The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1918
Stronghurst Graphic, June 13, 1918
CONTINUATION OF FISHER'S LETTER: "While I was in this field base hospital, my seaman company went to sea and left me the only one of the bunch to fight the battles of Great Lakes alone. However, by applying to the commanding officer, I was transferred to the wireless branch and was put through tests of mental and physical ability for that course, which I passed satisfactorily.
I was sent to Camp Perry, Mass., on the Dec. 15 And have been here since. I was glad to get out of the seaman branch. After passing the test for this school, I was put in as a petty officer of the radio guard of the 12 to 4 watch; and from the 12 to 4 hours we were on duty, our bunch was hitting the deck at all hours of the night to go on watch.
In my second week they gave me rating of second class. The terms "dinner" and "supper" are soon forgotten by the Jackies (sailors). "Chow" is the name for all meals and what we eat is called "mess." When the bugle calls for "chow," there is a wild rush for the line to see who gets in first. Mr. Daniels, the Jackies father in service says the only way to go over Frits's line is to get our bean whistle back of the line and blow "chow." He says we would go over the top for beans before sunup if the call was sounded.
Fire drill is also another sailor's pleasure at any time from 9 pm to 5 am. Some nights we rolled from our hammocks three times in one hour. It would not be so bad if there was a real fire; but as long as I was at the Lakes, I never saw a fire. Our regiment record in getting every man at his post is 4 minutes and 12 seconds from time of fire call. As there are 720 Jackies in our radio regiment, every one is proud of the 7th Reg. of Camp Perry.
We came to Camp Perry from Great Lakes on special trains by way of Canada and we were a happy lot. At the big cities they gave us our meals and an hour or two for a good time. We were surprised on passing through Canada to see how those people treated the Jackies of the stars and stripes.
They would gather in crowds with big baskets of good "eats" and cheer us as long as we were in sight. It hardly seemed just right to us to get so much honor when we knew that so many of our dough boys and Jackies who have seen real service were more deserving. Most of the Jackies do not realize what serious work Uncle Sam is doing; but as we season to the service, we become more and more impressed with the meaning of it all.
One of my shipmates was up in my room last week, who had been in foreign waters for two months. He is on the U.S.S.Gregory, a submarine chaser. We went to see him leave for France and longed to board his ship; but we will have to finish our wireless course before doing our bit. His job is one that reminds us how serious war is. I am not supposed to tell this before I hear they have landed, but as they are 8 days out now, by the time you folks read this, they will have returned. They were to guard five transports containing 13,000 soldiers with sea equipment.
To see these soldiers go aboard ship with broad smiles on their faces was a surprise to the Jackies who were allowed on the docks. The last transport was loaded at about 6 p.m. and lay at harbor until 11 p.m. when they hauled anchor and steamed out to sea with the band playing "American, I Love You." The longing look which the boys cast toward the harbor as they steamed away was proof enough that the band's selection voiced their sentiments. We could see the flag of the convoy battle ship as the search lights were thrown upon it to show the boys what they were going "over there" to fight for.
If the common run of people would give as freely as these boys in khaki, there would be no need of big liberty loan drives and special calls for Red Cross funds. While they are willingly making the big sacrifice, it ought to seem a small matter for those who stay at home to sacrifice some of their pleasures and enjoyments to help them go over the top. Well, I will close now and if any one wants to ask question about the U.S.N. service, I will be glad to hear from them." ---Charles C.Fisher
***OBITUARY***GEORGE W. VANDOREN, who for many years served the village as grocery deliveryman and who was familiarly known to every one as brother, passed away at his home on June 12th. A few weeks ago he suffered a paralytic stroke and since that time the spark of life has been flickering low with but little hope for recovery.
George W. VanDoren was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, May 23, 1842 and died in Stronghurst, aged 76 years and 20 days. At the age of four he came with his mother to Illinois locating at the village of Fairview in Fulton County where they lived for several years and then moved to a farm near Raritan where the larger part of his life was spent. In 1864 he married Miss Addie Whitaker and to this union one son, William, was born.
In 1903 the couple moved to Stronghurst where they purchased a home and he was employed as deliveryman by the merchants of the village. Early in life Mr. VanDoren united with the Raritan Reform church. He is survived by his wife, his son and by one brother, Joseph Van Doren of Morristown, N.J. Brief services were held at the family residence in Stronghurst with interment in the Raritan Cemetery.
