From the files of the April 5, 1984 Ellsworth Reporter.

136 YEARS AGO

April 3, 1884

Father P.H. Brockard is organizing a choir for his church in this city. Miss Louisa Herzig is the organist.

Roger Cain of Cain City this county was in the city last Friday, and a caller at our office. He is deeply interested in the projected railroad through the southwest section of the county, and thinks the prospects good for the road being built. He also reports flattering prospects for heavy crops of wheat in his neighborhood.

The grocery firm of Sternberg & Rockwell successors to I.W. Phelps, are already busy from morning until night, selling goods.

Last Saturday forenoon while Mr. Lang was driving his team off of Smith’s elevator platform the tongue of the wagon ran into the muscle of the hind leg of one of the lead horses, inflicting a serious wound, from which there was great danger of lockjaw. Dr. F. Belknap, veterinary surgeon of this city, was called and took ten stitches in the wound. The horse has since gone home all right.

111 YEARS AGO

April 8, 1909

Last Saturday P.D. Miller, of Lorraine, sold three Velie touring cars, four cylinder, 30-H.P. Engines, to Ellsworth parties. They are to be delivered within a week or ten days. Mr. Miller is agent for the Velie and the Buick cars.

Minor’s Life-Saver Washing machine, now on exhibition in the room first door east of the Central National Bank, is the invention of Harry Minor, formerly a resident of this city. It is something new in the washing machine line, runs itself.

The doors to the entrance to the Majestic Theatre have been changed so that they now swing out. This will make it much more easy for people to get out of the building in case a fire should break out at any time during the performance.

86 YEARS AGO

April 5, 1934

March, which came in like a lamb, didn’t go out like a lion. Instead it retired in the guise of an old time politician. It threw mud. What was supposed to be rain Saturday night, was instead a shower of mud. An automobile mad shiny and bright for Easter emerged as if it had been trying to plow unpaved roads in the days before the drought. Some good rain fell in the north half of the county.

A severe dust storm raged over this section of Kansas Monday. Considerable dust was carried along on the wind. Reports stated that damage resulted to growing wheat.

Much interest has been shown by the students of the school in the local music contest this year. The clarinet solo will be “Schon Rosmarin” by Fritz Kreisler, and the winner will be chosen from the following players: Louis Kottman, Clarence Ogburn, Catherine Bartlett, Lawrence Hummel, Harold Vague, Franklin Jezek and Claude Williams. Cornetists will play “Lily Polka” by Vandercook and one will be selected from this group: Dickie Trubey, Joe Huna, Earl Dunmire, Howard Helm, Blanche Jelinek, Bernadine Svoboda, Loren Stroede, Richard Klema and Frank Polach. Those competing for the trombone title will be Charles Hajny, Mary Kirk, Leonard Lille and Elden Shupe. Entered in the boys’ high voice event are Louis Kottmann, Lawrence Hummel and Earl Dunmire; boys’ low voice, James Dryden, Harry Trubey, Irl Yeo, Gerald Yeo and Kenneth Bowers; girls’ high voice Freida Bornschein, Charlene Walker, Vera Choitz, Maxine McCaulley, Verna Warta and Edna Mae Shade; girls’ low voice, Arliene Carhart, Theressa Hopper, Mary Kirk and Leona Novak. The piano contest number is “Scherzo-Caprice” by John Thompson and will be played by Mary Gaston and Marjorie Shively. Arliene Carhart will be the only cello entry. ...

61 YEARS AGO

April 9, 1959

With the progress of Interstate 70 approaching this area from both the east and the west, preliminary checking and other work relative to definite plans is getting underway in this vicinity. Monday, Clark Steyer of the State Highway Department was in Ellsworth meeting with Engineer Leonard Loy and the county commissioners, to discuss possible changes in the interchanges and separations within the county along the route of the oncoming 70.

46 YEARS AGO

April 4, 1974

Monday marked the first day the new 55 mile per hour speed limit was strictly enforced, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Norman Snook.

41 YEARS AGO

April 5, 1979

G. Derril Gwinner and Alvin Erichsen won contested seats on the Ellsworth-Kanopolis Board of Education, and Ellsworth County overwhelmingly approved up to one mill tax levy for a nutrition program for the elderly Tuesday in the city-school general election. ...

36 YEARS AGO

April 5, 1984

Where do we go from here?

Ellsworth-Kanopolis school board members are asking themselves “what now?” after the 32-vote defeat of the district’s third bond issue proposal in four years.

According to Ellsworth County Clerk, Rudy Neuman, the official vote totals for the March 27 election were the same as the unofficial count. USD 327 voters, defeated the proposed $2.5 million construction project by a vote of 662-630.

Neuman said the district has 2,440 eligible voters, and only 1,292 voted in the bond election, a 53 percent turnout. The district is allowed two elections each year, one special election and one at the general election. The next possible voting date is at the general election in November.

Superintendent of Schools Bert Hitchcock said he was disappointed in the failure of the bond issue to pass. “It’s disappointing, but it’s also heartening because the vote was so much closer that either of the previous elections.

But despite the narrow margin of defeat, “It still means we’ll be going to school in a 1917 building,” Hitchcock said.

Czech language classes in Wilson

Have you always wanted to speak some Czech, like your ancestors, and learn more about your cultural heritage? Here’s your chance, while qualifying for some college credit hours.

Conversational Czech Language Classes will be offered in Wilson beginning about May 10 and continuing two nights a week for six or seven weeks, advised Bob Malir Jr., Wilson.

“No background in the language is needed,” said Malir. “All ages start from the beginning.”

The Wilson Chapter-Wilson Czechs, Inc., and the Wilson Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the classes, provided by the University of Kansas Slavic Department, Lawrence, with Dr. Gerald Mikklson, Director, Miluse Saskova-Pierce and Charles Kulp, assistants.

The class to be offered in Wilson will be taught by Mary Lou Stika, a Marion County native. She is a graduate of the KU program with three years study at Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Most important to teachers and college students, the course will qualify for three hours credit.

Enroll at Malir’s Insurance Agency, Wilson, as soon as possible and prior to April 15, in order that texts can be ordered. The class will be limited to 25 students. Another course might be offered later if there is enough interest, advised Malir.

“We’ve had numerous requests for Czech language classes over the years. So here is the chance to enroll,” he said. “Czech classes used to be taught in Wilson, but the last ones were held close to 50 years ago.”