The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-02-11


to crawl up beside the general and
there to rest his head.
Through the afternoon general and
private rested there both suffering
from their heavy wounds, side by side.
night stole on and the long night
dragged through. When another day
dawned the generous.hearted general
had found relief from his suffering and
had gone to the land that knows no
war. He had died beside the private
whose life he had saved.
The name of that general is no doubt
written prominently in the history of
the United States, But who he was
the wounded private beside was never
able to learn.
That night was terrible one. Out
side terrific thunderstorm came up
and beat down upon the thousands of
dead and wounded soldiers with its
torrents. And while W. A. Modem
hauer lay protected within. he could
hear all through the long night the
cries and means of the men lying out
on the ground in the storm, unable to
move on account of their wounds.
1t was nine days before the wounds
Of this man were dressed. And he
survived in spite of that.
rs Cents for Coffee.
For three weeks he lay in that hos
pital. Then he was traded back to
the union army in return for prisoners
held by them. One day during that
period confederate soldier came
around with cups of coffee, which were
eagerly bought at seventy-tive cents
each. The food consisted mainly of
| flour and water. At the end of the
three weeks Mr.. Moldenhauer was
moved to the home of General Lee,
which had been converted into a hos
pital Here he remained three weeks
and then, on a freight car, he was
transferred TO the Chestnut Hill hos
pital, Philadelphia. 1t was severe
ride, and the Earring over freight
trucks was no pleasant experience for
men with wounds. Following that ride
Mr.. Moldenhauer suffered an attack of
fever, and one night it was thought
that he was dying.
After he had partly recovered he
asked for a furlough, but was told that,
owing to the fact that so many sol
diers who had secured furloughs had
never returned, the government was
shutting down on these and dis.
charge would be simpler matter. So
he took discharge and, with still an
open wound, returned to his mothers
farm in Wisconsin.
After a year on the farm, Mr.. Mol
denhauer went to Fond du Lac and
worked for a hotel A year later he
returned to his trade and established
himself in business at Juneau; in 1866
he was married, and in 1870 came tC
Norfolk
w. a. Moldenhauer came to Norfolk
because of the German colony that had
came from Watertown and who had
founded the town. From Herman
Braasch, who laid out the TOWNSHIP he
bought lot across the street from the
Touring mill. Here he built home
and in this house piled his trade unit
eighteen years after when he built his
store.
The Moldenhauer house and the j
s. McClary house were started the sell
same day, within an hour of one an
other. Mr.. McClary led by that mar
gin. Both almost built on Braascf
avenue, but didn't.
= A man named Marsh conducted the
"Stovepipe" hotel on Braasch avenue
He declared Braasch avenue would BIZ
the main street of the town and Nc
Clary and MOldenhauer had both Sc
lected sites on Braasch avenue, read!
to start building next day. Next morn
ing Mr.. Moldenhauer found the Nc
Clary lot deserted and the lumbe
transferred to lot on Norfolk avenue
He was glad, for he preferred Norfolk
avenue. and Immediately transferred
his deed.
W. A. Moldenhauer was a member
Of st. Paul's German Lutheran churcl
] from the time he reached Norfolk
when the church was small building
until now, when its new home is tn,
: finest church in all this northwest
costing between $4,000 and 100000
! He was a member of the school board
in connection with the parochia
school.
At the age of Is Mr.. Moldenhaue
began learning his trade as a shoe
maker. In those days the trades Were
: entered by more boys than today, since
there was little machinery and hant
? work was absolutely essential.
The first half dollar earned by hin
!. was in trapping quail. He sold th'
birds in town for fifty cents, havin!
caught them in trap made by him
self. With his first half dollar he lief
= home to make his way. AT OconomO
l woe he secured work, and at wage
+ that look small from the present-da.
viewpoint. II was for fifty cents a da.
!. that he labOred there at his trade
+ Then he worked in the harvest fell
2 at $l3 per month and later made, witt
. four others, 500 building a plank roat
2 near Lake Superior, in Michigan. Tha
: was big money in those days, too. Al
ter that the young man worked a bi
at his trade, then worked on a farm
$ couple of winters in order that h
IL. - M. +