SELLING TRACTORS: J.M.Johnson, local representative of the Ford Co., took orders for a number of farm tractors: Frank Painter, Carl Painter, Joe Peasley, Wm. Stine, O.J.Sanderson and H.N.Vaughn. Each tractor has a capacity for drawing 2 plows and can be of much service in taking the place of man who was diverted to war business.
CLUB OPENING: Repairs have been completed on the new Stronghurst Club rooms in the Marshall Building and members are invited to be present on June 15th to attend to business. All members in good standing have a vote and are entitled to all privileges of the club. (Mens clubs were all the fashion at this time in history. A fire had damaged the rooms months before.)
1893 GRAPHIC: Warren County had decided to build a new $80,000 court house. The Steffey brick yard had its first kiln of 100,000 bricks ready for sale. A class composed of the Misses Carrie Kessler and Mary Morgan, Charles Bowen and Fred Bowen, graduated from the Stronghurst School with exercises held in the opera house.
The Columbia Comedy Company fulfilled a 6 play engagements in the Stronghurst opera house. A county W.C.T.U. convention was held here on June 15th. The increasing business of the Santa Fe R.R. at this point had necessitated the employment of an additional assistant at the local station. The force was composed of W.H.Dean, agent; J.C.Johnson, night man and Peter Groom, day operator.
John Chapin, a former Henderson County man, had just been killed in the collapse of the old Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C. The aged wife of Rev. Dr. Salter, pastor of the Burlington Congregational Church, was killed when a large tree which was being cut down, fell upon the carriage in which she with her husband and daughter were riding.
LADIES WAR EFFORT: A number of families located in Stronghurst, Media, and Raritan Townships have organized for Red Cross work out of the Stronghurst chapter. They will be known as the Union Liberty Workers of the American Red Cross with Mrs. Alice Worthington as chairman, Mrs. Carrie Simonson as vice-chairman, Miss Susie Voorhees as secretary and Mrs. Merle Veech as Junior Sec. and Treas.
Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at Stanley School and on 2nd and 4th Thursdays at the Cox School with hours being from 1-5 pm. Special mention may be made of the Juniors with 15 or more members. They are all working and have taken upon themselves to make and present a knitted wash cloth to each boy going out. Jessie Ruth Veech, four years of age, has been present at almost every meeting and does her bit.
GERMAN PROPAGANDA: Rumor floating around that Dr. J.F.Percy, well known Galesburg surgeon who joined the army and was assigned to duty at Ft. Riley, Kan., had been found guilty by court martial for causing the death of a number of men in training camps by inoculating them with some form of poison and that he had been condemned to be executed as a German spy were false.
Dr. Harter, attending the National Medical Association in Chicago, met Dr. J.F.Percy who was with a company of M.R.C. officers from Camp Funston said that it was just a sample of German propaganda being circulated concerning many prominent surgeons in the military service.
STRONGHURST VILLAGE BOARD: Under the direction of Pres. A.H.Kershaw and trustees Davis, Fort, Rehling and Dobbin the minutes were read and approved and the bills paid. The committee appointed to district the village for fire purposes asked for further time. Hours for the village marshal were set from 1 pm to 1 am. And he be authorized to employ whatever help might be necessary in looking after the labor on the streets. His salary was increased to $65 per month. The Womans Community Club requested that a day or days be set aside for the gathering up and disposal of garbage and that the village bear the expense of such work. They also requested that the board assume part of the expense of installing a public drinking fountain on the street in front of the rest room of the club. The board decided to designate June 19th as clean-up day and provide teams and wagons to haul away garbage and refuse that could be easily handled.
They also agreed to finance one-half of the expense of the public drinking fountain with the purchase and installation left up to the Womans club. Total cost not to exceed $200.The application for a cement crossing over Dixson St at the intersection of Cooper St. and for the laying of cement sidewalk from south end of said crossing to front walk of Mrs. Woods residence passed.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: The Misses Edna and Ethel Schirbaum have returned from school at Urbana and Miss Edna has accepted a position in the telephone office. Miss Mary Staley went to Chicago to undergo an operation for appendicitis; she was accompanied by her mother. Prof. Pope has secured employment in Chicago after being here at the school for five years.
Remember that National War Savings Day is June 28th. Pledge yourself on or before that day to save to the utmost of your ability and to buy War Savings Stamps that there may be more money, labor and materials to back up those who fight and die for you.
T.A.Nichols was in town looking after some furnace work in the village. Freeman Doak and wife and Ed Links and wife went to Great Lakes for a visit with their sons. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Negley returned from a visit there where they saw their son Earl.Miss Elsie Cooper, Miss Ethel Brokaw and Miss Myrtle Gustafson have gone to Macomb to attend the state normal summer school. While loading hogs, Frank Murphy got one of his legs jammed between two hogs and was so badly injured that he was laid up for a few days.
