Iowa Old Press
Hawarden Independent
February 2, 1928
NEAR-BY NEWS NOTES
Happenings of Interest in Towns and Country Around Us
W.J. Miller of Spencer broke the bone in his left leg just below the knee
Jan. 21st when he slipped and fell on the ice. Mr. Miller had gotten out of
a car and was walking from the road to the sidewalk when he fell.
Hildred Dykstra of Boyden fractured the bone in one of his fingers on the
right hand last week when he was assisting with corn shelling at the Fritz
Boerhave farm. He pushed his gloved hand against the moving chain and his
fingers were pulled into the machine. In an instant he jerked his hand loose
and but for the presence of mind the injury would undoubtedly have been more
serious.
Valdemar Nielson of Denmark, who came to this country last July to visit
with relatives near Alta, was requested to return to Denmark last week. Mr.
Nielsen accepted a job on a farm and in doing so instead of being a visitor
he became an alien laborer and when he sought extension of his time in this
country the department of immigration denied him the request. Mr. Nielson
was an expert mechanic in a factory and his quota was exhausted for many
years in advance. However, Mr. Nielson stated that he would attempt to get
permission to return to America as soon as he reached his native land.
Burglars practically made the rounds of the stores at Matlock the night of
Jan. 23rd while the people were slumbering peacefully. The knobs of the
safes were knocked off in two stores but the intruders were not able to open
them. Entrance was gained through the front doors of each building that was
entered. John Westman, who operates a dry goods store, was the heaviest
loser, having dry goods, silk shirts, hose and other merchandise taken.
Nothing was taken at Washer's Implement house. Knives and small articles
were taken at the Schlecht Hardware store and at Brockway's Billiard Parlor
the thieves helped themselves to cigarettes and near beer. A number of
valuable things from the various business houses were thrown out into the
street. Wolf, the butcher, escaped being robbed as the intruders were
frightened away by the barking of dogs.
Orville Rickman, an Arnolds Park youth, was shot in the leg Jan. 18th about
midnight by R.E. Dennis, who told the police that Rickman tried to hold him
up. The bullet wound was in the flesh and above the knee and not serious.
John Cambier, owner of the Cambier Motor Co. at Orange City, has purchased
the 80-acre Van Roekel farm just north of Orange City and plans to make his
home there. The price paid for the farm was $26,000 or $325 per acre. The
farm is one of the best improved farms in that part of the county and the
price paid is considered low. Mr. Cambier will be given possession March
1st.
Mr. Ver Steeg, receiver of the closed banks at Matlock and Hospers, has
announced that a 10 per cent dividend has been declared for both banks. The
Matlock bank has now paid a dividend of 40 per cent and the bank at Hospers
has paid a dividend aggregating 30 per cent. Mr. Ver Steeg also reports that
he expects to be able to pass another 10 per cent dividend at Matlock and a
20 per cent dividend at Hospers about the middle of March, which will make a
total of 50 per cent from each institution.
W.A. Ewin, acting as guardian for Dorothy Ewin, a minor, has brought suit
against Cecil McGruder asking $1,500 damages in the Plymouth County district
court. The plaintiff maintains that Dorothy Ewin was riding in a car with
Mrs. Ollie McGraw and that because of reckless driving the defendant crashed
into the McGraw car, injuring Dorothy Ewin. She was thrown out of the car
and suffered a broken collar bone and a cut on her head and it is further
stated her carriage and appearance has been affected by the lump on her
shoulder as a result of the accident.
Martin J. Rushia of Jewell, Iowa, was almost instantly killed Jan. 20th when
he stepped in front of a string of box cars at the Jewell depot. Rushia had
eaten a lunch at the counter near the depot and started across the street,
apparently not seeing the switch train was backing down the track. He was
knocked down between the rails. One box car and the front trucks of a second
car passed over him before the train could be stopped. The wheels did not
touch him but the brake beam or rods crushed his chest and also injured his
head. He is survived by one son and his aged mother.
Jimmie Cousin, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Cousin of Paullina, had the
misfortune to fall on the ice while on his way to school Jan. 22nd and break
his left arm in two places above the wrist.
