Reflections

April 9, 1930

Harpers Ferry

E. S. Rice, with the Canadian-American Fish Co., of New York City, was a business caller here on Monday, and while here was a guest at the John Wiedner home and was a welcome caller at L. L. Boardman’s.

John Adam and Dave Vickery went to St. Paul Monday to drive back two new Fords for the garage.

Mrs. Shannon, who was formerly Winnie Cahalan, of Cherry Mound, and two sons, of Montana, who recently purchased a farm at Rossville, Iowa, were callers here Sunday.

School Notes

The Harpers Ferry high school boys organized for base ball a couple of weeks ago. The following officers were elected: Manager, Luverne Valley; Capt. of Team, Herbert Easley; Committee on Finance, Leo Livingston and Angelo Cavanaugh; Committee on Transportation, Harry Boardman and Leo Wiedner; Committee on Grounds, Joseph Calvey and Linus Traversey.

They played their first game last week, defeating a pick-up town team, 12 to 7. Luverne Valley caught and Joseph Calvey pitched. Calvey struck out 17 and 10 hits were registered against him.

This week they played the Lansing parochial school with Valley and Calvey furnishing the battery for Harpers, and Stirn and J. Spinner and K. Spinner for Lansing. Calvey struck out 17 and 15 hits were registered against him. J. Spinner in 7 innings struck out 9, and 10 hits were registered against him.

K. Spinner in two innings struck out 3, and 5 hits were registered against him. Earl Robinson umpired.

An Old Landmark Gone

L. O. Larson Home Burns

The old Larson homestead in Taylor township, built in 1850 by Ole Larson, honored pioneer of Allamakee county, and occupied by him until his death in 1898, then by his son Louis O., was burned to the ground one day week before last, while Mr. Larson was visiting at the home of his son, Wilmer Lawrence, nearby. The building was a one-story log structure, about 12x18 ft., or 14x20 ft., and had been occupied continuously since its construction by father and son, the former raising a family of eleven children therein and the latter thirteen, all becoming educated men and women of high integrity, unquestioned honor and exemplary moral character.

Forty-three years ago the junior editor of the Journal dubbed Mr. Louis O. Larson, who was 89 years of age March 25th last, “The mighty hunter with sword and pen,” and the sobriquet has clung to him ever since. He had also been designated as “the peacemaker,” because of settling legal squabbles between neighbors and “the savant of Little Paint,” because in his younger days he was a frequent contributor to the local press as correspondent, and writer of some very fine obituaries, always signing his articles, “Little Paint.” He wielded a most facile pen, which of late years, seemingly has been laid aside. The home contained many old and valuable relics and antiques, all of which were destroyed, and those at the scene first had to forcibly restrain Mr. Larson from entering the burning building and possibly being cremated.

Luther College, Decorah, wanted the old log house and was to have had it erected on the campus after Mr. Larson’s death, provisions to that effect having been made by him.

The Journal is indebted to Mr. J. D. Johnson of this city for much of the information contained above.

Lansing

Cyril Murphy, of the Lansing Garage Co., went to La Crosse Saturday, driving home a new Plymouth car for Jack Thornton of Lafayette. Last week he delivered a Dodge Six to Gene Brennan and a Plymouth to Glen Carlson, and they now have another Dodge Six on exhibition at their place of business, the old foundry.

When it comes to buying stock George Wild & Son, local dealers, don’t have to take a back seat from any of them. Mr. Wild informed us recently that during the year 1929 they shipped a total of 230 cars from their three shipping points, 99 cars out of Ferryville, 80 from De Soto and 51 from Genoa, which represents quite a sum of money. During the year 1918, when war prices prevailed, they paid out over a million dollars for stock. - De Soto Argus.

New Albin

Higgins Bros., the local garage dealers, unloaded a car load of Willys sedans last Wednesday, for which they are local agents.

George Pohlman, who has been operating a lumber saw in the north part of town, completed the job sawing some 35,000 feet of lumber. He moved his outfit to the Otto Luettchens farm where he will also saw a setting of logs.

