The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1918
Stronghurst Graphic, May 16, 1918
STRONGHURST WINS: The annual triangular league contest between the Dallas City, LaHarpe and Stronghurst High Schools was held at La Harpe. No athletic contest was held this year as the Illinois high school athletic association had requested that all spring athletics be discontinued on account of the war activities.
Stronghurst was well represented by Ardis Hicks and Robert Adair, who won first place in their respective groups. The J.W.Hicks family may well be proud of the declamatory honor which they have won during the last five years. Rex, Mary, Ruby and Ardis have represented the local school. Ruby and Ardis won first place in the final contests. Robert Adair gave a splendid rendition of "The Man Without a country" winning handily because of his easy manner, well- modulated voice and ability to get feeling into the reading.In the preliminary contest held at the U.P. Church Gladys Rankin, Margaret Lant, Clara Smith and Ardis Hicks competed to become the representatives in the girls' contest. John Stine and Robert Adair were the entries in the boy's contest. While the judges' decision was being prepared, the audience enjoyed hearing Alice Wax sing two patriotic songs. She was accompanied on the piano by Evelyn Fort.
HELP FOR THE FARMER: The Federal Land Bank of St.Louis is taking vigorous action in complying with the numerous requests of farmers throughout its district for the organization of National Farm Loan Associations, which is the local chartered organization through which actual farmers can secure the great financial privilege of the Federal Land Bank.Hon. Carl E. Hopkins, Vice President of this bank, will attend a meeting in the Lyric Theatre in Stronghurst May 20th and fully explain the workings of the Federal land Bank system after which he will answer questions pertaining to the institution...The gist of the system is that actual farmers can borrow on their farms 50% of their actual value and 20% of insurable improvements to the extent of from $100 to $10,000 at 5 1Ú2% interest and on from five to forty years time, payments to be made on an amortization plan and any part or all of the loan can be paid after five years at any interest paying period.
This meeting should be generally attended by all farms and especially tenant farmers of character and industry who have a small capital, for this system provides a way whereby they may become land owners in order that an Association can be formed at once.
1893 GRAPHIC: Simon Nevius purchased the W.E.Hall stock of groceries with intention of continuing the business. Mr. and Mrs. Bert Putney were mourning the loss of their infant son. The need of a local cemetery was set forth with the statement made that a drive of five miles was necessary to reach the nearest public burial ground to the village. The dedicatory exercises at the Illinois State Building at the World's Fair ground in Chicago were held May 11th.The skeleton of what was supposed to be one of the aborigines of this country was unearthed by Barney Logan while plowing in a field near the Washington Fort place northwest of Olena. A measurement of the bones indicated that the frame was that of a man of giant size. A flint arrowhead was found beside the skeleton.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Miss Rosalie Smith left for Chicago to accept a position in the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Co. Frank Murphy went to Chicago with a couple of carloads of hogs. Mrs. Myra Fort left for Marion Junction, Ala. to look after her farming interests. Miss Mabel Simpson too the civil service examination at Galesburg a few weeks ago and received a telegram requesting her to report for work at Washington, D.C. It was necessary for her to secure a substitute to complete her school at Dallas City. Chalmers Fort left for the Great Lakes training station and will become one of Uncle Sam's jackies. He was joined by James Marshall; James was accompanied there by Miss Ruth Milligan, who spent the night with friends in the city before returning home. Paul and Herbert Jamieson of Pasadena, Calif., are visiting relatives here.
They are sons of Mrs. Janie Marshall Jamieson and are nephews or cousins of the Marshalls' here. They made the trip from Pasadena in a Ford racer, making the run to Western Iowa in 19 days.Rev. W.P.Anderson received a message from his son, Carl, who has been at Deming, New Mexico since last fall that he had just been given a position in the machine gun school at Fort Hancock, Ga.
And was to leave at once for his new duties. Carl has received two or three promotions since going to Deming and he was one of only four to make the necessary grade to pass in the recent examination.
GLADSTONE: A social dance was held at the hall with Burlington music. There was a railroad wreck of two freight trains east of Biggsville Friday morning at 5 o'clock in which one man, a brakeman, was killed and the fireman so badly hurt that he died at Mercy Hospital Saturday. A great many from here went up to see the wreck. Several carloads of stock and carloads of merchandise were scattered around.
BIGGSVILLE: Herman Reynard is driving a new Briscoe car. Louie Dixson, who has been at Camp Mill, Long Island, wrote to home folks that he was leaving there and nothing furtherhas been heard from him; it is thought he is on his way to France. Mrs. Elsie Whiteman has been engaged to teach the intermediate room of the public school and Mrs. George Garret as primary teacher for the coming year. The death of Mrs. Jane Sloan occurred Wednesday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Nancy Jamison.
KILLED IN ACTION: Confirmation of the reports contained in letters received from his comrades in France report that Harry Clark has been killed. Congressman Graham, who had been requested to investigate the matter, wired A.H.Kershaw that the War Dept. had informed him that Harry J. Clark of Co.I 168th U.S.Infantry had been killed in action on March 2nd. Mrs. Clark also received a telegram from the War Department on the same date. The fact that no official notice had been received by anyone here concerning Harrys death had led many to hope that there might be some mistake, but these hopes were shattered by the telegrams from Washington.
Just why there was such a long delay in forwarding an official report of Harrys death is a subject of much conjecture, especially, in view of the fact that it was known and reported by his comrades several weeks ago. . .Harry J. Clark, Stronghurst Townships first soldier boy to give up his life in the conflict which this country is now waging with Germany was born in Stronghurst a little over 21 years ago. His whole life prior to the breaking out of the war had been spent here where he made his home with his widowed mother, his sister and older brother. In April 1917 he went to Burlington, Iowa and enlisted with a number of other boys from Stronghurst in Co.I, Iowa State Militia.
This company was sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa and after several months of training was transferred to the regular army and became part of the 168th U.S.Infantry, the famous Rainbow Division which left Camp Mills, Long Island last November for France. Since that time a veil of censorship has come between him and his relatives and this veil has now been lifted only to the extent of allowing the knowledge to reach his sorrowing relatives and friends that his body rests somewhere in France beneath the shell torn soil of that bloody theatre of war.
By Harrys death, this terrible war has been brought, as it were, to our very doors and has caused our people to realize perhaps more than anything else possibly could, the grim reality of what our boys over there are now facing.
There need, however, be no fear that those who are awaiting the call to join these boys will falter because of the intelligence which has reached them concerning the fate of one of the first to go across. It will rather stir within them the resolve to help crush the foe which menaces the safety of American homes and institutions.
PUBLIC NOTICE: Notice is hereby given to all persons in the village of Stronghurst to within 15 days of the date of this notice thoroughly cleanse and purify their yards, barn lots, pig styes, cellars, out houses and alleys and street adjacent of all trash, filth, manure and other noisome substances likely to occasion disease or prove offensive to any person in said village. May 16, 1918 A.H.Kershaw, Village President.
ESTRAYED OR STOLEN: From my premises 2 ¸ miles southwest of Raritan on or about May 6th six head of horses and colts: two yearlings draft horse colts, black; one 2 year old draft gelding boy; one dark grew draft filly, 3 years old; one 3 year old road filly, boy one 4 year old draft horse, grey. Information leading to their recovery will be rewarded. Call through the Raritan Telephone Exchange J.M. Neff, R#1, Stronghurst.