Iowa
Old Press
Allamakee Journal
Lansing, Allamakee co. Iowa
July 8, 1931
NO MORE PAVING ON NO. 9 THIS YEAR
From the Decorah Public Opinion. That there is not
sufficient money to complete paving of Highway 9 from Decorah to
Waukon this year was the disappointing information advanced by
the Iowa Highway Commission to a delegation from Winneshiek
county that visited the commission at Ames on Wednesday of last
week. The delegation consisted of three members of the board of
supervisors, Edward Lund, G.W. Peckham and Anon Anderson, also
Alvin Pfister of Locust and Frank Baker, George W. Johnson and
A.C. Bishop of Decorah.
There has been much interest in the east part of Winneshiek
county about the possible relocation of Highway 9 between Decorah
and the Bell school house prior to paving this highway, but a
recent supreme court decision to the effect that paving in
counties that voted bonds for this purpose must be done on routes
specified at the election seems to make it mandatory that the
present route of Highway 9 be adhered to.
HARPERS FERRY NEWS
The management of the Harpers Ferry Band and Base Ball Team wish
to thank their friends and the public in general for their
liberal patronage at our Fourth of July celebration. We wish
especially to thank the various committees who helped to make the
celebration a success. We are also proud of the fact that there
was no disorder of any kind either at the ball game, dance or at
any other time to mar the pleasure of those in attendance.
The ball game between Lansing and Harpers Ferry was won by the
latter 6 to 5. Batteries – Lansing, C. Spinner, Jim Spinner
and Wirth; Harpers Ferry, L. Robinson and Valley. C. Spinner,
pitching for Lansing, had the misfortune to be hit by a pitched
ball and retired from the game in the sixth inning in favor of
his brother Jim. Up until this time the game was airtight and a
pitchers battle between Spinner and Robinson.
Sunday, July 5th, Harpers met and defeated Waterville on the
local diamond by the one sided score of 17 to 1. Calvey pitched
superb ball for Harpers. Batteries – Waterville, Hastings,
Spinner and Cole; Harpers, Calvey and Frank. Harpers will play
Waterville on the Waterville diamond Sunday, July 12.
Lucy McGrath returned to her home near Prairie du Chien, Monday,
after a couple of weeks visit at the home of her sister, Mrs. Roy
Boardman.
WATERVILLE NEWS
Mrs. Joe Tysland and son “Do-do” accompanied Chester
Shafer, Mrs. Mame Hart and Miss Luella Tysland to Albert Lea,
Minn., Sunday for a visit at the home of the former’s
daughter, Mrs. Leo Anderson.
Earl Hermanson drove a bunch of our local summer school students
back to Cedar Falls, Sunday.
Well the Fourth came and went. Friends got together and had the
usual good time. Something like 250 dancers enjoyed the pleasures
of the Waterville bowery, and so the 1931 4th of July celebration
passed into history.
Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Lindsay of Cedar Rapids, accompanied by Mr. and
Mrs. M.J. Kelly, Bridget McCormick and Lawrence Slattery, drove
to Lansing Sunday and all bought a foot passage over the Black
Hawk Bridge so we could inspect it.
The Bjerke girls of Minneapolis, who have been visiting at the
old home here, returned to their duties in the Flour City Monday.
CHERRY MOUND NEWS
Emmett McCormick attended Vacation School in Harpers Ferry, and
stayed with his cousins at the J.V. Corrigan and J.C. Heffern
homes.
WORTH THE PRICE OF THE TOLL
Among the many strangers who visited the city and Black Hawk
Bridge last Sunday were Messrs. Taylor and Roache and their
better halves of Plainfield, Bremer county, Iowa. They stopped
their car about a hundred feet beyond the big pier on this side
and one of the men alighted, and this scribe, sitting on the
front porch of his home the second door south of the bridge,
heard him say: “The sight from here is worth the price of
the toll!” and invite the others to get out, which they did,
and all feasted their eyes on one of the most beautiful sights to
be seen anywhere. It was just about sundown and twilight breaking
o’er the river and green groves in all directions greatly
enhanced the splendor of the scene. Hundreds of people walk out
daily to view it and all are as favorably impressed as the
gentleman above mentioned. It only costs a dime each way and if a
lover of nature and the great out-of-doors nowhere can you get as
much for your money.
