The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, Nov. 24, 1921
STRONGHURST DOWNS CARTHAGE: Playing on a slippery, muddy field and handling a wet ball throughout Stronghurst walked over the husky Carthage high school eleven by a score of 17 to 0. Weather conditions made the passing game uncertain and line plays, coupled with occasional end runs were depended upon by both teams for gains. Several changes in duties allowed the line to handle secondary defense while the backs took charge of the line duty. This change resulted in promising results. Carthage had a well balanced team and above all fought hard and showed themselves to be gentlemen and good losers.
1896 GRAPHIC: The first high school football game ever staged in Stronghurst was played on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 between Biggsville and Stronghurst teams and resulted in a Biggsville victory of 84 to 0. The two year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Felix Shain died during the week and was the fifth victim of a scourge of diphtheria which prevailed in this locality. Rev. E. O. Chickering, pastor of the Raritan Reformed Church and Miss Virginia Van Winkle of Plainsfield, N.J. were married at Raritan on the evening of Nov. 24th. The residence of H. M. Allison was entered by burglars while the family was at church and a suit of clothes and a small sum of money stolen. Will Brook of Olena was home from Alaska where he had developed a gold mining project which promised big returns. The Canton-Lewiston court house fight in Fulton Count was brought to a close when the board of supervisors accepted Lewiston's offer to build a $40,000 court house and present it to the county free of charge. E. W. Tinkham invented a new tank heater which he claimed could be operated at the expense of from 2-5 cents per day. Robert Carothers, son of John and Mary Carothers of this vicinity, died at a sanitarium in Kirksville, Mo. on Nov. 23rd, aged 24 years, 10 months, and 4 days. (Tuberculosis was prevalent at this time and people went to sanitariums for treatment.)
NO PAIN: Dr. M. E. Blair, the Painless Teeth Extractor with a national reputation, will be at the Union Hotel Galesburg on Nov. 28, 29 and 30 and Dec. 1, 2 and 3 for the purpose of extracting teeth without pain or sleep. The doctor was at the Union Hotel last winter for four months and extracted teeth for more than 1,000 patients. He has visited Monmouth and Galesburg for 25 years.
WEDDING BELLS: Samuel Mathers, well known young farmer and son of the late Robert Mathers, was married at Macomb Nov. 22 to Miss Rose Godersky of Port Washington, Wis. Miss Godersky is a professional nurse and was for a time in charge of the St. Francis Hospital in Macomb. The couple left for a honeymoon trip to Florida and other southern states.
KILLED HERSELF: A shocking tragedy occurred at the Harold Sweasey home 2 ½ miles east of Raritan last Thursday evening Nov. 17th when the wife and mother took her own life by hanging.
Mr. Sweasey, the husband, had been to Raritan during the afternoon and on returning started to do the evening chores about the place. The little daughter, May Louise, aged 3 years, asked to accompany her father and was allowed to do so leaving Mrs. Sweasey alone in the house. After completing the chores Mr. Sweasey and his daughter returned to the house finding it dark and vacant. .
After a short and unsuccessful search for his wife, he became alarmed and called some of the neighbors on the phone to come and assist him in the search. He then went to a shed adjoining the barn where he kept his car and on opening the door, found his wife hanging from a rafter in the building about 3 feet from the car. Paul VanArsdale was the first neighbor to arrive on the scene and he at once called Dr. Clarke of Roseville, who arrived at the home in about an hour and pronounced Mrs. Sweasey dead. Coroner Lugg of Monmouth was notified and came down Friday morning and held an inquest. The verdict returned by the jury which he empanelled was We the undersigned jurors sworn in to inquire into the death of Florence Julia Sweasey, on oath do find that she came to her death by hanging, her death being suicidal and occurring, we believe, during a period of mental irresponsibility.
Florence Julia Rankin was the fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Rankin of the Raritan neighborhood and was 25 years, 8 months and 21 days at the time of her death. She was united in marriage to Harold Sweasey on Oct. 11, 1917 and to this union one child, May Louise, was born. In addition to the husband and the daughter, Mrs. Sweasey is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rankin and by three brothers and two sisters.
