Iowa
Old Press
The St. Ansgar Enterprise
St. Ansgar, Michell co., Iowa
Wednesday, August 10, 1887
General News:
--Corn is said to be maturing very rapidly. Save seed
corn.
--Mrs. J.N. Rhames is recovering, although slowly, from her
protracted illness.
--The game law in Minnesota will expire Sunday next and the boys
are happy.
--J.F. Clyde was up here the latter part of last week looking
after his farm interests.
--Geo. McKinley, of the Press, spent Saturday and Sunday
with relatives at Newburg.
--The big cyclone has not materialized yet, but it may come
tearing along by and by.
--The Cedar river is said to be quite a ways below low water mark
at the present time.
--Mr. Rossiter’s new barn was struck by lightning Wednesday.
The damage was not great.
--Ed. Hansen has a limited amount of hard and soft wood for sale
at reasonable prices.
--Glover’s overalls are the best in the market. P.A. Hjorth
keeps a big stock of them.
--A light shower of rain fell Monday night. It was what might be
called a sprinkle.
--Saturday the republican county convention will meet at Osage to
nominate a county ticket.
--There is a boom just now in the price of bird dogs. The hunting
season is here or hereabouts.
--Work has commenced on the abutments to the new bridge over
Turtle creek at Middleburg.
--A. Lautenbach threshed a piece of wheat last week which yielded
twenty-one bushels per acre.
--Threshing has commenced and already considerable barley and
flax seed has been marketed here.
--Corn cutting will commence in earnest next week, and will
furnish employment for lots of men.
--A couple of young ladies from Kensett will open a millinery and
dress-making shop in this place Sep’t 1st.
--A.A. Johnson and family will remove to Winnebago county next
month where they will remain during the winter.
--Surveyor Clausen was down near Osage the latter part of last
week.
--New barley is bringing 36 to 38 cents per bushel on this
market.
Short Articles
The Cedar Valley Seminary, Osage, furnishes thorough
instruction to backward students as well as to those more
advanced. Classes not too large for individual work. Write for
information to A. Abernethy, principle.
We are informed that a number of farmers are going to cut and
bind their corn with a self-binder. Several have tried it and
claim that it can be did without any trouble, provided the corn
is cut pretty high. Further trials, however, is likely to prove
that the scheme is not going to pan our very well.
D. R. McKinley and family, Bert Keely and Earnest Holmes, arrived
in St. Ansgar Monday afternoon from their tour through the
western country. The party left here early in May and have been
on the road ever since with the exception of the time spent at
the home of relatives in Wyoming territory. They all seem to be
glad to get back into this country again.
Rev. N. Pye, now of Lyons, this State, was in town over Sunday
looking up his many old friends and acquaintances in this place.
He has been granted a short vacation by his church and as his
heart yearned for a visit to Mitchell county, where he spent so
many years as a minister of the gospel he came here and will
divide up his time in this, Mitchell, and Stacyville townships
for a few weeks.
Fred Penney the leading merchant of Stacyville, IA, visited our
county last week. It was not only to make personal observations,
in regard to the attractions for summer tourists, abonding the
beautiful lake region, but he had business of importance to look
after: viz: The purchase of 100,000 tons of hay for eastern
market. This country is certainly proving a “Land of
Egypt” to the hungry herds in less favored regions. –Milford
Mail
H.H. McGhan was in town one day last week and we violated no
confidence when we say that his mission was purely a political
one. Hugh is a candidate for the republican nomination for
sheriff, and what is more he seems to be the only candidate that
has materialized for that office up to the present writing.
Considering that he has made an excellent deputy we are naturally
led to the conclusion that he will receive the nomination without
any difficulty. His many friends here hope so at least.