Bert Randall of Keosauqua, Iowa, visited relatives and while here purchased a couple of fine Hereford cows with young calves at side from H.A.Adair. Rex Hicks, who graduated for the U.S. Naval Academy and came home with his parents for a few days before entering active service. Give up your luxuries that the Kaiser may be made to give up his ambitions.
Miss Vera Schroeder went to Lomax to take a position at the Santa Fe Station. Charles Fort, who is at Camp Hancock, Ga., has received his commission as first lieutenant. The M.E.Church in the village has been newly papered and new carpets put down which give a neat appearance.
The Boy Scouts of Stronghurst with their Scoutmaster, Rev. K.R.Anderson, hiked to the Foot Prints on Honey Creek and spent the night there.John Fort, who is assistant cashier of a bank at Dallas City, has tendered his resignation in order to enlist in the army. John is a little above the draft age but doesn't propose to take shelter in that fact.
C.E.Fort and wife and daughter, Evelyn, went to Chicago to attend commencement at Northwestern of their son and brother Grady; they were accompanied by Miss Martha Davis. John Mudd was quite severely injured by being kicked by a horse. He was called to Oscar Dillon's place on veterinary business and his patient recorded his objection to treatment administrated by placing a hind foot squarely on John's stomach. John was unconscious for some time but finally recovered and it is hoped that he as sustained no permanent injury.
BIGGSVILLE: The Red Cross gauze work will be done in the new headquarters in the High School Building. Jamie Sloan enlisted in the coast artillery at Galesburg and is now at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. The picnic given in the park in honor of Mrs. A.W.Nesbit was well attended by her former school mates and friends.
Those present from out of town were Mrs. Fred Bowen and Miss Margaret Cowden of Monmouth, Mrs. Kate Oaks and daughter Mildred from Kirkwood, Mrs. Nannies Keener of Altona, Mrs. Allie Carter of Rozetta, Mrs. Bertha Keck of Oquawka and Mrs. Maggie Galbraith of Gladstone.
***OBITUARY***RACHEL CAMPBELL :The funeral of Mrs. J.B. Campbell was held at the home with Dr A.C.Douglas of the United Presbyterian church assisted by Rev. H.T.Russell of the M.E.Church with interment in the Walnut Grove Cemetery. Six nephews of the deceased served as pall bearers: Cecil, William, Charles, and Ralph Stewart; Wesley Rankin and James Campbell.
Rachel Ann Rankin was born March 20, 1842 on a farm south of Biggsville now owned by B.H. Liby. On Jan.24, 1866 she married James B. Campbell and to the union two sons and seven daughters were born, five of these with the husband having preceded her in death.
The surviving children are the Misses Mabel and Myrtle at home, Mrs. Edith Monson of Burlington, Ia., and Mrs. Jeanette Gibson of Gladstone. She is also survived by six grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Martha Spears of Moscow, Idaho.
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION IN OLENA: An instructive Sunday School Convention was held in the Olena M.E. church on May 26, 1918. Mrs. Ivins, District Supt. presided opening the session at 2:15 with devotional services led by Mrs. Ida Wood. Mrs. W.H.Wells gave a talk on Missions, both home and foreign. W.C.Regan gave some points and Misses Evelyn Richey and Ruth Davis gave varied reasons for going to state convention.
Mrs. W.S.Pope gave a talk on the elementary work. S.S.music was assigned to Harvey Lant and he was equal to the occasion. Suggestions on how to help the boys who have gone to war were discussed.
At the meeting's close the ladies of the church served hot coffee and fruit salad to all who would remain for the evening service. At 7:45 anoutdoor song service was led by Mrs. Ivins, devotionals by Mrs. Ralph Rankin and Convention echoes by Rev. Weber of Raritan, who had preached two sermons and given a lecture that day; he surely gave his hearers much food for thought.
He was accompanied by his mother.A service flag with 8 stars, a gift from the Sunday School, was placed in the church quite recently. The eight stars represent the boys who have been called from the church and S.S.: Wm. Fisher, Ray Fisher, Charles Fisher, Clarence Fisher, Geo. Bigger, Elmer Carlson, Fred Johnson and Wilbur Huston.
Hopefully in the future names will be added to a roll of honor listing the names of all who have gone from this immediate neighborhood.Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fisher of Hopper who have given four sons to their country's call are closely supplemented by Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Hicks who have given three, viz: Charles, Hal and Max.
