The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, NOV. 18,1920
WE NEED MONEY: The ladies of the Stronghurst Community Club entertained their husbands and especially invited gentlemen friends at a 7 p.m. dinner in the club dining room.
The occasion was a most happy one and about 70 club members and guests participated.
After full justice was given to the menu, Mrs. Widney, Club president, laid before the men folk a proposition which has been under consideration by the club for some time and which contemplates the remodeling and refitting of the Club's restroom, the enlargement of its library, the providing of facilities for keeping the rooms properly heated and lighted for the benefit of the public every day in the week up to midnight, and the employment of a caretaker. The use of the facilities would be greatly increased if improvements were made a reality.
It was frankly admitted that not without the financial assistance of both the men and women of the village and community could there be any hope of the plan being realized.
The men were called upon to give their opinions and to say whether or not they would assume their share of the financial obligations. Some eight of ten of the gentlemen responded and practically all present heartily was in favor of the plan and pledged their financial support. A vote was taken of all present and it was unanimously decided to put the plan in action.
HIXSON CHESTER WHITE SALE: Roy W. Hixson's sale of purebred Chester White hogs was held in the sale pavilion.
While the attendance was not overly large, a goodly number of breeders and fanciers from several states were present and bidding was brisk and fairly good prices realized.
The opinion of auctioneer Col. C. C. Evans, his assistants, and many hog breeders was that neither smoother nor more uniform lot of boars and gilts of any breed had been offered at public sale in this section of the state this season.
The entire offering of 39 head were the offspring of Mr. Hixson's boar, Westleigh Champion X, purchased last fall at the Guy Smith sale of Little York.. .
LOCAL NEWS: Old Bedford will have a Thanksgiving auction for the support of widows and children.
They are asking for donations to be sold to the highest bidder.
The directors of the Huston Bank Co. of Blandinsville elected Guy Huston as president of that institution; he succeeds his father, the late Hon. John Huston. Efforts are made to increase the membership of the Red Cross organization and the Biggsville branch chairman appeals for promptness in response to the solicitors who will call on citizens for the membership fee of one dollar for the coming year.
At Maple Grove last Sunday eleven adults and seven children were given the Sacrament of baptism, eighteen adults received into the church and fifty-two partook of the Sacrament of The Lord's Supper.
The U. P. Church ladies will be collecting clothing for a barrel to be sent to one of the Kentucky mission schools; donations may be left in the Sunday school room on the west side of the church.
The Martha Society of the Swedish Lutheran Church will hold its annual bazaar next Saturday afternoon and evening; numerous articles suitable for Christmas gifts will be for sale as well as food and candies.
The Thanksgiving service will be in the English language. A shooting match will be held next Wednesday, but a location has not been chosen; those wishing to participate will no doubt be able to make inquiry on the day of the match. Flying Blue Rock targets will be used for shot gun shooting and still targets for rifles. Prizes of live geese and turkeys will be awarded the winners. At the high school an entertainment and bazaar was held benefiting the library with $50 cleared.
A play entitled "Young America Goes to War" was given by the students.
The first number of the Stronghurst Lyceum course was held at the Lyric Theatre last Friday evening.
The Hammond family of entertainers rendered their program of vocal and instrumental numbers, humorous and dramatic readings and original sketches so well.
Attendance was a little disappointing to the guarantors of the course.
The Christian Home Orphanage of Council Bluffs, Iowa asks for support during their annual Thanksgiving campaign. The population has steadily increased since January 1st in spite of the fact that more children have been placed for adoption in private families than ever before in a similar period of time. This institution is known nationally and for nearly 40 years has been a haven for homeless and destitute children and aged, dependent women. It has a daily average of 250 inmates.
1896 GRAPHIC: An epidemic of scarlet fever in a mild form was prevalent in this locality.
Peter Groom, Jr., who had been night operator for the Santa Fe at Stronghurst, went to Media to take charge of that station.
Work was commenced on the new M.E. parsonage in the west part of town.
A war amongst Chicago flour merchants was being waged and one concern quoted Pillsbury's Best at $3.25 per barrel.
The following item will serve to illustrate the strides which have been made in the last 25 years in the matter of the traveling speed of automobiles.
"A race between horseless carriages will take place in Chicago under the auspices of the Times-Herald.
One carriage is making the trip across the country from New York, a distance of over 900 miles, and will make the run in eight days. A speed of about 20 miles per hour can be attained.
This is not encouraging to horse raisers, but if they come into general use, a great many men will be required to manufacture these vehicles."
