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 them! The following are selections from that column:
July 6, 1909 - republished August 17, 1988Chas Jedlicka and wife have a son born at their home in Wilson precinct.
The eight o’clock closing law went into effect in Clarkson without a ripple. The saloons are also closed on Sunday. All of which is as it should be.
John Sajatovich, foreman of the Clarkson section, is out on the road for a few weeks with a gang of Greeks leveling tracks, grading, etc. During his absence Anton Herodes is in charge of the section here.
Lightning struck the barn on the old Denslow place northwest of town, owned by Ed Arnold, and made a wreck of the roof of the building besides killing a valuable horse belonging to Jos. F. Cerny, who has the place rented. At about the same time on the adjoining farm, another bolt killed a cow belonging to Jos. Krofta.
Relatives here of John Bukacek, Jr. of Turtlelake, N.D., were apprised of the death of his wife which occurred that day at their North Dakota home. Emil R. Dudek, whose wife is John’s sister, went to Schuyler the following morning to take the train to Turtlelake to attend the funeral.
John is the son of Mr. and Mrs.John Bukacek of this place, and the family was greatly surprised to hear of the lady’s death as a card was received from her by them last week in which she said that all was well with them. They were married less than three months ago on the 17th of April. In his great bereavement, Mr. Bukacek has the sympathy of his many Clarkson friends.
A daughter was born to Jos. Nemec and wife.
Tomorrow a party consisting of Dr. F.B. Schultz, Emil R. Dudek and Joseph G. Vosacek will leave for northern Wisconsin, where they will go into camp for a few weeks and enjoy the fine fishing that abound in that section.
Gus Koza has purchased the Jos. Suchy livery property for the consideration of $2,500. It’s a good piece of property and owning it beats paying rent.
The Woeppel boys returned from their trip to Chicago, where they had been with a special train of 12 cars of cattle, fed at their farm northwest of Clarkson. In the shipment was a bunch of 100 “baby beef” steers and heifers from 12 to 14 months old that averaged in weight 717 pounds and sold for $7.20 or a little over $50 per head.
The remainder of the shipment, 130 head of heavy beef, sold for $6.95. There is money in feeding that kind of cattle even if corn is worth 60 cents a bushel.
Emil R. Dudek accompanied his father-in-law, John Bukacek, to Omaha, where the latter expected to enter a hospital and undergo an operation, but his condition was such that the hospital physicians advised against an operation and he was sent to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, in the hopes that the healing waters of the springs there will prove beneficial.
Mrs. Peter Ternes of Midland precinct took the train from here for Albion, where she was called by the serious illness, with appendictis, of her granddaughter, Miss Henrietta Noh. The last reports from there convey the information that she is in very critical condition. As we go to press, we are informed that Henrietta died this morning at 8 o’clock.
Will Noh sold his interest in the livestock business so long conducted by Noh Bros., to his brother, Fred. The change in ownership will take place on Sept. 1.
July 13, 1909 - republished September 14, 1988John Koza has sold five lots owned by him in the south part of town to his son, John, for the consideration of $1,000.
If nothing happens the Woeppel boys, who never do things in halves, will raise their full share of the grain that made Nebraska famous having a little over 600 acres in corn.
Clarkson markets: Good milling wheat $1.16, rye 65 cents, corn 61 cents, oats 47 cents, eggs 17 cents, butter 18 cents, hogs $7.20.
Frank Jirous and wife returned from a trip to Texas, where Frank owns a fine half section of land. He was so well pleased with the conditions there that he made a further investment in real estate. He says on the return trip he saw much grain in Kansas and Missouri that was ruined by floods.
Gus Koza and Anton Prazak made a trip to Wasta, S.D., where Gus has a farm and where Anton may decide to invest in real estate.
while making some repairs to a barn on his farm, southeast of Clarkson, Wenzel Telecky fell from a ladder and sprained and bruised his left foot so severely that it is necessary for him to use crutches for the time being.
Suchy Bros. opened a billiard and pool hall in the hall building owned by the Storz Brewing Co. The boys have four good tables, and as the saloons have disposed of theirs they have for the present a monopoly on the business.
Jos. Zelenda has sold his residence property and six acres of land, in the southwest part of town, together with his dray and express business to Frank Hegr, to give possession of the same the first of next January. The deal was made for $4,850.
Work on the cement block building which Ed Kutin is to build for Alois Tomes commenced Friday. The same is to be 25 x 100 feet, one story and basement, and will be completed and made ready for use by September 1, when it will be occupied by Wacha & Bos with their stock of general merchandise.
