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Douglas County Past: Beer returns to Superior after 14 years; Police seek to ID body found in RR car

From the April 7, 1933 Telegram: "Hundreds were on hand to welcome the beer. Cars lined Third street for three blocks on both sides of the street. Hundreds of cars drove back and forth in front of the warehouse carrying persons who stayed up to celebrate the occasion."

Douglas County Past graphic
Gary Meader / Duluth News Tribune

April 7, 1923

Refrigerator car victim may be local man

Officials of the Northern Pacific railway have called upon local authorities for assistance in determining the identity of a man whose body was found in the bunker of a refrigerator car in the Hinckley yards last Tuesday. The cooperation of the local police was asked after investigation indicated that the man may have come from Superior.

The footprint of the Grand Foot Path in Douglas County

The dead man is described as about 35 years of age and weighing approximately 200 pounds.

The body was found in one end of the car in a bunker used during the winter to house charcoal stoves which heat the car. It is thought that the fumes from the burning charcoal asphyxiated the man who was stealing a ride in the car.

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It is thought that the man fell asleep in the bunker and was killed by the gas before he was sufficiently awake to realize his danger.

April 7, 1933

Ten ounces is price over bar

Beer came back to Superior in the early hours Friday.

For 14 years many of the city’s residents have longed for a return of the foamy beverage. The celebration of its legal return was a prolonged one, but was orderly throughout.

040723.N.ST.Past.Keg.jpg
First keg of legal beer in 14 years arrives in Superior. It was rather a raw cold morning but there was a crowd on hand to watch the unloading of the first truckload of legal beer seen in Superior in 14 years. The first keg to be brought here is shown being unloaded at the rear of the Fitger warehouse, 1617 Third street. Two hundred kegs and 1,600 cases were transferred from trucks to the warehouse and from the warehouse to various parts of the city during early Friday morning hours. Hundreds of kegs and thousands of cases were being distributed throughout the city during the day to meet the opening day rush. April 7, 1933 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

Police did not receive a single report of a violation of city laws. There was a lot of beer consumed after 12:01 a.m.

Superior got its beer from Duluth, the first of the Fitger trucks leaving the brewery in Duluth shortly after 12:01 and the first arriving here at 12:20. Eight trucks, three carrying kegs and the others cases of beer, came to Superior between midnight and 1 a.m.

Hundreds were on hand to welcome the beer. Cars lined Third street for three blocks on both sides of the street. Hundreds of cars drove back and forth in front of the warehouse carrying persons who stayed up to celebrate the occasion.

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There were 200 kegs and 1,500 cases in the first consignment. It disappeared like magic. The warehouse was a madhouse. Everybody wanted his beer first.

Throughout the city the price of beer Friday morning was 10 cents for a 10-ounce glass of keg beer and 15 cents for a 12-ounce bottle.

April 8, 1933

5-cent class of beer here

The five cent glass of beer became a reality in Superior Friday. While practically all of the 130 or so beer retailers in the city were charging 10 cents for a 10 ounce glass of keg beer and 15 cents for a 12 ounce bottle, at least one tavern operator is known to have established the price of five cents for an eight ounce glass.

Superior's Grand Opera House was indeed grand

Another development in the local beer situation Friday night was the lack of keg beer. Many establishments found themselves on the bottle basis on account of the heavy keg beer sales during the day and the inability to get additional kegs.

Increase Brule patrol to 12

The forces of men patrolling the Brule river on the lookout for dynamiters has been increased from seven to 12, according to Dr. T.F. Smith, president of the Douglas County Fish and Game league.

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“The Wisconsin conservation commission has been co-operating with the game league in preventing the destruction of fish by either dynamiting or spearing,” Doctor Smith said. “The number of men patrolling the stream from source to outlet has been increased to 12. All are heavily armed and ready for action.”

April 9, 1923

Lad neither absent nor tardy for four years; county record

The 13-year-old lad, Erwin Swanson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Swanson, Station B, Superior, holds a county school attendance record, according to Miss Vera Rehnstrand, superintendent.

040723.N.ST.Past.Swanson.jpg
Erwin Swanson, April 9, 1923 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

Erwin has attended the Seldon school, Bardon avenue, for four years now without being either absent or tardy.

This record is the best that has come to the attention of Miss Rehnstrand in her visits to the county schools.

Superior news in brief

Attorney retained – Peter B. Cadigan of the local law firm of Cadigan and Cadigan is in Shell Lake to assist in the defense of A.R. Mills, Spooner, who faces trial in circuit court at Shell Lake charged with murder. Mills is alleged to have killed a man at Spooner following an argument over the ownership of a pig.

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To bury father and son today

Arrangements for a double funeral for Gus Peterson, age 27, and his father Charles Peterson, Bennett, Wis., farmers who died Saturday, the son by suicide at the farm home and the father following a lingering illness in a St. Paul hospital, were completed this morning at the E.A Downs undertaking establishment.

