Vol. 4 - No. 6
Whole No. 42
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, September, 1906
The American disaster of the century
happens in San Francisco. In the rest of the
world, a different year brings a different war,
nothing anyone in America thought was very
newsworthy.
Enjoy.
D.T.
DIRE HAVOC
AND DEATH
EARTHQUAKE BRINGS DESTRUCTION
TO SAN FARNCISCO.
GREAT BUILDINGS FALL
Five Thousand Are Dead, Perhaps in the
Debris.
MANY THOUSANDS WOUNDED.
Property Worth $200,000,000 Goes
Down in the Awful Crash of Matter.
FIRE THEN SWEEPS THE WRECK
Surrounding Country Feels the Shock - Stanford
University Damaged - Water Lacking and Dynamite
Used to Fight the Flames.
San Francisco, April 19.-- The latest estimate of the loss by the earthquake and fire
here goes high as $200,000,000. It is believed that the wounded will number tens of
thousands. The whole nation is rising to the
occasion and help and offers of help are
coming in from everywhere.
It is reported that the mint in San Francisco is ablaze and indications are that it will
be impossible to save. Practically the whole
district south of Market street from the water
front to the Mission has been swept clean by
flames. The Palace and Grand hotels, all the
best theaters, including the Grand Opera
House, are in ruins.
Thirty thousand houses were either partly
or wholly destroyed by the earthquake and
subsequent fire that swept the city from one
end to the other yesterday. Hundreds of
buildings are burning without any effort
being made to check the flames. It is estimated that there are 150,000 homeless people.
[A documentary I saw last year suggested that
since normal insurance covers fires, but not
earthquakes, it is likely that some of those fires
were set by the owners. There was, later, a lot of
insurance fraud discovered.]
VACATION DAYS ARE GONE.
LABOR HOLIDAY.
School Opened Last Monday With a Large
Enrollment.
Vast Crowds Witness the Celebration.
Listen to the Music and See the Balloon
Go up.
The schools opened Monday with a very
large attendance. This will increase week after
week as others come in. All the buildings have
been thoroughly overhauled and cleaned and
re-varnished, where necessary. At the Wood
School extensive improvements have been
made. A furnace has been installed and a dry
closet system.
Some changes have been made in the teaching corp. Miss Sarah Metcalf has been given
the 1st Primary at third ward. This is work for
which Miss Metcalf is especially fitted and we
bespeak only the highest success for her in this
new department. Miss Laura Whitney has been
transferred to the Central building. Miss
Lenchen teaches 2nd Grade Central building.
DIRT ROADS IN WISCONSIN.
How First-Class Roads Are Made Cheaply and Easily
When Fundamental Principles are Followed.
It is almost too good to be true, but it is a fact
never-the-less, that the best dirt road in the state
is one of the cheapest. In Waupaca county
about six miles south of the county seat an enterprising road overseer, Mr. Chas. W. Gibson
by name, got tired of a three quarter mile
stretch of bad clay road in his district and fixed
it up at a cost of twenty-four dollars so that it is
the best dirt road in the state.
Before it was made over this road was, like
most other dirt roads, lower than the ground
alongside of it, so that water couldn't get out of
it any way but evaporating. The evaporation
was slow and the teams had plenty of chance to
work the road into an impassable bed of puddled clay, about the right consistency to run
through a brick machine to make brick, but
pretty poor stuff to travel through.
But all that is changed. Now the road is never muddy in rainy weather and there is almost
no dust in dry weather. Mr. Gibson cut out the
brush along his road, plowed the sides, turned
the dirt in toward the center with a road grader
and made a good rounded grade of such a shape
that water readily found its way to the ditches.
But he went farther. He took the sod out of the
ditches and harrowed the soft newly made
grade to settle it and make it even. By going
over the road after every rain a little soft puddled clay was dragged toward the center to fill
the ruts. It can be kept in this mudless state for
an annual cost of three to five dollars per mile.
With superb weather as one of the inducements to people to come out last Monday, the Labor Day Celebration was a great
success in every particular. As early as eight
in the morning people began to gather in the
down town streets and when the bands began to play an nine o'clock, the street was
crowded.
Promptly an nine-thirty the line of march
was formed at the post office corner, the
order of march being, first the Delavan
Band, then the carpenters, masons East Troy,
band painters Y.M.C.A. Zouaves and a float
upon which an acrobat performed all sorts of
grotesque antics, then a clown mounted on a
zebra. Then followed citizens in carriages
and on foot. The procession went to the
park where the athletic sports took place.
The speech by Daniel Cruice was an eloquent one. He made a strong appeal to labor
union men to stand together and told them of
the power they could yield if the union label
was on the goods they purchased. He told of
child labor and of the darker side of the miserable existences that it led to.