Mr. and Mrs. Norman Lueck moved last week from the Thomson residence to the Birch home, recently vacated by the Walter Clancy family, who have moved to Lansing.

35 Years Ago (1895)

Will Ryan and Dan Maloney, well drillers, have put down 14 wells in Waukon this past winter, and are now at James Kelly’s in Paint Creektownship. The M. Danaher farm near New Galena, 420 acres, was sold last week to T.M. Wood of Missouri for $11,000. James Cavers, who took the census in Center, reports a population of 815. He had one lady, Mrs. Elizabeth Paulson, mother of Peter Paulson, who was 103 years old. J. B. Knoepfier has been re-hired as superintendent of Lansing schools at a salary of $1,200. Lansing council fixed wages at $1.50 for man and $3.00 for team; extra wagon 25c; 10 hours work. Lansing Lumber Co. shipped out 84 cars from their yards during March. Boomer Bros. shipped a car of horses east from Lansing, driving them overland from Waukon.



April 11, 1945

Washington, D. C., April 6, (AP) - Basic “A” gasoline rations will be increased 50 per cent after V-E (Victory in Europe) day if the “more optimistic” predictions of government officials materialize, the OPA

said today. Assuming the supply is increased by 200,000 barrels daily, “A” card motorists can expect enough gasoline for about six miles of driving a day, instead of four as at present, the agency said. It added that part of any additional supplies will go to “B” drivers. “These are the groups that need first consideration when additional gasoline supplies are available” Price Administrator Bowles said in a statement.

Paris, April 5, (AP) - Enemy withdrawals toward a final stand in Bavaria’s mountains were reported today as unchecked. United States armies came within 63 miles of cutting Germany in two, battled 132 miles from Berlin, and broke across the Weser river west of the capital. Lt. Gen. Patton’s United States 3rd army was striking across Thuringia’s hills and was closest to the capital. One tank column roared east to within 170 miles of a junction with the Russians and 66 miles from Plauen.

With the U. S. 3rd Army, (AP) - The golden treasure of Adolf Hitler’s collapsing reich - bags of bullion, heaps of currency and stacks of fabulous art works - was captured by Gen. George S. Patton’s infantrymen. The stupendous cache, valued in the billions of dollars, was found in a hidden salt mine at Merkers, 140 miles southwest of Berlin. Nabbed in the mine by the soldiers were three Nazi officials who said it took five weeks to move the treasure from Berlin and that the bullion represented “all the gold in Germany.”

Lansing

Pvt. Dell Thorp arrived last Friday from Camp Fannin, Texas, on a couple of weeks furlough which he is spending with home folks, the R. E. Thorp family west of town. At the expiration of his time he reports back to Fort Ord, Calif., for overseas duty. Another brother Pfc. Zane is back in this country, receiving medical treatment in a hospital at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, after wounds received in Italy for which he was awarded the Purple Heart, and he may get home on a furlough while his brother Dell is here. Another brother, Lee is at present in a hospital in England, while still the fourth one is fighting on continental Europe, so altogether four sons of this family are in service.

William Gander, of Washington, D. C., where he is employed by the government, and his brother, Earl, a member of the Seabees, arrived last week-end for a visit with home folks, the Frank Gander family, and other relatives and friends. Earl completed his work at the Great Lakes and was recently transferred to Rhode Island, from which base he received his leave.

Major Robert Nachtwey, who is with the 90th Division in Germany, has received the Silver Star for gallantry in action, so his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Franz J. Nachtwey, have been informed.

Joe Ferring has purchased the Charles Hale home up the hollow from its present owner, Miss Vernie Fest, and will move into same in the near future.

Marvin C. Moe, S1c USNR, is spending a 20-day leave with his mother, Mrs. Jake Moe. He has been aboard one of the navy’s fast carriers as a plane captain in the air department during all of the Third and Fifth fleet operations from the Wake Island raid in October, 1943, to the

strikes on Tokyo in February of this year. During this period he experienced many Jap aerial attacks and took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle for Leyte Gulf.