BODY BROUGHT BACK: The body of Leon Melvin, the Raritan soldier who died in France during the war is expected to arrive from New York the latter part of the week. Word received the middle of last week indicated the body had been started towards its final destination. The remains will be laid to rest in a crypt in the new Mausoleum at Blandinsville.
Melvin contracted pneumonia in France not long after his arrival there and succumbed to the ravages of the disease. He was married to Miss Jennie Gearheart of Raritan shortly after being drafted into the service of his country and a son was born to Mrs. Melvin not long after the father's death. Mrs. Melvin and her son make their home with her father, H. R. Gearheart of Raritan.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: N. C. Curry recently returned from a trip to Quincy Bay. Mrs. R. N. Billups is caring for the sick at the John Johnson home. Gypsy Smith, the famous evangelist, opened a series of meeting in the First M. E. Church in Burlington last Sunday. A house near Oquawka occupied by Tom Mitchell and family burned down recently and the loss included 2,000 pounds of honey which was being kept for sale. Miss Gertrude Dowell is spending time with her Grandmother, Mrs. Sara Hudson. W.F. Johnson has secured a steam pressing machine for use in his cleaning and pressing business. Charley Jacobs who has been suffering from neuritis for some time was taken to the Burlington hospital where he will undergo an operation for adenoids and tonsillitis. Dan Shook has leased the old Hughes hotel property in the village and will retire from the farming game. He is advertising a sale of stock and farming implements to be held on the G. H. Annegers farm west of town. The post office in Disco has been discontinued. Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Allison are expecting to go to Florida for the winter. Miss Marjorie Gibb of the east country is in the Monmouth hospital receiving special treatment. C. S. Brokaw has leased his farm southeast of here to Glenn Crist and will with his family take up his residence at Colorado Springs, Colo. The waffle supper and food sale conducted by the M. E. Ladies Aid at the community rooms was well patronized, the proceeds being about $50. Glenn Marshall, who has been employed by the Farmers' Grain and Mdse. Co. for the past year, is now a student in the Quincy Business College. Evangelists and Mrs. E. P. Loose of Waukesha, Wis. will close a three weeks series of meeting at Oquawka next Sunday evening; in the neighborhood of 30 conversions have resulted this far. The city of Monmouth is facing the necessity of rebuilding its entire water system within the next year or two at an estimated cost of something like a half million dollars. George Warren of the Farmers' Grain and Mdse Co. was in Peoria last week. He states that there seems to be plenty of coal there but that it could not be laid down here and sold for less than $15 per ton. Glen McKeown was invited to Kansas City to be the guest of W. B. Carpenter at the American Royal Stock Show and at a big "get acquainted" meeting for auctioneers which will be attended by representatives from 15 states. Willard Runyon, a former resident of Blandinsville and Raritan neighborhoods who went to Canada several years ago, is now one of the big wheat farmers on Saskatchewan country. A stoutly contested game of football was played at Stronghurst Sunday between the home team and Macomb. A good big crowd paid $1.00 each to get in and witness the game. Stronghurst won with a score of 6 to 3. There were 24 cars there from Blandinsville, 7 from La Harpe and 6 from Stronghurst.
IT BURNED: A little before 2 o'clock the operator at the railroad station discovered that the Duncan store building in Gladstone was on fire. The alarm was given at once, but before the partially dressed citizens appeared on the scene, the fire had made such headway that it was impossible to save either the building or the contents. The pool hall and barber shop of Elmer Pence soon caught fire, but most of the furniture and fixtures were saved. The village has no equipment for fighting fires, but a bucket brigade was formed and through the efforts of workers, a store and post office were saved. The fact that the wind was favorable also aided the workers in saving these buildings. Both burned buildings belonged to Mr. Pence and his loss will be quite heavy as he carried only$1,300 on the property which was worth probably $4,000. Mr. Duncan carried $4,500 on his stock of goods, which are a total loss. His books were also burned up with the rest of the contents. The fire was a serious one for the village, but it is hoped that the burned district will be rebuild.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Good and little daughter of Estherville, Iowa have gone home. Mrs. Georgia Bowlyou entertained the Larkin Club at her country home. Miss Lena Dixon has gone to Mexico City as a government nurse. Cold weather has spoiled the duck hunting for this season. The roads are fairly good and farmers are busy husking corn.
LOMAX LINGERINGS: Lee Pence of Mackey, Idaho, was visiting relatives. Mrs. Winnie Reams is visiting her aunt, Augusta Granger, at Chanute, Kansas. W.E. Leach and family expect to move to Burlington where he has accepted the position as night agent at the Union depot. Mrs. W. T. King is reported to be quite sick. Robert Mewers while cranking James McFarland's truck had the misfortune to get his arm fractured between the wrist and elbow; both bones were broken.