It will be the first cement block building erected in Clarkson, but Mr. Kutin has a contract for two more, a saloon building for Mr. Tomes and one for Jos. Slama, work on which will be commencing soon.A class of nine young people south and southeast of town, were confirmed at Zion Presbyterian church. The services were conducted by the Rev. Svoboda. Those confirmed were Frances Musil, Agnes Vraspir, Bessie Novotny, Stazie Sterba, Annie Zrust, Anton Bukacek, Blahoslav Novotny, Bohuslav Novotny and Blahoslav Svoboda.
July 20, 1909 - republished Oct. 26, 1988Louis Faltys reports the sale of an unimproved 80 acres owned by Emil R. Dudek, and located one mile southeast of town to John Faltys for the consideration of $137.00 per acre. This is pretty near a topnotcher for unimproved farmland.
J.D. Wolf sold the 240 acre farm that he, his brother, Frank and his brother-in-law, Anton Vais, have owned south of Stanton for a few years, getting $62.50 per acre for it. This is an advance of $25 per acre over what they paid and makes them a handsome profit on the investment.
On Wednesday last week E.H. Koza and Phil Swoboda left for Twin Falls, Idaho, to have a look at the irrigated lands of that section. Ed has a claim there, which he drew at the time of the Twin Falls-Salmon River opening, as also have a number of others here. Before returning to their home, the gentlemen will also visit points in Washington and Oregon.
Jos. Cibulka purchased the hardware and furniture business of Wenk & Co. at Leigh and will take charge of the business Sept. 15. He will be assisted in conducting the business by his son, Louis, who has resigned his position with the Crowell Lumber & Grain Company and went to Leigh yesterday to enter the store and get the run of things.
The men who labor on the Clarkson section were much pleased when they were informed that their wages had been raised to $1.50 per day. We understand a similar raise has been made on all of the lines of the North Western in Nebraska.
July 27, 1909 - republished November 30, 1988The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Nemec died last night.
Mrs. Anna Musil has sold the acre farm owned by her a few miles southeast of town, to her son, Frank, receiving $85 per acre for it.
Louis Faltys sold the Frank W. Nykodym farm of 120 acres to Vaclav Rehak for $110 per acre, and at the same time sold the Rehak farm of 160 acres to Mr. Nykodym for the same price per acre.
Word comes from South Omaha that Mrs. Frank Lopour, who underwent surgery there, is improving and will return home soon.
Joseph Urbanek arrived from his homestead in Wasta, S.D., and will remain here until the threshing season is over, and run a traction engine for his brother, Frank.
Some of our farmers have commenced threshing their winter wheat and good yields have been reported. A 40-acre field on the John Faltys farm made a little better than 25 bushels per acre. Jos. J. Fillipi had a 24-acre piece that turned out 750 bushels, and Ed Noh of Midland precinct 20 acres that yielded 650 bushels. It is such crops as these that help to make farm lands in this part of Nebraska worth $100 per acre or more.
John Novotny and Mary, his wife, who make their home on a farm a few miles northwest of this place are heavy and sore of heart owning to the death of their only child, a bright young man of 17 years. Frank had only been sick for a few days when on Friday last the death angel came and took his spirit to dwell with Him who gave it. Funeral services were held Sunday from the Catholic Church here. Rev. Zak officiated and internment was in the Clarkson cemetery.
Work is under way for the foundation for the cement block building that Jos. Slama will build on the corner where he has been engaged in the saloon business for so many years. The removal of the old building was completed by John Pospichal and it now stands in the street south of its old location where it will continue to be used until the new building is completed.
E. H. Koza and Phil Swoboda returned from their trip to Idaho, both being very well pleased with the western country. Ed owns an 80 acre place near Twin Falls which has advanced $10 per acre in value in the past few months. Both filed for claims in a new irrigated district that is being opened in that locality for settlement. While in Idaho the boys met F.W. Ruzicka, formerly of this place, now in the banking business at Wendell. They found him prospering and much pleased with the country.
Will Noh, accompanied by his wife, went to Omaha where the following day she underwent an operation for appendicitis at the Methodist hospital. She stood the ordeal well and soon recovered from the shock of the operation. When Will left Omaha three days later, the doctors assured him that his wife would be able to return home in a short time.
Adolph Filipi commenced excavation for the new Tomes saloon building, which is to be a cement block structure.
Emil Kominek and Jerry Hanel returned from Gregory county, S.D. They were well pleased with the country and made an investment there, and will continue to farm here where good crops are always the rule.
J.M. Mundil has sold 160 acres of the Wisher ranch lands to Jos. Nagengast of Howells.