The Remsen-Alton-Granville Telephone Company recently purchased the Quimby
exchange. At their annual meeting it was decided to change the name to the
West Iowa Telephone Co. This company now owns the exchanges in Remsen,
Alton, Granville, Marcus and Quimby.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Huebsch of LeMars were married 55 years Jan. 23rd and
relatives and friends gathered at their home on Jan. 22nd and 23rd
congratulating the aged couple. They are early settlers of Plymouth County,
Mr. Huebsch coming to that county in 1870. In 1873, he filed on a homestead
and lived on it until several years ago when Mr. and Mrs. Huebsch retired
and moved to LeMars.
Tony Miller, of Sibley, died suddenly Jan. 23rd while he was working on the
streets in the city. Roy Isaacs was working with Mr. Miller when he fell
dead. Mr. Miller was working with a pick chopping away the ice and Mr.
Isaacs heard the pick drop to the ground and turning around he saw the
stricken man fall to the ground. A doctor was called but Mr. Miller was
dead. Mr. Miller was 63 years old at the time of his death and is survived
by his widow and two daughters.
Harold “Sunny” Sunvold of Canton was arrested at Hudson Jan. 24th and had in
his possession a satchel with five pints of illegal liquor in it. Clarence
Tysland of Canton was also arrested but was later released as Sunvold
shouldered all the blame, stating that he had sold booze at the dance at
Hudson the night before. Sunvold pled guilty before Judge Rudolph and was
sentenced to 90 days in jail and to pay a $250 fine. Young Sunvold is a son
of former Sheriff Sunvold of Lincoln County but had not been staying at home
for some time.
Albert Larson, 18-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Larson of Hudson, had
his Ford coupe completely demolished the night of Jan. 21st when he was
struck by a car driving by E. A. Jensen of Sioux Falls. The collision
occurred at an intersection and the Ford couple turned over in the ditch but
Andrew escaped with a few bruises. The Jensen car, which was occupied by Mr.
and Mrs. Jensen and two sons, turned over completely and landed on its
wheels, having one rear wheel torn off. The members of the Jensen family
also escaped with but a few bruises and cuts. There were all taken to
Beresford by Mr. Kettleson of Sioux Falls, who happened along, and they
received medical aid there.
Miss Laura Forbes of Odebolt died suddenly at her home Jan. 24th from
apoplexy. She was in the yard at her home when she was stricken Her brother,
Caleb Forbes, with who she made her home, saw her fall and hastened to her
but before he reached her side she was dead. She is survived by two
brothers.
Carl Y. Sernstrom of Cherokee, who has been maintenance engineer for
Cherokee and O’Brien counties, has resigned his position and has accepted a
position as supervisor of paving work in O’Brien county for the state
highway commission. He expects to be permanently employed in the growing job
of paving supervision. Mr. Sernstrom will move to Primghar in March when he
will take up his new duties. Mr. Sernstorm is a nephew of Mrs. C. E.
Johnson, of Hawarden, and has visited here a number of times at the home of
his aunt.
A narrow escape from a destructive fire was experienced at the Henry DeKraay
home at Sioux Center Jan. 22nd when Mrs. Lammers, mother of Mrs. DeKraay,
attempted to light a gasoline stove. As she lighted a match there was an
outburst of flames which enveloped the stove and spread throughout the
kitchen. George DeKraay, who was visiting there, picked up the stove and
carried it outdoors and thus saved the home from being destroyed by fire.
Henry DeKraay suffered quite severe burns when he attempted to put out the
flames. It is believed that the small daughter in the family had turned on
the gasoline which ignited when Mrs. Lammers was about to light the stove.
Raymond Sharon, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Sharon of Sheldon, was
accidentally shot Jan. 21st and the accident cost him his right arm and for
a time it was feared that he had been fatally injured. Young Sharon, in
company with Earl Miner and Luverne Hanna, was on a rabbit hunt. Young
Sharon was standing on a roll of woven wire when the accident occurred. In
reaching for his gun which was learning against the wire the trigger caught
as the gun was lifted by the barrel and the full force of the load struck
him in the arm just below the shoulder. It made a hole through the arm,
splintering the bone and severing an artery. Earl Miner, who is a member of
Co I, had received first aid instructions, and had the presence of mind to
apply an improvised tourniquet and stopped the gush of blood from the
artery. However, the arm was shattered so badly that it was necessary to
amputate it.
