance, county officials started to look for him, going to Hawthorne where he comes from, but no information concerning his whereabouts could be obtained.
Although Johnson is a husky man, John Walz, superintendent of the institution, explained he is not of the dangerous type.
1,500 panes of glass smashed by hailstones
Hailstones of such size as have not been seen in Superior or Duluth for years fell in all sections of Superior, Park Point and West Duluth and in various points in Upper Wisconsin Thursday evening at about 6:30 p.m.
Twenty-four hundred feet of glass in the F.H. Rockwood greenhouses at 2419 Elmira avenue were smashed by the falling hail.
Most of the stones that fell were in the neighborhood of the size of a large walnut. Numerous larger stones, however, were reported. Many declare seeing stones as large as an egg. Charles McCauley, 103 Ritchie avenue, reports finding a stone 5 1/2 inches in diameter.
In addition to damage done at the Rockwood greenhouse, the hail is credited with considerable more damage. Relief gardens were said to have been hit hard, flower beds were uprooted, the falling ice cut leaves from trees in all sections of the city.
July 22, 1908
Some class to Nelson
Here's a fish story that ought to make the natives sit up and take notice and as it is vouched for by Supervisor of Assessors George Bubar, mendacity cannot be alleged.
Mr. Bubar has an old friend at Gordon by the name of Pete Nelson. Recently, Mr. Nelson hied himself away to a stream in the vicinity of the McAloon encampment and cast his hook into the purdling waters in hopes that a trout would gather same into its hungry moth.
He was not disappointed. The fish were biting fine and very soon Mr. Nelson was astounded to get a jerk on the line that felt as though a whale had grabbed his bait. He tugged away for some time and finally landed one of the handsomest specimens that has been caught in the vicinity in some years.
The fish was handed over to Mr. Bubar for inspection and the assessor man vouches for the following data:
Length — 23 1/2 inches.
Weight — 5 1/2 pounds.
Specimen — speckled brook trout.
Superior girl star of Saengerfest program
Miss Estelle Solon, the former Superior girl who has become famed for her voice, wins new laurels this week. She is to appear as soloist on the program at the big Saengerfest at La Crosse Friday and Saturday. This honor is one of the greatest that is won by singers, not only of the northwest but of the entire county.
Uncle Sam rewards a faithful servant
J.M. Cotey, mail carrier of Superior for nearly 18 years past, has been promoted to the position of clerk at the federal building, notification of the advancement having just reached Postmaster O.K. Anderson.
He has been a carrier since the establishment of delivery in Superior and has made many friends who are congratulating him upon the promotion while regretting the fact that he will no longer be a familiar figure at the homes and business houses.
Two minor cases to come up
The case against Alonzo Hancock is scheduled to come up in municipal court late this afternoon. This is the case in which one John Grulbowski claims that Hancock lets his chickens run loose, much to the detriment of Grulbowski's garden. The parties live on Butler, between Eighteenth and Nineteenth.
Sadie Miller was taken up this morning, charged with drunkenness and malicious destruction of property. She resides on lower Cumming and it is claimed that she chopped down a door this morning.
July 24, 1908
$10 for selling undersized pike
Ed Colbath, an East end fish dealer, this afternoon paid a $10 fine in the municipal court for selling undersized pike. He was arrested by Game Warden J.S. Craig, who has been watching him for some time past. The warden claims that the largest pike that Colbath had when he was caught weighed only 13 ounces, while he had some that weighed seven ounces. The minimum weight for pike is one pound.
The man pleaded guilty and was given a small fine on the promise not to repeat the offense. In his defense he claimed that he was not responsible for the small fish, but that one of his men had put them up.
They make new record
Conductor F.L. Foote and Engineer Jack Hussey of the Great Northern are the holders of the record for the fastest run ever made between Minneapolis and Superior on the "Big G."
They made the record yesterday by bringing a special from the Twin Cities to Duluth. The actual running time was three hours, which cuts a big slice off the previous record.
The actual distance from Minneapolis to Superior on the Great Northern is 147 miles, the average rate of the special being about 50 miles an hour. The running time is five hours or about 30 miles an hour. The comparison gives an idea of the speed of the train yesterday, which whizzed along just 20 miles faster than the famous "Gopher," the crack G.N. train between Superior and the Twin Cities.
July 24, 1933
Superior news in brief
Not the same one — The Arthur Anderson living at 1513 Wyoming avenue wishes it known that he is not the one arrested for drunken driving about a week ago.
Not the Mrs. Dingwall — The Mrs. Dingwall who figured in an automobile accident Friday evening on Twenty-First Street is not Mrs. Iva Dingwall, the violin teacher, the latter pointed out Monday.
Up and down the street
Dr. George Le Sage was walking around this morning with a handful of cigars and a broad smile. A new dentist arrived Monday morning in the Le Sage family. Name: Pat. Age, not much. Weight, eight pounds. Ambition of father, Marquette university fullback. Ambition of mother, hopes the doctor will get up nights to take care of the fullback.
Those turkeys that Game Warden Barney Devine released near Yellow Lake last November seem to be getting out and seeing the country. A motorist said he saw a hen with a brood of young ones on county trunk A Sunday, not far from Lake Amnicon. Six weeks ago wild turkeys were reported seen in the vicinity of Solon Springs.
Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.
