The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1918
Stronghurst Graphic July 11, 1918:
The front page of this issue is mostly undistinguishable so this article begins from page 3.
HENDERSON COUNTY HAPPENINGS: Biggsville - Mrs. Samuel Holmes was taken to the Burlington Hospital where a successful operation was performed. Her condition is still regarded as serious. Mrs. Chester Gibb was taken to the Galesburg Hospital for treatment. Mrs. Evelyn Douglas will leave for Camp Dodge to visit her brothers who are stationed there; she will then go on to Kansas for the rest of her vacation. The play given under the auspices of the Community Club as a Red Cross benefit was postponed from Saturday to Monday on account of the storm. The ten girls who took part should be pleased with their work as the net proceeds were over $30. Edgar Thompson who enlisted in the navy as a second class seaman and Harold Schweitzer as a machinist in the aviation department left for Great Lakes. Mrs. Mary Hutchinson, who conducted the egg drive for the fatherless children of France, reports about 200 dozen eggs donated besides a substantial sum of money. Henderson County will have a Centennial Celebration at the Oak Grove Fruit Farm near Coloma, Aug. 8th under the management of the Federated Clubs of the county. Good speakers, a chorus and good band are promised and the special feature will be the pageant which will be given at sunset. Proceeds will go to the Red Cross and Allied Relief work in the county. Miss Mae Curtis of Burlington has been accepted as an army nurse and expects to be called at any time. The local Red Cross chapter sent 540 compresses; the Biggsville and Country Club sent the following articles: 57 sweaters; one muffler; 1 pair socks; 26 bed shirts; 11 pajama suits and 6 hot water bottle covers.
Junior work sent two wash clothes and 1 baby blanket. (All these items were hand made and testify to the patriotic endeavor of the community.)
GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: Mr. and Mrs. William Brainard's little daughter, Lois, had the misfortune to fall out of a cherry tree breaking both bones in her left arm just below the elbow. Edward O. Rider of Oquawka visited the home of Olive Forward a day before going on to Chicago where he expects to make an indefinite stay.
The remains of Frank Pierson, who died at the home of his son in Colorado, were shipped back. Funeral services were held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Will Graham conducted by Rev. H. Whitmire. Burial was in the old family grounds at the Olena Cemetery. Mr. Pierson was 74 years old and was well known by many in the surrounding country. He had been in Colorado the last two years with his son and family. He was well respected by all who knew him.
Mr. and Mrs. Z.A.Poindexter and children of Galesburg and Mrs. Chas. Forward, who have been out on a camping trip up the river from Burlington the past week, came back as far as Gladstone Sabbath evening and stayed overnight at the home of Mrs. Charles Forward before going on the Galesburg. Sam Duncan shipped two car loads of hogs and one car of cattle to Chicago.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Mrs. Abe Magee and daughter and son spent the 4th with her mother, Mrs. Henry Shick at Stronghurst. Troy Vaughan is attending normal at Macomb. Station agent, Mr. Plumb, who is taking Mr. Crane's place at the depot, enjoyed a visit from his mother from Carthage. Mr. James Hicks and crew are going to remodel the Kirby school house by making necessary improvements. Ovid Parms is painting the George Babcook home. A balloon sent up by Henry P. Wenigher and Frank L. Denz of Burlington was found at Shokokon by Misses Florence Cowdrey and May Cogswell; the boys requested whoever found the balloon and note to either phone or answer by card. The hum of the threshing machine is heard in this vicinity. Messers Fritz and Louie Dannenburg are operating three machines this season.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Richard Marshall left on No. 5 on a business trip to Oklahoma. Dale Stine and Dean Rankin left for Great Lakes training station and enlisted in the navy. Mrs. George Hoffeditz and daughter, Mrs. Mame Ewing of Burnsides went to St.Louis for a visit with their son and brother, Joe Hoffeditz who expects to leave with his regiment soon for duty in France. Miss Verna Simpson has returned to Lomax to take up her work at the Santa Fe station. Gene Peasley, who is a traveling salesman for the Burroughs Adding Machine Co. spent the 4th with relatives. Mrs. Harry Pence and Miss Grace Bricker of Kirkwood visited at the home of Mrs. Pence's mother, Mrs. Hamburg. Clemmie Tucker traveled to Starved Rock on the 4th and on the way home through Peoria he saw the wrecked steamer Columbia. C.M.Bell and family and Mrs. McLain went to Washington, Iowa for the 4th visiting relatives; they continued on to Des Moines and view the cantonment at Camp Dodge. All in all their trip covered 550 miles by auto. M.E.Beardsley left on a business trip to Chicago.
While a colt was being broken at the Bruen farm, it reared and fell backward breaking its neck. Carroll Wax left for Colorado where he had a engagement with a Chautauqua Association to play in a band during the remainder of the season.
W.H.Bliss, former cashier of the First Nat'l Bank of Dallas City, was indicted on the charge of embezzlement of funds to the amount of $17,000 by the federal grand jury at Springfield. Dr. P.E.Walters of Dallas City was in Stronghurst interviewing business men concerning their willingness to cooperate with the people of Dallas City in an effort to induce the Santa Fe R.R. to restore morning passenger service west for the two towns. Mr. James Anderson went to Peoria to get instructions regarding the government regulations for handling the new wheat crop.
MEDIA SERVICE FLAG: On Sunday, July 7, 1918 a service flag was dedicated in honor of the boys from Media Township who are serving their country in the Army or Navy. The services were to have been held on the Academy lawn, but the weather forced the service inside the Academy building. A ladies quartet furnished the music and Rev. Hollowell of Chicago from the Illinois State Council of Defense made the address. Thirty-three stars adorn the flag. (Cannot read all the names as paper is too light on microfilm.)