Miss Grace Rockwell has been obliged on account of trouble with
her eyes to temporarily abandon the printer’s art, and has
gone home to St. Ansgar to give her eyes perfect rest and to
minister to Mrs. L. E. Rhames, and invalid aunt who is very dear
to her. We sincerely reget the misfortune which has befallen our
efficient “compositress”, both on her account and our
own. And now that she is away, and has been condemned to forego
all reading we take the liberty of saying that we believe no
print-shop ever had a more faithful, lady-like and absolutely
loyal employee. We hope for her complete recovery and speedy
return –Northwood Index
The adjusting agent for the Hawkeye insurance company was in town
yesterday taking an inventory of the buildings, grain and
machinery belonging to Mr. Rossiter which were in the barn struck
by lightning and burned two weeks ago.
The new tanks for the public well have been completed and are
to-day being placed in their allotted places. Farmers will no
longer have any reasons for complaint over our inadequate
facilities for watering teams and stock. The pump will probably
be in running order by to-morrow.
The Winnesheik County Fair is hoping to be a district fair for
North Eastern Iowa and Southern Minnesota. The date of the Fair
is August 29th to September 2nd, inclusive—five days.
It is after harvest now and the last installment of this
season’s improvements have commenced. H. Anderson will soon
have men at work framing a good substantial two story house.
Lewis Intorf is laying the foundation and cellar walls for a two
story building, and Charlie Groth says he will begin work on his
new dwelling house, in a very short time. Several other parties
are “looking up lots” with the intention of building
residences this fall. It is also hinted that work is likely to
commence any day on a large two story building on main street. We
remarked in the spring that St. Ansgar would make more
improvements this year than any other town in the county. It
certainly will.
We took a run up to Mona on the freight train Friday morning, and
when within a few miles of that town the train came near running
into a herd of young stock. The toot, toot, of the whistle made
them scatter in every direction, several head taking along the
track ahead of the engine. A couple of spring calves dropped into
a small bridge and the train men were invited to climb out and
exercise their muscle in lifting the animals out so that the
caravan could pass. It is astonishing how tenderly a brake-man
will handle a calf under such circumstances. We should say it was
pretty hard choosing between having a train pass over it or being
pulled around by the ears by a big brake-man who was just a
trifle out of humor.
Stacyville news:
--David Nichol, his son Albert, and Mrs. Jas (James)
Brainard have gone to Spirit Lake. The latter two will stay a few
weeks for their health.
--In the last thunderstorm a week ago the lightning struck B. F.
Stacy’s barn, also burning up four barley stacks for John
Heaman.
--Rev. Adam Holm’s horse got frightened at a lady in the
road the other day and backed into the ditch and tipped the buggy
over, and as good luck would have it very little damage was done.
--Ed. Penney, Bertie Penney, Miss Ada Gibeaut, and Miss Ida
Bryant have gone to Clear Lake for a few days.
Otranto Station News:
--Mrs. Nelson Clark met with a very severe accident last
week while feeding a calf which was staked out. She became
tangled in the rope, the calf being frightened at something
started to run, threw her down and the result was a broken limb.
Dr. Cobb is attending her and the patient is doing well.
--Mrs. Dave West is spending a few days in Austin, Minn.,
visiting friends
--A.C. Johnson and son, of Cleveland, Washington Territory, is
visiting at M. E. Mack’s.
--Mr. and Mrs. Woodward returned to Austin last Tuesday to have
his arm redressed.
--J. M. Galt and A. Z. Van Camp start for Hope, Dakota, next
Wednesday.
Births:
In Stacyville: S.G. Palmer, D.C. Rogers and Reed
Schoonover all came to the front this time with girl babies.
Mothers and girls all doing well.
Deaths:
Carl Mortenson died Monday evening at 5 o’clock
after a long and painful illness from consumption, aged about 37
years. The deceased has been a resident of this township for
nearly twenty years, and has for three years been in business in
this place. He was a man of a somewhat retired disposition, a
good citizen and an accommodating neighbor. He leaves a wife and
infant child to mourn his death besides several brothers and
sisters. The funeral services were held yesterday afternoon in
the Norwegian Lutheran church, of which the deceased was a
member, and were largely attended.
[transcribed by M.W., May 2015]