The town of Orange City had two more mysterious first on Jan. 25th. The fire
alarm was sounded at 1:15 in the morning when it was discovered that the
large barn near the First Reformed church was on fire. Flames were shooting
from every crack in the building when the fire was discovered and the barn
was soon burned to the ground. The First Reformed church caught fire from
the sparks but this was soon extinguished. Nick Bauma, who had helped fight
the fire and was on his way home, could hardly believe his eyes as he was
passing the old sash and door factory when he saw fire stealing its way on
the walls of the building. The fire had not gained much headway and Mr.
Bauma was able to put it out himself. The fire in the barn started with an
explosion. Upon investigation it was discovered that both fires had been
started by kerosene and are thought to be of an incendiary origin. The
house, barn and garage on the H. M. Nienhuis property were destroyed by two
different fires of a mysterious origin recently. The county officers are
making investigations.
It has developed that the car which struck and fatally injured Herman Tap of
Sioux Center recently when he was fixing a car along the highway was a
stolen machine, belonging to Harold Dunsing of Rockford, Ill. The car was
occupied by George Gray and Elmer Loriks, the latter of Huron, S. D., and it
is believed that the men were engaged in illegal transportation of liquor.
The two men had a hearing at Sioux Center following the accident after which
they went to Sioux City, stating that they would return later for the car.
However, they did not return for the car and it was learned after an
investigation that the car was stolen. Gray had been keeping company with a
young lady who was employed in the Dunsing home at Rockford and had asked
permission to drive the car to Chicago. Mr. Dunsing refused him the request
and shortly after the car was stolen. Dunsing knew that Gray had relatives
at Huron and so wired the officials at that place the facts and Gray was
located but as he promised to return the car to the owner he was not
arrested. Instead of returning the car it is reported that he used it for
transportation of liquor and was still in that business when Mr. Tap was
fatally injured. The rear compartment had hay and old rags in it which is
thought to have been used in packing bottles. It is reported that Gray has
been apprehended in Sioux City and is being held on charge of automobile
stealing.
Clinton Anderson of Spencer met with a serious accident the evening of Jan.
21st when he was skating. He went to stir the fire, using his hockey stick.
The stick broke in two and one end flew up and hit him in the eye, cutting
the side of his eye ball. If the cut had been an eighth of an inch closer to
the pupil he would have lost the sight of the eye.
Darrel Rhodes, 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Rhodes of Spencer, had
both bones broken in one leg between the ankle and the knee when he was
struck by an automobile. He was returning home from school and it was
snowing and blowing and he failed to see a car approaching as he crossed the
road. The car was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Peterson of Rembrandt. One
of the broken ends of the bones protruded through the flesh and he had two
cuts on his forehead.
Judge Bradley has decided that the copy of the lost will of James O’Neil, a
bachelor of Lyon county who died last May, be admitted to probate after
holding a hearing in which 26 distant relatives of the deceased objected to
having it probated. St. Anthony’s Home for the aged at Dubuque is named in
the will as the only beneficiary. Six men claimed that they found the will
among O’Neil’s personal effects following his death when they were searching
for papers in which the dead man had made known where he was to be buried.
Later when the will was to be probated it could not be found but a copy was
made by the stenographer who took the notes at the time the original will
was made.
Stanley Albert Hubert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hubert of Elk Point, is
regarded by relatives and friends as something of a prodigy. Though the
child is less than 10 months old and weighs 24 pounds, he walks everywhere,
though it is said he never crawled or learned to walk in stages. His parents
claim that he just got onto his feet and walked.
Arthur Bergen of Sioux Rapids had his practically new Studebaker sedan
destroyed by fire the night of Jan. 19th. He had parked the car in front of
his place of business and had gone up to his rooms over the store. He had
been there but a short time when he was attracted to the street by breaking
glass and looking out the window he saw that his car was on fire. All but
the chassis of the car was destroyed by the flames. Mr. Bergen carried
insurance on the car against fire.
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