In the applause that followed it was clear
that the audience made the application to our
own intrepid and loyal congressman Cooper.
[Sooo, in 1906 the Republicans were in favor
of unions. Mmmm.]
THE GREAT FAIR IS ON
Old Waterworth Doing Herself Proud.
Judging by the number of teams passing
through Lake Geneva every day, bound for
Elkhorn, it would seem that about every
body has gone to the fair.
The fair opens with the largest exhibition
of horses, cattle, hogs and poultry ever recorded on the books of the society. The largest single entry of poultry in the fair's history was made today by Nieman of Freeport,
who brought a car load containing 500 birds.
Since the close of the state fair the city has
been filled with exhibitors and fair followers
and accommodations are getting scarce.
LAKE GENEVA ENTERTAINMENT COURSE.
Winter's Program Opens October 22 with
a Splendid Array of Talent. Dates Fixed.
The Lake Geneva Entertainment Course
will open October 22 at Y.M.C.A. Hall with
the Kellogg Haines singing party. This
company is mentioned by the Slayton Bureau as being of specially high standard
from every point. The company offers concert programs from various English and
comic operas.
The second number in November is Senator Tillman of South Carolina, who will
speak on the "Race Problem." Senator Tillman's power as a public speaker and his
eccentric expressions have been widely published by the press.
Dr. .Herbert L. Willett, of the University of
Chicago, will deliver a lecture in January,
taking as his subject "The place of the Bible
in modern thought."
Also in January, Prof. Pearson, whose lecture upon "The child world", is a man of
great ability as a lecturer, and his power of
portrayal always holds his audience in rapt
attention.
In February the Schildkret Hungarian Orchestra will give an entertainment which
should be particularly pleasing.
Mr.
Schildkret himself is one of the greatest flute
soloists in the world.
stand by Messrs. Pettet and Peacock, and Mr.
Bucknall declares his intention to form a partnership with his brother Albert, who has been
an employee of the firm for two years, and will
open up in the same business as soon as a suitable room can be found. The firm of Pettet
Bucknall & Peacock has built up an enviable
reputation in business circles of Lake Geneva
and Whitewater.
There is a plan under consideration by Mrs.
H. E. Cobb to build a large modern store building on Broad street to be occupied by the
Bucknall Bros., as a dry goods store. The plan
is for a two story building 52x70 feet with all
the modern conveniences, the upper story suitable for a large hall or lodge rooms.
POLITICIANS PLOT THWARTED.
Thanks of School District Due for Firm Resistance.
It seems a desperate attempt was made by the
perniciously active politician and ex-president
of the school board, with the assistance of the
clerk and another member, to replace Superintendent of Schools, H. M. Snow.
Was a pliant tool for the American Book
Company and a few gangsters desired?
Had Mr. Snow incurred this deadly enmity
because he is more educator and less "good
fellow" (usable?) ?
Does the excellent record of his three years
work here count for nothing?
WAS THERE ANY DEMAND FOR CHANGE?
CHICKEN PIE SUPPER.
Moccasin Staff Will Give Feast at Congregational
Church Dining Room.
On next Tuesday night the members of the
Mocassin Dramatic Club staff will give a
chicken pie supper, the proceeds of which
will go for the benefit of the high school
paper.
The object is a most worthy one and the
boys extend a cordial invitation to all to
come to the Congregational church on Tuesday evening.. The y promise something so
good to eat that the feast will never be forgotten.
MENU.
Chicken Pie
Mashed Potato, Celery, Salad, Rolls
Brown Bread, Coffee, Cake, Jelly, Ice Cream
DRY GOODS FIRM CHANGES
Pettet, Bucknall & Peacock Dissolve
Partnership by Mutual Consent.
The popular dry goods firm of Pettet
Bucknall & Peacock has dissolved. Mr. H.
B. Bucknall retiring.
The business will be conducted at the old
Why then the intriguing, lying, maligning and
plotting to overthrow him and his grand work
for the Lake Geneva schools?
the thanks of the district are due Mr. Horace
G. Douglass, Hon. D. S. Allen and Mr. Ralph
Bucknall, members of the board, for their resistance to the unholy pressure brought to bear
upon them and for their firm stand to conserve
the best interests of the school.
LAST SUNDAY'S FIRES
A Number of Cottages at Elgin Camp Destroyed. Frank Krause's Residence burned
to the Ground.
CITY DEPARTMENT CALLED OUT.
The fire at Elgin Camp is supposed to have
started from a defective chimney and the cottages being all wood and dry as tinder burned
furiously. Of the four cottages which were
totally destroyed, two belonged to Mr. P. F.
Pettibone of Chicago, one to Mr. Hamlin of
Hamlin's Wizard Oil and one to Mr. F. C.
Thompson of Elgin.
