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 and Claudia Schuster for transcribing many of them! The following are selections from that column:
October 19, 1909 - reprinted January 24, 1990A half dozen cars of potatoes have been shipped fron this point. The crop was exceptionally large this year, and at forty cents per bushel is proving a paying one.
Jos. Suchy has bold the residence property in his addition to Clarkson, occupied by Frank Hejtmanek, jr., and family, to Mr. Hejtmanek for $1,300.
Chas. Knovalin of Howells sold a farm of 160 acres owned by him five miles northeast of this place to John Podany for $100 per acre.
After an illness of a few days, Willie, the beloved son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Siebert, succumbed to the effects of tetanus, his death having occurred at the family home in Wilson precinct.
Willie was at school as usual apparently in his usual health, but was ailing the following day. He had run a sliver into the palm of his hand, and the wound developed lockjaw.
Every possible effort was made to save his life, but the inevitable occurred after several days of hoping against hope, for from the very first the chances for recovery were against him.V. L. Prazak has disposed of his saloon business to his brother, Anton, who is now in charge of the same.
Jos. Krikac sold a farm of 160 acres, a few miles south of Lindsay, to John Mlnarik. The purchase price was $70 per acre.
Mrs. Emil R. Dudek has returned from her extended stay at Omaha and seems to have entirely recovered from the effects of the operation for appendicitis which she underwent. Mr. Dudek expects to return home some time this week.
Sanders Bros. of Howells have purchased the Jos. J. Fajman residence property in the southwest part of town and are having some repairs made to the same, including the painting of all of the buildings.
Joseph Indra and family, who have been making their home at Falifax, S.D., have returned to Colfax county and will again take up their residence on a Stanton precinct farm.
Jos. Krahulik is circulating a petition, which is being largely signed by the patrons of the office, asking for his reappointment as postmaster of Clarkson. This is being done in view of the fact that at the commencement of the next quarter, Jan. 1, 1910, the office will be in the presidential class. Our town has always been very fortunate in having accommodating and efficient postmasters, and none have given more general satisfaction than the present encumbent. So far he has no opponent and it is safe to predict that he will be appointed with opposition.
Mrs. Will Noh and children left for Buhl, Ida., to join Mr. Noh who left for that point several weeks ago.
F. W. Noh has had the two barns that stood on his lots just north of the city power house moved onto his property in the north part of town. The moving was done by John Pospichal.
Jos. Severa went to Omaha Saturday morning and was accompanied home in the evening by his wife who has been receiving treatment at one of the hospitals there. It is thought that she comes home much improved in health.
October 26, 1909 - reprinted January 24, 1990Wedding bells this morning announced the marriage of Miss Mary Kucera and Joseph Roloubek, the solemn pledge, "to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and health, in joy and in sadness," having been taken in the presence of a gathering of the relatives and a few of the intimate friends of the young couple at the Roman Catholic church at this place. The ceremony took place at nine o’clock, Rev. C. L. Zak having officiated.
Geo. Hagen has sold his White Steamer to Louis Faltys who will use the machine in his real estate business.
Dr. F. B. Schultz and Anton Karel returned from a few days’ hunt in Wheeler county. They got out twenty-five miles from a railroad and found ducks and chickens plentiful, so brought home with them a goodly supply of game. While there they stopped with Joseph Urban and wife, former Clarkson people, whom they found pleasantly located on a section farm. Mr. Urban is postmaster of an inland town known as Newboro.
"Billy the Barber", correst title, Wm. Svoboda, is nursing two boils on the back of his neck and it is a hard job for him to look pleasant.
V. L. Prazak is the owner of a fine new five-passenger, forty-horse-power Oakland auto, which he purchased at Omaha.
Emil R. Dudek, who was at Omaha for some weeks receiving medical treatment, returned home. He brought back with him a fine auto, a five-passenger, seventy-horse-power Northern car.
A daughter born last Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Ternes of Midland precinct.
Alois Chundelak went to Aberdeen, S.D., and filed for a claim in the land drawing.
A few weeks ago Frank Mundil quietly slipped away to Chicago and his friends have since surmised that when he returned it would not be alone, and sure enough he reached here accompanied by Mrs. Mundil, formerly Mary Tourek, to whom he was married in Chicago on Thursday last.
Anton Vais has disposed of his interest in the hardware and implement business conducted by the firm of Wolf & Vais to Jos. R. Vitek, and the change in the management of the business will take place as soon as an invoice of the stock can be made. Mr. Vais has made no definite plans for the future, but does not intend to leave Clarkson.
One day last week J. M. Mundil closed one of the largest land deals made in this locality for some time, having sold a section of the Wisherd ranch land—-the last of those lands now on the market. The consideration was $72.50 per acre, and the purchasers all got bargains. The following parties got 160 acres each: Anton Kunhart of Howells, Vaclav Severa of Heun, and Jon. Hajek and Jos. Brabec of this neighborhood.