Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-09-06
FIRST LIST.

We have before us at this writing
the first premium list issued by the
Marathon County Agricultural society,
kindly loaned us by V. A. Anderson.
1t was published in 1877 in job office
conducted by the editor of this paper.
As relic it is valuable, and we know
of none other in existence. 1t is
small in stature" and can be carried
in the vest pocket. 1t contains
thirty-three pages of premiums and
advertisements. The premiums in it
are about as plentiful as the oysters
in church fair stew, and about as
liberal as is John d. Rockefeller. In
looking through them we find many
things which look queer in compari-
son with the S0ciety's present day
list. Glass /, Field and Garden Pro-
ducts, started out with winter wheat
and wound up with cabbage heads.
There we're some of the latter in the
county even in those days, it seems.
Glass 2, Household Products, started
with butter and went down the line
to "beSt sample of cured ham," Evil
IDENTIFY there was some epidemic
among hams that year. In Glass 3,
Domestic Manufactures, we find that
a premium is offered for the best
straw hat made at home. Glass 4
covered fancy needle work. In Class
3, Neat Cattle, but twelve premiums
were offered. The poor lumbermen
had no choice herds in those days.
The highest premiums were given
for oxen which earned their breakfast
food by hard labor. But ten prem
iums were offered for horses. Sheep,
swine and poultry were all punched
in one class Glass s, Fruits and
Flowers, covered everything from
blackberry wine to honey. Class 10,
Discretionary, is a sticker. 'ThiS
class includes all specimens and ar
ticles Of integrity, discovery or inven-
ton not named in other classes" In
our efforts to discover the meaning of
articles of integrity we have con
suited Dicter's webSionaTy, Homer's
llliad, the city directory and Life of
Buffalo Bill, but like Rome we have
fallen.
The peoples minds did not run to
boss racing in those good old days.
Seven prizes, aggregating SllO were
hung up in the year 1877 for races,
including scrub mule event. His
tory sayeth not whether any records
were broken that year, or whether
the lavish purses broke the society.
Glasses 12-l4 inclusive offered prizes
for the best base ball team, pigeon
shooting and foot racing. That was
the wind-up.
In many classes, or departments as
we call them today, no specific prem
iums are named. The matter of
awarding premiums was evidently
left to the discretion of the Judges.
Perhaps Glass 10, Discretionary
with its articles of integrity"
handled this matter.
The officers of the society that year
were, President, Aug. Kickbusch;
secretary, V. A. Anderson; treasurer,
Geo. Silverthorn; marshal, JOS Barn
nard. The superintendent of the
different departments were Geo. Rein
hart, John Merklein, Mrs +. Burdick,
r. e. Parcher, Geo. Casterline, +.
Sellin, ID. j. Murray, Gotlieb Plisch,
VIM. Zingler, Fred Kickbusch, H. L.
Wheeler, c. V. Bardeen, Geo. Steltz
and j. G. Clarke.
But the advertisements contained
in the little book form the most in
teresting part of it. They tell a story
OF bygone days; of people who took a
prominent part in the commercial
life of the little city thirty-three
years ago. Some are still following
the same line of business; some are
not, and great many have moved
away or crossed the Great Divide.
We have not the space to go into de-
tails concerning their advertisements,
but will merely mention their names:
G. +. Dunbar, jewelry; j. G. Bennett,
dentist; Henry French, dry goods;
A. Kickbusch, general store; II. P.
groceries; Dan Scott, stage
line; Mueller & Quandt, boots and
shoes: Jas. McCrossen & Co., general
X. S. Markstrum, paint
er; M. M. Charles, attorney; A. W.
Ziebell, surveyor; f. H. MORGAN,
drugs; Mueller & Bardeen, land
agents; d. B. Wylie, physician; Geo.
Bells, restaurant; John Schneider,
Silverthorn & Hurley, at
torneys; A. G. Clark, drugs; Winfred
Wylie, physicians: j. f. W. Becker,
architect; J. NJ. Smith, lands; Silver
thorn & Plumer, bankers; G. +. Ell
dred, attorney; Paul Riebe, barber;
John Adams, hotel; Fred Neu, furni-
ture; H. A. Frost, drugs; W. II.
Searles, physicians; O'Neill & Eldred,
Golf Bros, photographers;
John Sloan, saloon; j. A. Farnham,
banker; NJ. H. Barnum, editor; j. X.
Brands, justice of peace; Marathon
County bank; John Patzer, saloon; j.
A. Kellogg, attorney; Pat Delaney,
saloon; T. Bauman, hardware; Ely
Wright, iron works; r. II. Johnson,
editor; James & Crosby, attorneys;
V. Il. Anderson, bookkeeper; Adam
Groth, marble works; II. l.. Wheeler,
insurance: E. B. Thayer, job printing;
Heinemann Bros, dry goods; G. W.
news depot; 2. G. Clafin,