There was no fire protection of any kind at
Elgin Camp and had it not been for the waterworks of R. T. Crane and the efficient help of
the help, the entire camp and Mr. Crane's boathouse as well, would have been destroyed.
ANNEXATION IS IN
SIGHT FOR CUBA
Palma Scorns the work of Taft and Bacon
So Far as it Has Gone.
LIBERAL OFFER IS REJECTED.
Havana, Sept. 26--It is declared on very
high authority that military intervention by
the United States in Cuba is certain. The
Moderate party, which six weeks ago was in
absolute control of every office in the island
nation, is determined to abdicate everything
and compel the United States to further intervene. All government officials there unite
in saying that if the rebels resist U. S. control, the Cuban army will co-operate with
the U. S. in every way possible. The real
feeling at the Palace is one of relief that the
adversaries of the government will not win,
combined with the satisfaction that the United States will be obliged to take over Cuba
indefinitely, and possibly forever.
[ Offered below, for the interest of the reader, are the titles of some articles for which
the LGOT has insufficient space.]
JUMPIN' JIMINY !!!
The Boil That Needs Lancing, and the
Whine; "It Hurts."
TWO BOWLING CONTESTS.
The Y. M. C. A. Boys Defeated at Elkhorn
and Elkhorn Defeated at Lake Geneva.
TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.
Test to Be Made at Madison for Benefit of
Farmers of State.
OAKWOOD LAUNDRY BURNS
Frame Building Completely Destroyed
During Gale of Wednesday - Main
Structure Not Endangered.
FISHERMAN ATTENTION!
Club To Be Organized To Promote Good
Fellowship And Foster Piscatorial
Interests.
PACKERS EXCORIATED
Statesmen Turn Loose Their Thunder and
the Cry is "a Bas le Big Six."
[ I have no idea ]
COAL CONFLICT
SEEMS CERTAIN
Men and Operators Are Convinced Great
Strike Cannot Be Averted
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE LAKE GENEVA NEWS.
-PUBLISHED BY-
LAKE GENEVA PUBLISHING COMPANY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TWO STEAMBOATS BURN.
Cleghorn Bros and Dr. Phillips' Steam Yachts Destroyed by Fire Friday Morning.
On last Friday morning the beautiful steam
yacht belonging to Cleghorn Bros and also the
Laroka owned by Dr. Phillips were tptally destroyed by fire.
When the flames were discovered there was
no possible chance of saving the boats and it
was only by the most strenuous efforts of a
dozen men that the boat house was saved. The
boats were in their cradles on the shore along
side of the Jerome Ingalls boat house where
they had been stored. The boats lay less than
50 feet from the house where $100,000 worth
of yachts and launches were stored.
The Laroka was a trim little craft purchased
last year by Dr. Phillips. The Cleghorn boat
built last year had not yet been named. The
origin of the fire is unknown.
THE FACE ON THE CENT.
It Is Not That of an Indian, But of a Pretty Little Girl.
Mrs. Sarah Longacre Keen, who lived and
died in Philadelphia, came nearer being the
queen of the American mint than any other
woman who ever lived. Her face as a girl of
twelve summers is to be seen on every American cent issued since 1836 from Uncle Sam's
coin factory.
It is usually assumed that the face on the head
side of the copper is that of an Indian, but a
closer look will reveal a Saxon profile. Just
borrow a cent and look at it. The setting is that
of an Indian.
Personal Mention
-- Mr. C. O. Stanley and wife were over
Sunday guests of Mrs. A. Streeter and family.
-- Miss Essie Nohelty who has been visiting relatives and friends here for the past
few weeks left for Glencoe last Thursday
afternoon.
-- Miss Beatrice McGraw is visiting relatives in Elkhorn.
-- John Agern, gardner at the Boyles place
on the south shore, has just returned from a
two weeks vacation.
-- J.M. Stork and Jas. Smith attended the
reunion of the 22nd Wis. Regiment at Union
Grove.
The C & NW Railway will run a special
train to Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 13,
leaving here at 6:45 in the morning and returning late in the evening. Round trip fare
$1.95.
Walter Smith was severely injured on Labor Day. In diving off the pier he struck
upon something in the water and fractured
two ribs, besides badly bruising his back. At
this writing he is able to be about again.
Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Crane went over to
Whitewater last Saturday morning and
brought Senator La Follette from there to
Elkhorn in their automobile. He spoke at
Whitewater in the morning and at Elkhorn in
the afternoon.
The Lake Geneva Old Times is sponsored and financially supported by the
Lake Geneva Historic Preservation
Commission. Each issue represents
one year of authentic old news. It is
free to the public. The public may obtain copies at the Geneva Museum,
Grandma Vickie’s Café, Dunn Lumber, Piggy Wiggly, Caribou Coffee & Starbucks.
Editor, Denny Teichow, 262-248-6313.