Sgt. Emmett Johnson of the AA branch of the U. S. Army arrived last week from Ft. Bliss, Texas, and is spending a two weeks furlough with home folks, the C. E. Johnson family of Gruber Ridge. He has been in overseas theatres for more than two years and plans to return to duties next Sunday. Another brother, Louis, who is serving with the army in Germany writes that he is better and back at the front after being hospitalized in France from wounds received in action.

The Charles Burke family moved last week from the down stairs apartment in the Mrs. Mayme Carroll home on Center street to the home of her family, the Joe Hammell folks a couple of miles north of town. Mrs. C. will move down stairs and latter on the upstairs apartment will be rented.

New Albin

Mrs. Clara Darling was in receipt of the following telegram from the War Department under date of April 5th: “The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your son, Sgt. Douglas R. Darling, has been missing in action in Germany since March 16, 1945. If further details or other information are received you will be promptly notified.” “Jake”, better known to us, enlisted in the army Sept. 29, 1943 and has served overseas since April 5, 1944 as an infantry replacement in the 26th Division of Gen. Patton’s Third Army. He took his basic training at Camp Fannin, Texas, and was home in March, 1944 for a 9 days furlough. On his return he resumed his duties at Camp Meade, Md., and went from there overseas, first to England, then to France, and his last letter home was dated March 6th from Germany.

Frank Weymiller Sr. and son Frank left Thursday on a business trip to Billings, Mont. The latter’s wife accompanied them to La Crosse, returning home on the afternoon train. The two former returned home Tuesday afternoon.

Miss Virginia Weymiller, R. N., of La Crosse and a friend, Miss Praxie Skroch, R. N., of Independence, Wis., the former’s grandparents, Mr.

and Mrs. Carver Gantenbein, returning to La Crosse today (Wednesday). “Ginger” has been appointed 2nd Lieut. in the Army Nurse Corps and will report for duty in the near future to begin the necessary period of army training, after which she will be assigned to an installation or unit now experiencing a critical shortage of nurses.



April 13, 1955

Harpers Ferry

Leo Livingston, A. F. Houlihan, Leo Wiedner, Don Cota, and Victor Stamper drove to Iowa City Wednesday to see a basketball game that evening.

B. A. Houlihan, Mrs. Cletus Valley and P. J. Houlihan drove to Waukon Friday where the latter consulted his physician about a cut he had on his hand.

Harpers High School

Play Presented April 15

The Harpers Ferry high school will present it’s Junior-Senior class play for this year on Friday evening, April 15 at eight o’clock in the school gymnasium. “Scootin Grandma” is the name of the comedy and the cast of characters includes Judy Wiedner, Sandy Easley, Marlene Goebel, Mary Ann Delphey, Mary Lou Cota, Janet Farley, Mary Martelle, Clara Schellsmidt, Tom Gavin, Frank Saddler, Tom Saddler and Rollie Cassidy.

Lansing

John and Tom Hurley of Cedar Rapids drove up and spent the week end at the parental Bernard Hurley home near Columbus. Others home from that city were Joe Weber, Lois Weber and Margaret O’Neill.

Among recent real estate deals which are about completed are the sale of the Otto Riser home near the park to Orville Hoksch of the Interstate Power Company who resides nearby. The heirs have accepted an offer of $7,000 for the property and the Hoksch family will move in this week end or next. Bill Underwood bought the Drive-In on the Brewery Hill from Curtis Wendel and plans to have it in operation for the summer.

Among the college students noticed home for the Easter vacation were Sue Wilson, John Englehorn and Orville Hoksch of the Iowa State College at Ames; Thomas Aschom of the University at Iowa City; Mary Ethel Aschom,of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon; Richard Bechtel, Helen Knutson, Esther Fritz of Luther College Decorah, the latter three enjoying a full week’s vacation from studies not returning to classes until today.

New Albin

David Joseph, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Darling was baptized Saturday morning at St. Joseph’s Church by Father John Costello. His sponsors were Mrs. Donald Bahr, the baby’s aunt and Gerald Darling, the baby’s uncle.