Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-04

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In March, 1898, four years ago, we
had the extreme pleasure of driving to
what is now Nekoosa with Geo. n.
| Wood. At that time there was no
| sign Of civilization but wild wooded
country. | remember that we turned
off the main-traveled road into the
woods, through a sort Of opening or
blind road, about where Gavin Young
residence now stands and stopped upon
the site where the Burns hotel is sit
uated. Here George Conley and crew
of men were erecting building which
is now used as the Sherman House
barn. Tuesday Of this week we drove
to the same place in the same company
we did four years ago and found a
Pulp, Paper and Sulphite plant in full
operation, which employs, all told,
about 300 men, and which has been
erected at Il cost of about $700000 It's
monument-the result of capital,
labor, industry and enterprise and indi-
Gates what can be accomplished when
they are united. The Hon.T E. Nash OF
Centralia is the man most responsible
for this great change. We also found
three general stores, owned and
operated by Messrs. VIM. Hooper,
Louis Guthlel and Brooks Bros; one
hardware by A. X. Kleberg; a Confec-
| tionary store by Peter Huber; two meat
markets owned by Messrs. John Nicol
| and the W. r. Blystone Co. one bar
Der shop the property of Billings Bros;
seven hotels and boarding houses, the
Grand View Hotel, Herrick House,
Taylor House, Hotel Curry, Sherman
| House, Nekoosa House, Meunier
| House; six saloons run by Messrs.
Richard Schiebe, Clofus Marceaux.
August Bentz, Frank Boles, Lutz &
Max Maxtrack, Zephron Lereaux; one
shoe and harness shop operated by c.
E. Thompson; one livery stable, the
property of Steve Stevens; a public
school building Of two departments
costing about $4,000; two churches, the
Congregational costing $4,000 and the
Lutheran costing about $1,000. Besides
these the village contains 116 residence
properties which shelter 147 families.
These homes are equal to the average
of any city while others would be a
credit to most cities. Rev. A. L. Nc
Clelland, pastor of the Congregational
church, and Rev. Bittner, of Grand
Rapids, who breaches every two weeks
IN the Lutheran church, look after the
spiritual welfare of the village; while
DR.. McGregor attends to the health of
its residents. Nekoosa is now the trad
ing center for farmers in southern
Wood county and northern portions Of
Adams, Juneau and Waushara.
While in the village Tuesday we
called at the Paper Company's office
where we found the President and
general manager Hon. T. E. Nash; his
able Lieutenant Joseph Thomas; book
keeper A. J. Freund and stenographer
Miss Susan Beeston, all busy with the
variety of work which has to be at
tended to in that office. At he close of a
short visit we were shown through the
Sulphite plant by the superintendent
of that department, Mr.. L. Gray, who
explained in detail the process of con-
verting Hemlock logs into Sulphite
pulp. The process is intricate and i'm
mense machinery is required. A de-
scription will be reserved for future
issue of the REPORTER. From this de-
partment we passed into the paper
machine rooms where we found Mr..
Gavin Young. superintendent of paper
making busy looking after the product
issuing from the three large paper ma