News of Henderson County -Gladstone: Mr. Ogden is foreman of a logging crew on the Judge Robinson farm in the bottoms. Reeder Garrett is serving in the Navy. Albert Hays got his foot smashed on the railroad. Will Conners was reported very sick at his home, but is improving slowly. David Cox underwent an operation at the Burlington Hospital and is reported very ill.
Carman - The Red Cross Chapter sent to headquarters in Oquawka 17 sweaters and 56 hospital shirts. Mr. and Mrs. John Graham are enjoying a visit from their daughter, Mrs. Allen and three children of Waterloo, Iowa. Tom Clark has been quite sick with tonsilitis and under a doctor's care. Clair Dixon and wife are spending the week near Gladstone where he is doing his harvesting. Mr. Fred Clover and wife entertained over Sunday their aunt, Miss Cina Clover of Dallas City and their cousins, Mrs. Effie (Clover) Wales of Dayton, Florida and Mrs. Ina (Clover) Keyes of Sciota, Ill. The two latter ladies spent Monday with their uncle, Mr. Marcellus Clover. Mrs. Mary Siens and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Dan Siens left for Camp Grant six miles from Chicago for a visit with the latter's husband who is in training there. M.E.Beardsley and family visited at the Arthur Griffitts home.
Biggsville -Friends of Mr. and Mrs. John Gordon of Oklahoma will be sorry to hear of the fire which destroyed their house and contents July 5th. The origin of the fire is unknown as they were absent from the home. Mrs. Gordon was formerly Miss Emma Edwards of this place. Dr. and Mrs. R.S.Taylor of Buffalo, New York, for visiting the lady's parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. Ericson, for two weeks. The young daughter of Mrs. Anna Thomas Goempler of Burlington, formerly of this place, is the beneficiary of a soldier's war insurance policy in the sum of $10,000. Teachers for the Biggsville High School for the coming year are as follows: A.E. Hubbard of Avon, principal; Miss Lillian Clearwater of Jacksonville; Miss Jean Hunter of Galesburg and Miss Mary Hulvey of Table Grove. The Biggsville chautauqua begins Aug.19th and closes Aug. 24th. The annual home coming picnic will be held two days of the preceding week. On account of the TriState Fair, the date of the Centennial celebration to be held at the Weir Fruit Farm has been changed to Sept. 5th.
Olena -Considerable clover and hay is being stacked or stored away and oats are being cut and very soon doubtless the hum of the thresher will be heard in the land. Corn is looking fine and if weather conditions continue, a good large yield is anticipated. Mrs. George Fort remains quite poorly. Mrs. Helen Burrell of Stronghurst visited her daughter, Mrs. James Brewer. Mrs. Robert McCartney received word that one of her grandchildren, a child of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jacobs, who live in the drainage district, had almost severed one of its toes by slipping on some broken glass. (Guess the paper didn't know the sex of the child so used "it.")Mr. and Mrs. Ernest McKeown are visiting the Arthur McKeown home while on 30 days vacation from a training camp near the Atlantic coast while his wife lives with her people in St.Louis. The community service flag now has nine stars, one added recently for Tom Watson, who is serving the colors in France.
Quite a little excitement in the neighborhood when word was sent out by telephone that a fire was raging at the E. McCannon home. A crowd soon collected and helped to extinguish the fire, but not before a shed and its contents were burned which consisted of a buggy, carriage and a disk. It is thought the youngest boy probably set the fire while playing with firecrackers. This is the third fire they have had while living on this homestead.
It would seem that our county officials are at last making some effort to clean up conditions at East Burlington, but the thinking class of people naturally wonder why they ever permitted such nefarious business to be carried on there for months in a county the people voted dry, without making a determined effort to nip it in the bud in its incipiency. And because it was so easily gotten there much bootlegging has been going on throughout the country. "Woe to him who giveth his brother drink"
LETTER FROM BLANCHE DUVALL SOMEWHERE IS FRANCE: Have landed and am having a wonderful time. As Jack was there too, we took a train trip and are waiting to go on to our own permanent location. France is truly named when spoken of as "Sunny France." The scenery is most beautiful. I really love it. Tell dad he would like it here as we have lots of cheese and fish at the lunch restaurants and hotels. Grandmother would be ashamed of the poppies she has in the garden if she could see those that grow wild in the fields and by the road side here...I can hardly settle down to write. As yet we have not reached our own destination. Staying at one of the American hospitals and only working part of the time. You understand, mother dear, that you are not allowed to send any packages so don't plan to knit anything for me. The French people are very peculiar, but we see enough Americans to keep us from getting lonesome or lost. I am hoping to be able to learn enough French to get around but just now it is such a mixed up affair it seems hopeless; but I haven't been here very long. French money is my chief difficulty just now.
Please don't worry about me for I am as safe where I am now as I would be anywhere in America. Our quarters are very comfortable, our food good and I am very happy so enjoy yourself as you can. The little French kiddies are so sweet. We were through a park Sunday and saw so many children that looked very much as ours do-Just wanted to love them all. Cherries and strawberries are ripe and the cherries are much larger and sweeter than ours at home. I suppose the girls are running around and having a wonderful vacation. Did you not get the grip I sent you from New York? I am knitting my sleeveless sweater but there are so many things to see and so many places to go, I am not making very rapid progress...Heaps and heaps of love to Dad, the girls and yourself. Blanche Duvall, Base Hospital No. 114 Armer E.T., France.