MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
MARCH 26, 1924
Roads are fierce, so have patience with your rural carriers help them to wear a smile.
Rev. Calvin E. Stewart of Readstown walked up from that place Friday on business, returning by the same mode of conveyance Saturday. With the present miserable condition of the roads walking is just about as pleasant and speedy a way of traveling as any other.
Bud Pulver made his solo flight Monday morning, a nice trip around the city and a good take off and landing, without mishap. So we presume he is now entitled to be called Aviator Pulver.
WESTBY CITY NEWS
A spring visiting day will be held in the Westby schools during the middle of May. Each grade will have a special display, also the different classes in high school and the Manual Training and Domestic Science Departments. The measles epidemic has subsided and the attendance at school is almost back to normal.
Folsome School, March 21 – Weather and roads have been bad for school since Christmas but we have a high record of 32 for average daily attendance for this school year... We have Sunday school every other Sunday now while roads are bad. Many pupils have been present every Sunday on which we have had school... We all have appreciated our hot lunches this winter and wish to thank all who donated so liberally to make them a success.
CITY COUNCIL DOINGS
The following accounts were read and approved...Smith Hardware Co. keys, lock at Library Mise. for city, $20.11; Western Union Telegraph Co., messages from Madison to Dr. Swenson, $1.66; Power Equipment Co., 6 thrust collars, $9.05; Officer & Nystrom freight and Drayage, $5.68...
MARCH 19, 1924
The Viroqua School Band will render a concert at the Temple Theatre Sunday afternoon March 30. The program which was rendered at the Teachers convention will be used, and our music lovers should plan to be in attendance to enjoy a treat and encourage the boys.
The warm sunshine of the last few days played havoc with sleighing and the roads will soon be impassable in many places, but why worry about traveling in this motor age.
We have a fine new shipment of ladies’ and misses’ house dresses and aprons on hand. They will delight any housewife. The Farmers Store, Surenson & Thompson.
Viola, March 17 – This is spring vacation week and out of town pupils and teachers are spending it at their different homes, enjoying a restful recess from strenuous school duties. An organizer for the Ku Klux KIan has been in our midst the past few days in an effort to organize at this place.
COUNTY NURSE DEPT.
Westby has made an exceptional record in the correction of physical defects among the school children as shown by a report sent by Principal Euler: Teeth corrected 247; goitre [sic] removed 2; tonsils removed, 31; adenoids removed, 17; glasses fitted, 39; lenses changed 22; hearing corrected, 11; other defects corrected, 6.
The Child Welfare Fund is also indebted to the Westby schools for the pennies which they sent us. Thirty dollar!
Paved roads should last a long time now that they have billboards on both sides to protect them from the weather.
MARCH 12, 1924
DON’T CLOSE FENCES
If rural patrons expect their mail they must not close up their fences until the road is in condition to drive over with sharp shod horses. W.N. COFFLAND, Postmaster.
The DeSoto pupils who attend high school in Prairie du Chien are having a week’s vacation on account of scarlet fever in the school.
The National Guard’s basket ball team of Viroqua, met defeat last Tuesday evening in a game with Readstown team at the Opera House. The score was 10-16.
Retreat, March 10 – A new churn was purchased for the creamery... Examinations for 7th grade endorsements was held in several schools... Quite a number of farmers delivered tobacco to the Pool Saturday at DeSoto.
Readstown, March 10 – An airplane was here Saturday taking passengers for a ten minute fly... A meeting was held at the Methodist church Monday evening to consider the advisability of building a new basement with kitchen and dining room.
At the end of 1923 there were 1,700 miles of concrete roads in the state of Wisconsin. This is an increase of approximately 422 miles over 1922 and 738 miles over 1921...
Heald Hollow March 10 – Card parties seem to be all the style as there were two of them on the ridge last week... The snowstorm Monday evening did considerable damage to the telephone wires as the lines have been out of commission... The tobacco pool members have been busy hauling in their tobacco and they will start in sizing the coming week.
MARCH 5, 1924
One of the heaviest snowfalls of the winter took place Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, over a foot of the beautiful falling. The snow was extremely heavy, clinging to everything it touched, banking up as high as three or four inches on every limb, twig and wire. The face of the old world was certainly a rarely beautiful sight Tuesday morning, before the sun and wind cleared the trees.
Automobile owners should remember that license plates for 1924 must be attached to every car, front and rear... Car and truck owners will save much unpleasantness for the officers and themselves if they will attend to htis [sic] duty AT ONCE. This notice is a kind reminder...
Again the dog poisoner has put in his appearance in Viroqua, and the south part of town has been plastered with pieces of meat covered with a white powder, presumably strychnine. Several dogs have died the horrible death that poison brings... The dog owners of the city also authorize the Censor to announce that a liberal reward will be paid to the person who give information leading to the arrest and conviction of the guilty party.
Good 50 pound mattresses at Ben’s Furniture Store, for $9.50 and up.
During the supper hour Saturday, the department was called out to take care of a fire in the office of Dr. Baldwin. There was very little fire – mostly smudge – and practically no damage done. A very small leak in a little kerosene reservoir was the cause of the trouble.
Westby lost one business place last week when The Melodeon moved to LaCrosse.