The death of Gus Peterson preceded that of his father by several hours, but the older man died without knowing that his son had taken his own life. Mrs. Charles Peterson, wife and mother of the dead men, was at the bedside of her husband when he died.

She was informed by telegraph of her son’s suicide while at the bedside of her husband but a few minutes before death entered the room and took the life of the father. She was overcome with grief at the double tragedy.

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As reported by Douglas County Circuit Court.
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April 10, 1923

Thinks refrigerator victim may be her son

Another angle in the case of the unidentified man found dead in a refrigerator car at Hinckley, Minn., last Tuesday, was brought to light through a letter from Mrs. Mary Randall, 1530 Washington avenue of this city, today.

In a letter to Chief of Police A.E. Buchanan, Mrs. Randall expressed the belief that the dead man might possibly be her son, Vernon Golinger, age 33, coming from Everett, Wash.

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Golinger had written that he was on his way about three weeks ago and since then has not been heard from.

Superior news in brief

To join ship – Thomas Buchard, Blueberry, Wis., was in the city today prior to his departure tonight for Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Buchard is a chief engineer for the Tomlinson line, and will join his ship at the lower lake port in preparation for the opening of navigation.

Torch explodes and kills man at roundhouse

One man is dead and one injured as the result of an explosion of a kerosene tank at the Great Northern Belknap street roundhouse at 11 o’clock this morning.

Gilbert McCartney, age 38, 470 West Seventh street, died at 1:10 o’clock this afternoon at St. Mary’s hospital from the burns which covered his entire body.

William Remington, working with McCartney, was also drenched with the flaming kerosene but escaped with burns about the face and neck.

McCartney and Remington were engaged in resetting a tire on Engine No. 1260 when the kerosene tank supplying fuel to the burner used to expand the tire suddenly exploded.

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040723.N.ST.Past.Birdhouse.jpg
Some of the outstanding bird houses on exhibition at the United State National bank are shown in the above layout. At the top is the windmill martin house built by Tom McKone and Richard Chandler, students at the East high school. The house has 16 rooms and is for exhibition only. Middle is a 10-room martin house built by John Aker, Billings Park. Mr. Aker is blind. Ruby Erickson, clerk at the bank, is standing beside it. Bottom is a colonial martin house with 20 rooms built by two students at the Pattison, Vernon Ward and Willard Nelson. All of those houses are for sale, the proceeds to go to the builders. April 7, 1933 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram
040723.N.ST.Past.Firemen.jpg
Firemen ready for third annual ball tonight. Top row, left to right, Charles Olson, Carl Wallin, Andy Johnson. Bottom row, Thomas Lynch, Carl Thompson, Frank McGinnis. April 10, 1923 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram
040723.N.ST.Past.Shakespeare.jpg
Shakespearean company formed at Normal School. Standing (left to right) Prof. T.J. McCarthy, Wesley Spink, Raymond Dyckman, Prof. Thorpe Langley, Marvin Sukov, Lawrence Wilson, Oscar Buros, Robert Karon, Marvin Johnson, George Miller, Prof. Sydney French, John Eckman and Leland Winchester. Sitting: Miss Nona MacQuilkin, Ruth Weybright, Elizabeth Kerr, Ruth Alice Zileznick, Ruth Karon, Leona Leonard, Eba Aaronson, Marcella Smith, Olive Groth and Miss Della Thompson. The Shakespearean stock company, recently organized by a group of students at the Superior Normal school, will present one Shakespearean play at the local school each year, beginning next year. April 10, 1923 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram
040723.N.ST.Past.Dance.jpg
The Webster athletic club baseball team, standing, left to right, Berg, W. Gylland, Prouelx (manager) Hendrickson, Haskell (captain). Kneeling – G. Gylland, Tahash. Benson, Wyberg. The Webster A.C. will give a dance at the Armory next Friday evening. April 10, 1923 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram
040723.N.ST.Past.Nelson Dewey.jpg
The teachers of the Nelson Dewey school and Miss Adeline Kell, who led the study groups, were guests at a 12 o’clock luncheon at the school last week. In the picture, front row, mothers, secretary-elect Mrs. G.O. Carlson; chairman of cutting room, Mrs. Thure Johnson; chairman of sewing room, Mrs. G.W. McLellan; chairman of finance, Mrs. C.B. Banks; red cross secretary, Mrs. J.S. Ritchie; chairman of kitchen, Mrs. Henry Nordstrom; program chairman, Mrs. Elmer S. Hard; council delegate, Mrs. J.E. Erickson; president, Mrs. J.F. Welter; quilt chairman, Mrs. Carl Zachau. Teachers, back row, Eunice White, Helen Horst, Ida Christophersen, Illa Marinen, Laura J. Keaough, Frances Rieckert, Jeanette Ekstrom, Signe Dahl, Lucina Doe and Josephine Benson, principal. April 10, 1933 Telegram
Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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