Surnames: Klouda

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 11/20/1941

Klouda, Carl (20 NOV 1941)

(Carl Klouda, Veteran Blacksmith, Retires after 55 years of service)

Carl Klouda, 68 years of age, in business in Thorp since Nov. 20, 1903, has announce his intention of retiring from active service in his chosen trade, and will take a well earned rest.

Mr. Kouda is one of the "old stand-bys" of the community and no job of iron-work, be it rough or of the most intricate sort, was too hard for him to handle. His decision to discontinue his shop will be sharply felt by the farmers and patrons whom he has served during the past thirty-eight years.

Carl Klouda was born in Drasow, Moravia, Austria, on Dec. 28, 1872. He started as an apprentice of Joseph Brandstater, Master Blacksmith, Toolsmith, etc., in Oct. 1886, in Vienna, Austria. On Sept. 15, 1889 Mr. Klouda received his masters license covering the trades of blacksmith, nailsmith, locksmith, toolsmith, and scales and weights expert. He plied his trade in the cities of Europe until he secured a position as fireman and machinist on a boat sailing on the Blue Danube River from Pasan to Galatz Brailer, where he worked for seven years. The next year (1903), he came to America and Thorp. Mr. Klouda spent an interesting life of adventure and hardships in the old country whose customs and liberties he freely discusses, and since becoming an American Citizen, has kept himself thoroughly informed of the United States and the world by extensive reading of newspapers and magazines, and discussion with well informed citizens.

Mrs. Klouda passed away in 1934. Their two sons followed in the footsteps of the father and Charlie, the elder, is employed as an auto mechanic in Sheboygan, Wis. William is with Uncle Sam’s Army in Alaska, as aircraft mechanic.

Following are a few remarks by Mr. Klouda:

This year ends one hundred seven years of Public Service of two Wiena Schoser Masters. My master started in 1834 and worked until 1889, and I started in 1886 and kept on until 1941. In 1889, my master sold out and made me free of my contract. On Sept. 15 of that year he handed me my Lehr Brief and Wander Book and said "stick to it as long as you live and if you hammer iron and steel for 55 years as I did, you will have the right to go in the Burgers home (poor house)," so you see thing were not bright to start with.

I left the city of Wenigror? old Windabona and traveled from oen corner to another all over the Orient, way up to Moscow and didn’t find what I was looking for so I got a notion to swim across the ocean to Honolulu, but landed in Thorp instead. Here I intend to stay until the undertaker gets ahold of me.

The Village Blacksmith, under a chestnut tree, got his first "Urlaub" in 55 years. According to ministerial order he should have 30 days vacation every year, but he saved hi time until now, that’s all he did save. Now I have 55 months vacation due me and I’m going to take it too. Maybe by the time it is expired I’ll be on the fox farm.

I want to thank everyone for their patronage during my years here. I mention a few of my Schutz Angels (benefactors):

Geo. Burke corrected me; the Garrison family recommended me; Wm. Wagner advertised me; John Roth give the start of $150 to build my shop; Wm. Krause and Mike Wiltgen protected me wherever there was need of it; Johannes Schmidt reached out a helping hand whenever I was sliding backwards, he was my first customer, and I worded for that gent from 1905 to 1941. One was an Irishman, two Englishmen, one dutchman, one an old railroad man, one a Preuse, on a Luxemburger, one a Hollander and Charlie Berkowitz warned me he was a Galizian Israelite. There you have it all complete so you see I had all nations interested in my life’s journey full of adventure and hardship.