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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Reminiscences of Ernest M. Wood
1921
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Nov 13, 2013, 3:05
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“Hier werden zaehne
ausgezogen; geschroepft,
und zuer
Oder
gelassen.”
(Here
will teeth be pulled; cupping, and blood letting)
Such was the sign over the entrance of Werner’s
barber shop which stood
in the middle of Rock River on the north side of Main Street bridge in 1860.
In addition to his skill in the practice of medical science Mr. Werner was a skilled barber, a manufacturer of wigs, and most beautifully wrought woven hair work; and he operated the only public bath apparatus in the whole city.
I call it an apparatus because it consisted
of a cage about 12-foot square which could be lowered into Rock river to any
depth which the bather desired and really was a practical device for the benefit
of the great body of migrating citizens who seldom took advantage of the bath
room. And yet it is perhaps amazing to
think that in the whole city there were no bath tubs until many years later. One of the citizens still living who
was a pupil of this institution is Frank Trzscinski [Trzcinski] who continues the making of wigs and weaving of
hair, on the corner of Main and Third Street at the present time [1921].
It seems strange that at this period of time it was necessary or even desirable to put buildings along BOTH sides of the bridge. The north side buildings housed the store where the late William Sproesser learned the jewelry trade under the tutorship of his father, Gambel’s saloon, Werner’s barbershop, a candy store, and a milliner’s shop; on the east was Kniesel’s butcher shop; south side of the bridge in the edge of the water, next to Tim Moore’s candy store, was Mrs. Heep’s milliner shop; in the middle of the river F.P. Brook’s confectionary, and at the east edge of the river Jos. Salick’s jewelry store.
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When Richmond was taken in 1865 the late Mrs. Martha Weisert (nee Lester) was an apprentice in Mrs. Heep’s store and made rosettes out of red, white and blue
ribbon for the boys to wear for the celebration of the event;--the
writer still has remnants of the rosette which he wore at that time.
The little back room of Peter Brook’s confectionary
store grew into a sort of open forum for the informal
discussion of current events, ancient and modern history, politics, and some
gossip. Many of the bright lights of the little city;--business
and professional men and regular hangers on congregated here on winter evenings
and while they sat around the warm cheerful fire, consuming quantities of
apples, peanuts, or sweet cider, they would enter into discussions or arguments
which many times proved very interesting. One evening a certain subject was
under discussion until its merits and demerits had become exhausted and no one
was satisfied with their conclusions, so in order to
settle the controversy the assembled company agreed to refer the subject to
Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, for his decision.
Accordingly, Mr. Brook wrote to Mr. Greeley explaining
the situation and asking the favor of a reply. In due course of time a reply
came from Mr. Greeley, presumably explaining his views on the subject in
question, but no one who ever looked at that letter could make head or tail out
of it. It was undoubtedly in Mr. Greeley’s handwriting and likely a very
courteous reply, but his decision was undecipherable. Mr. Brook had the letter
framed and kept it on exhibition as long as he
remained in business.
Derived from "Reminiscences of Ernest Wood"
published in 1921
Mr. J.B. Van Alstine kept a hotel on the northeast corner of Main and
First streets called the “Exchange.” In this modest appearing building was
rendered the very best service that a practical caterer could supply.
At meal
time it was the custom of the proprietor to pace back and forth in front of the
hotel ringing a large dinner bell to call the people in. He invariably wore a
tall silk hat and usually walked with a cane. The sidewalk was paved with brick
and the constant travel over it, in time, wore the bricks down to a third of
their original thickness.
Mr. Van Alstine’s exacting disposition and strict honesty made
every detail of his caravansary a joy and comfort to the traveling public. This
same disposition would brook no deceit or dishonest practices on the part of
others.
The bread
for his table was made from the best winter wheat flour and was purchased in five or ten barrel lots. On one occasion he ordered a supply
from the miller who made, but just at this time no winter wheat was on hand, so
the miller sent in its place a first class flour made of Spring wheat, and
“Van” used it up without knowing the difference until the bill came in for
payment, when the lower price of the Spring wheat flour called his attention to
the fact that he had not been supplied with the kind of flour he had ordered;
it made him so angry that he nearly threw the miller out of the house and
ceased to patronize him thereafter.
On another
occasion a man sold him a load of firewood and was piling it up in the yard to
be paid for by the cord—128 cubic feet. Mr. Van Alstine
was watching him through a window. The man laid the sticks of cordwood in such
a manner that there were many holes in the pile which made the quantity appear
much larger than it really was. When the job was finished Mr. Van Alstine went out and furiously asked the man “How many of
those holes in that woodpile it would take to cook a man’s breakfast,” and
further added, “I’ll give you just 15 minutes to get that load on your wagon
and out of this yard, or you’ll have some assistance in getting out.” The man
went out in the allotted time.
William Chappel, a constant boarder at the “Exchange,” was
something of an epicure, also a Yankee and fond of baked beans. This, however,
was a dish which was not served at the “Exchange” tables, but “Bill”, as he was
familiarly called, got into the good graces of Mrs. Van Alstine
and she told him if he would get someone to cook the beans that she would have
them served, as she never had cooked beans and wouldn’t try at her time of
life. So “Bill” went out and bought a peck of beans, had them picked over by
the dining room girls, and sent them to a bakery to be put to soak, then the
pork and seasoning to be added and put into the old fashioned
brick oven the last thing at night to be baked.
“Bill” was
there in the morning to get the beans; they had swollen to over a bushel in bulk so he got a boy with a wheelbarrow to take them to the
hotel kitchen. Mrs. Van Alstine held up her hands in
horror and says “What will we ever do with all these
beans, Mr. Chappel?”
Of course Chappel knew he could not
eat all that mass of beans, but being a lawyer and quick witted he answered “O,
put them on the tables, the rest of the guests will like them.”
Mrs. Van Alstine did so, and was not only
relieved but amazed at the rapacity of her guests for those beans. In two days time they were all gone, and
in a few more days the guests were inquiring for more
beans, but neither Mr. Chappel or Mrs. Van Alstine attempted it again.
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Wood, Ernest M |
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Wood, Ernest M |
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Wood, Ernest M |
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Wood, Ernest M |
History of Watertown, Wisconsin