News: Chili (9 Feb 1917)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Dankemyer, Geldernick, Johnson, Hoffman, Neinas, Portz

----Source: Granton News (Granton, Clark County, Wis.) 02/09/1917

(Last Weeks Items)

January is gone again and we can give it a credit mark for good sharp winter weather.

This week Friday will be the annual meeting of the Chili Cooperative Produce Co.  Election of some officers and other business will be transacted.

Somebody driving along the east side of the potato house turned over a big 8 h.p. engine standing on blocks into the snow and left ti there without notifying the owner of said engine or trying to righten the engine.  There is no driveway where the engine stands or rather now lies.  That person, whoever it was, certainly showed the white feather, or else would have said or done something to make it right.

Fred Dankemyer is still hauling ice for the different businessmen around Chili.  He expects to be done soon.  Snow is getting quite deep for hauling.

Frank Geldernick commenced hauling bolts to Chili.

Mrs. Johnson at Nasonville celebrated her 90^th birthday last Sunday.  She is one of the oldest pioneers of this part of the country.

There was another good snow storm beginning Tuesday night.  The end was not in sight yet Wednesday afternoon.  There arrives the question, will this get into print this week.  Anyhow the boys at school seem to have a lot of fun out of the storm.

Jake Hoffman had a chimney fire Wednesday morning, which did no harm though.

Oscar Neinas made the trip from Granton to Chili Wednesday in the record breaking time of 4 hours, 2 ½ minutes. That is going some.

(This week’s items)

The winter backed up for a new start last week and gave us the best it could in February.  The ground hog got disgusted and turned right back on Friday, expecting some real winter weather.  We did get it on Saturday and Sunday.  There are not many winters to beat this one for average cold.

The Chili Cooperative Produce Co. held their annual meeting in the M.W.A. Hall last Friday.  In spite of the cold weather there were quite a number of interested farmers.  Three directors were elected.  The business done by the company was of a size never expected to be when the company was formed.  The amount of business ran up to $31,000 and above.  It has grown beyond expectations.  There will be a special meeting held to consider the increase of capital stock to $10,000.  The original stock has been about sold, and business had been done so far on borrowed money.  Chili and our town can look with pride upon this business enterprise.  Though we all have done our share towards building up this business, Herman Portz is due the most credit for the success of it.

We did not get mail of any kind for several days, consequently we were dumfounded when the papers told us Monday afternoon about the breach of relations with Germany.  Still we all hope very sincerely that events will not cause our government at Washington to take the next step of declaring war on Germany.  Though we are American citizens, those of foreign descent or born in foreign countries certainly would regret it very much if we should have to fight old friends and relatives.  Still as Vereck from New York says: "If it come to sympathy of a German between England and Germany, it still will be Germany first, but if it should be between United States and Germany, it would be United Sates first, though it would cost us great grief."

The annual meeting of the Chili State Bank was held Monday afternoon.  The directors were all re-elected with one exception.  Herman Portz was the new director.

About the whole Chili male population was out shoveling since for the railroad these days.