The Colfax County Press publishes a weekly column entitled Peeking into the Past, which is comprised of articles taken from earlier Colfax County Press files, written by Helen C. Evans. A special thank you to the Colfax County Press for allowing me to reprint those articles! The following are selections from that column:
November 7, 1905 - reprinted June 3, 1981When leaving town for home, Jos. Novotny of Stanton County had a runaway with his team of horses, throwing him from the wagon and breaking his right shoulder blade.
Jos. V. Fajman, 27, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. Fajman, passed away Nov. 1 after a short illness suffering only a few days with an attack of Bright’s disease. He was married about 3 years ago to Miss Emma Bohac, who with a little daughter, survive him.
The little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Vavrin, who was very ill, last week, is on the road of recovery.
Wm. Hahn has sold another five acre tract of land out of his addition in Clarkson to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ruzicka, who live northwest of town for the consideration of $150.00 per acre. They plan to build a modern home on the place and move to town.
The large time lock safe for use in the Farmers State Bank, arrived the first of the week and was placed in the bank vault for use. It weighs 8,400 pounds and our draymen were afraid to tackle the job of moving it for fear it would break down their wagons. Kopac Bros. agents for the Mitchell wagons, had not such fears and one of their wagons was run down to the car and the safe loaded and hauled to the bank.
Considerable husking has been done in this neighborhood and the yields reported to us run from 55 to 65 bushels per acre, making it one of the best corn crops raised in the history of the oldest inhabitant. Another thing, we do not remember a time when at this season of the year corn brought the price it is bringing today. The today’s price is 33 ½ cents per bushel. Certainly the farmer is enjoying a season of prosperity.
Folda and Mundil report the sale of section 21-21-2, which is part of the Bily ranch, to L.F. and Adolpf Folda of Howells. The land is known as the Red Front place and contains some of the best land on the ranch. Price paid was $50 per acre which is certainly cheap considering the quality and location of the land.
For some time Moore and Stodola have been having chickens killed in the chicken house in the rear of their place of business. Frank Crev lost a small flock of ducks and F.W. Noh several fowl. Wesley Moore came to the conclusion that a mink was doing the work and set a trap to catch the animal. For his efforts he caught a sleek mink, one of the largest we have ever seen. That particular mink has gone out of the chicken business and his hide will help pay some of the loss his firm suffered. He says some others would like to divvy on the money, but that he turns a deaf ear to their appeal, and says, "if they wanted that mink, why didn’t they catch him."
November 14, 1905 - reprinted June 10, 1981At the home of her daughter, Mrs. J.C. Chleboun, Mrs. Barbara Placek passed away at the age of more than 85 years of age.
Frank Miller has purchased the furniture stock from the Fajman Furniture store and will take charge of the business as soon as invoicing is completed.
John Janda, who farms the section place on the Bilky ranch owned by Novak & Sindelar of Howells, is certainly raising grain on the wholesale plan. He threshed out 5,000 bushels of oats and his corn crop should exceed 8,000 bushels.
Kopac Bros. have taken up the contract to grade several of our streets in town. They are using one of the county graders, with their traction engine for power. The way they make dirt fly is a caution. It is a great way to make roads and could be adopted by our commissioners in doing county work with profit. By the way, there are a lot of roads in the county that need attention.
About the meanest piece of spite work that has been called to our attention in many a day was played last night on John Pospichal. John had his well machine at the Louis Severa residence, in the south part of town, where he just installed a well, and some time Sunday night a party unknown went there and with a pair of heavy chilled steel clippers, such as blacksmiths use, cut out 20 spokes from the wheels of the machine, and not satisfied with that, he cut up some of the ropes used in lifting the boring apparatus. It is quite a loss to Mr. Pospichal, but he would be willing to lose twice as much if he could locate the fellow who did the job and give him a taste of the law.
November 14, 1905 - reprinted July 15, 1981About the meanest piece of spite work that has been called to our attention in many a day was played last night on John Pospichal. John had his well machine at the Louis Severa residence, in the south part of town, where he just installed a well, and some time Sunday night a party unknown went there and with a pair of heavy chilled steel clippers, such as blacksmiths use, cut out 20 spokes from the wheels of the machine, and not satisfied with that, he cut up some of the ropes used in lifting the boring apparatus. It is quite a loss to Mr. Pospichal, but he would be willing to lose twice as much if he could locate the fellow who did the job and give him a taste of the law.
November 28, 1905 - reprinted July 15, 1981Sons were born this week to Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Navrakal, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cerv and Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Drapela.