SMITHSHIRE SMATTERINGS: Rev. M.S.Swisher spent a couple of days at Bardolph in the interest of the big campaign the Methodists are making to raise $500,000 for the retired ministers and the Methodist hospital at Peoria. Adoniram Edwards who has been sojourning in Oklahoma reports crops there as looking very good. A large number from this place spent Saturday in Media attending the big Red Cross sale and enjoyed the music of the Jackie Band(navy). Joe Staley, who has been working in Bushnell for the past few weeks, expects to leave for army service. We are certain Joe will make a number one soldier and if occasion gives opportunity, will make Fritz step and dodge about as lively as anyone. A letter from Eddie Carner says he is at Camp Lewis, Tacoma, Wash. in the machine gun squad and getting on fine.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Mrs. William Pendry returned home from Fort Madison where she visited her daughter, Mrs. Earl Bennington. Messrs. Sam Howell and Troy Vaughan left for Macomb to attend school; Troy father took them over in his car. James Good and Miss Mary Magee, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Magee, are to be married at the bride's home. They will go to housekeeping on the Good farm north of town. Mr. John Dowell and wife accompanied their daughter, Fern, to Macomb where she will attend summer Normal. Many friends of Mr. Archie Vaughn and wife gathered at their home Friday night to remind them of it being their 20th anniversary. They went with filled baskets and a sumptuous supper was served. The evening was spent in a social way with music. They were presented with a purse of money to be used to buy a china set of dishes.
A BIG MEDIA AFFAIR: People from far and near attended the big Red Cross Rally at Media and helped to make it one of the most successful events of the kind thus far held in the county. Notwithstanding the fact that the weedy cornfields were demanding the farmers' attention, most of them took the day or part of the day off and helped swell the crowd that listened to the famous Jackie(navy) Band and to the thrilling speeches which were delivered and boosted the benefit auction, the big supper and other features of the day's program.
The special observances of the day began in the forenoon with a Red Cross parade headed by the Jackie band from the Great Lakes training camp.
At noon, luncheon was served in the rooms formerly occupied by J.F. Meloan and which had been transformed into a banqueting hall capable of seating 150 or more. Following the meal, the Jackies discoursed music at the Academy grounds for an hour after which Atty. J.W.Gordon of Oquawka, chairman of the Henderson County Red Cross, was introduced and delivered an address dealing with the causes which led up to American's participation in the great war..Chairman E.G.Lewis next introduced W.A.Crowley, national Red Cross field secretary from Chicago who told of what the great organization is doing on the European battle fronts.
Next was the auction of livestock, grain, farm implements, machinery, etc donated by people of the community. Col.'s Gray, Douglass and McElhinney of Media, Biggsville and Stronghurst respectively conducted the auction. The bidding was spirited and the prices realized made it evident that the buyers were not laboring under the delusion that it was a bargain sale.
Mr. J.J.Bryan of Terre Haute was present with the famous Henderson County Red Cross bantam hen and after giving a brief history of her career as a money getter for the cause of humanity, placed her in the hands of the auctioneers and expressed the hope that the record for the county might be broken in the amount realized from her sales.
This hope was quickly fulfilled as the little biddy was sold and resold so rapidly as to keep 3 or 4 clerks busy recording the transactions. The county record for the total amount realized from the hen at a single action was not only broken, but also the record for the highest amount ever realized from a single bidder. Mr. Robert Thompson first establishing a new record with his bid of $56 and Mr. Norman Grossman setting a new mark of an even $100 a little later.
The hen was again put up at auction later in the evening and the total amount realized from her sales during the day amounted to just $900.
Following the afternoon sale, the ladies served a sumptuous dinner in the banquet rooms followed by more music by the Jackies and another auction of goods and articles donated by merchants and others. One of the revenue producing features was the exhibition within a canvass enclosed space of what was announced to be a German "Kuy-Wahl-o-Per." Curiosity induced many to part with the admission price of a dime to see this ferocious looking animal and some commented that the caged brute bore a striking resemblance to the published portraits of Von Hindenberg(German general).
The Jackies proved themselves to be a jolly lot of splendid musicians and were made to feel that their efforts to please were appreciated. They were treated to an auto ride to the neighboring villages of Stronghurst, Biggsville and Smithshire during the afternoon and each one was granted the privilege of selecting one of the fair damsels of the community as a companion during the joy ride, the method of selections being the drawing of silk ribbons on which the names of the young ladies were printed.
The gross receipts from the various revenue producing features of the celebrations amounted to $2,623.31.