LANSING NEWS
During the recent hot spell Oscar Sorlie of Dry Ridge lost a team
of horses from the heat, and milkman C.W. Alexander a cow.
George W. Trayer of the Wisconsin state forestry department at
Madison, was a visitor at the old home here over the week-end,
making the trip over the new route via Black Hawk Bridge in 3
hours and 25 minutes and says he will come again frequently.
Robert Cavers was exhibiting a prize stalk of corn in front of
his store Monday. It was 7 feet, six inches in height and raised
by Peter Peterson, on the old McNamee mill farm in Center
township. Corn generally looks fine hereabouts, but this stalk
beats all previous records for July 6th.
Dan Goettle, wife and sons John and Arlyss of Thompson’s
Corner spent the Fourth with his mother, Mrs. Anna Goettle, and
other relatives at Blue Earth, Minn., driving up Friday and
returning on Monday.
The paving on No. 9 is now completed to Church and by driving
there on the South road today the work can be watched to good
advantage.
The government steamer General Allen has been fishing for snags
in the river beneath Black Hawk Bridge several times the past
week. It is thought that some of the piling of the temporary
bridge taken out by the ice a year ago last spring may be there
as some of them are known to have snapped off. The Industrial
Construction Company, builders of the bridge, pulled out all they
could find but the government, no doubt, wants to make assurance
doubly sure.
Cy Strong was at Waukon Junction a couple days last week and
while there got mixed up in a horse and buggy smashup, injuring
one of his hands.
Miss Laura Lewison of Muscatine, writes this office that her
mother was overcome with heat on Monday of last week and for a
while was in a serious condition, her temperature reaching 107,
but is much improved again. She also writes that her
mother’s sister, Mrs. Olaf Rippe of Minneapolis, passed away
July 1, her death due to heat prostration.
Harold Magnusson of the U. S. S. North Hampton is home on
furlough, driving here from Virginia Sunday for a visit with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alf. Magnusson. Tuesday morning he drove,
with his parents, to Stronghurst, Ill., to visit his brother
Edward, going from there to Corning, Iowa, to visit another
brother, Norman and family, also visiting many Iowa relatives in
between.
Cars from 35 states are said to have already crossed Black Hawk
Bridge, among the latest being some from New Hampshire, Texas and
Nevada, and one from Alaska.
Mrs. Rose Revoir and two grandchildren, Lillian Knopff and Daniel
Brady of Winona, Minn., arrived Tuesday evening for a visit with
relatives, the Gilliand family in Lafayette.
PRAIRIE DI CHIEN TO HAVE BRIDGE
McGregor, Ia., July 3. – Special – A bridge across the
Mississippi river between Prairie du Chien, Wis., and Marquette
is now assured. Judge W.L. Eichendorf, who held the
McGregor-Prairie du Chien franchise, reported upon his return
from Washington, D.C., that he has turned the franchise over to
the Prairie du Chien Bridge Company.
Chicago financiers have become interested in the Prairie du Chien
– Marquette bridge and have insured its completion.
Judge Eichendorf stated he turned over the franchise in the
interests of the traveling public, this insuring an earlier
completion of a bridge linking the tri-cities.
The above dispatch in Saturday’s Dubuque
Telegraph-Herald, spells the end of the bridge project at
McGregor and would seem to forecast the success of the
Marquette-Prairie du Chien venture. Judge Eichendorf, realizing
the futility of trying to build two bridges so close together,
has decided to throw his prestige and influence to the upper
company, and by surrendering his franchise at McGregor to them
assure the completion of the upper bridge, in which he will
likely be interested. This is good common sense on the
Judge’s part, but bitter medicine for McGregor people, who
wanted the bridge there, and bad for the traveling public, who
would have been assured a safer crossing, with railroad
casualties all eliminated, at the lower location.
[transcribed by E.W., February 2007]