News From This Week’s Past: Pipe Smokers Cause Accidents

All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.

The Expositor Independent

February 28, 1879

At Washington Island they pay their school teacher fifty dollars per month. A good teacher is worth that.

Weekly Expositor Independent

February 26, 1886

Mr. Fred Schuyler had the misfortune to lose a valuable horse Friday morning while crossing Green Bay on the ice. The accident was caused by the team getting into a crack in the ice, near Chamber’s Island. The crack at this place is over four feet wide and a dangerous and ugly place to cross. Mr. Schuyler had his hands badly frozen while trying to rescue his team.

The Democrat

March 1, 1894

The steam drilling outfit belonging to Bowe Bros. began work today on a well for John Goserud, of this city. The use of steam instead of horse power for well drilling is just being tried by our local well drillers and the change seems to be a good one. Bower Bros. purchased their outfit from Scofield & Co., and it works very nicely.

Door County Democrat

February 29, 1908

Jos. and Jule Delfosse, Antone Virlee and Frank Jenquinette, all farmers from the Belgian settlement, brought in 350 bushels of Durham or Macaroni wheat to the Sawyer grist mill on Monday. Those who have raised this variety of wheat claim that it does very well in this county and the millers state that it makes a fine quality of flour with very little waste.

Door County News

February 27, 1919

THIRTY-SECOND COMING HOME

Dispatches from Washington state that the War Department has announced the dates on which the several army divisions now doing duty in Germany will be relieved and sent home and among them is the Thirty-second, which is scheduled for leave on april 15th.

As most of the Door county and other Wisconsin boys are members of this famous division it is most gratifying news to receive.

Their places are to be taken by the regular soldiers of the U.S. army. It is hoped that they will come home in a body so that they can be given the reception they deserve.

Door County News

February 28, 1928

Goff Would Protect Arbutus, Lady Slippers

Legislative horticulture in the springtime is proposed in a bill by Assemblyman Moulton B. Goff, of this city, who would direct the conservation commission to preserve and protect trailing arbutus and white lady slipper plants in the spring.

Door County News

February 24, 1938

Proof to Statement ‘Pipe Smokers Cause Accidents,’ Lacking

Pipe-smoking motorists have a champion in the State Highway commission of Wisconsin. There is absolutely nothing in state records to substantiate the claim, made in a Milwaukee newspaper, that 38 per center of persons involved in accidents were smoking pipes, and 44 per cent were wearing derby hats, the State Highway commission said.

Not a single 1937 accident is shown on state records to have been caused directly or indirectly by the pipe-smoking habits of drivers. And state records don’t indicate that derby hat fans are more reckless than those who ear muffs or winter storm caps. Many drivers who get into wrecks were “canned up,” but few were wearing “iron hats.”

Motorists who turn around to spank a youngster riding in the back seat, or to slap at the family dog that is barking challenges to pedestrian canines, cause more accidents than the motorist who grips a favorite corncob or briar between his teeth.