So far as is known, her life previous to her act of self destruction had been a happy one, and the only plausible theory as to the reason for this act is that she suddenly became deranged after sending her little daughter out with her father and made her way, unseen, to the shed where she ended her life. She was a highly esteemed and respected lady and her tragic death has caused profound grief to many loving relatives and friends. Funeral services were held at the Raritan Reform Church.
OBITUARY JAMES R. PAUL: James R. Paul, who was for many years a highly respected citizen of Lomax in this county, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mina Paul Davis at Fremont, Ia. on Nov. 14th. Mr. Paul and his wife went to Fremont in Aug. 1915 and the latter passed away there in November of the same year. Mr. Paul was in his eighty-third year at the time of his death. He is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Mina Paul Davis of Fremont; one grandchild, Paul Davis and two brothers, J. L. Paul of Lomax and B.H. Paul of Dallas City. The remains were brought to Lomax for funeral services with interment in the Terre Haute Cemetery.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Monmouth, Ill. has been chosen as the place for holding the National Young People s Christian Union convention next July and amongst the prominent speakers who will be present are Hon. Wm. J. Bryan and Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. Henry Wallace. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Morgan and Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Wallin returned from a motor trip to Chicago in the Morgan Hudson car. The trip occupied five days, the greater part of which was spent taking in the sights in and around the city.
Miss Ruth Milligan, teacher of the Coloma School, is quite ill from diphtheria at her home near Biggsville. The directors of the L. Burg Carriage Co. of Dallas City will take a vote on dissolution of the company on Nov. 26th. Miss Anna Ahlers went to Avon for a visit with her sisters, Millie and Ella, who are teaching near there. Miss Anna will assist with the musical part of a Thanksgiving program to be given at the Pleasant Hill School where Millie teaches. A crew of workmen is engaged in re-shingling the Stronghurst village hall. Miss Mary Pitts of Pontoosuc enrolled as a student in the Stronghurst High School. W.J. McKeown has been elected as manager of the Farmers Co-operative store taking the place of Mr. Chas. Wax, who has held that position since the organization of the concern two years ago. Miss Gail Brook entertained the members of the senior class of the Stronghurst High School, the faculty, and a number of other friends at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Brook. The evening was spent with games of various kinds and refreshments of ice cream, cake, popcorn balls, apples and other goodies. .
GETS A GREAT JOB: Chas. Pendarvis of Media, Ill. has been appointed Deputy Revenue Collector and is making preparation to move to Peoria to take up his new work. After completing the high school course at Biggsville, Ill. and attending school two years in Chicago, Mr. Pendarvis edited the village paper for a few years and five years ago began working for the E. G. Lewis Seed Co. and has worked himself up to the position as manager of the company and still remains as one of the directors of the company.
At a meeting of the board of the The Lewis Seed Co. it was voted to hire a college graduate from the Agricultural College at Urbana or Ames. It was the desire of the board to hire a manager who has worked his way through college, one who is not afraid of work, honest, industrious and possessing plenty of good common sense. Seven applications have already been received for the position.
GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: The ladies aid had a chicken supper and bazaar in the M.E. church basement Thursday afternoon and evening. There was a play afterward in the church enjoyed by a good audience. The ladies made $160 which will go to help the church. The Jay Brown family who lived on the Thomas Gray farm south of town moved to Burlington. Miss Vivian Galbraith who was seriously ill with diphtheria the past three weeks is able to be out again. D. S. Bryans received a message from Sandpoint, Idaho that his brother was dead.
***OBITUARY***R. P. CADLE: Well known citizen of this place died at the home of his sister, Mrs. James Kelley, Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock after a long illness. He had retired from business. He was the son of John and Ellen Cadle and was born on Jan. 10, 1866. Both of his parents came to the U.S. from Ireland and made their home in Gladstone many years and were regarded as good residents.(Today, we don't understand this comment, but years ago after the potato famine many Irish families immigrated to the United States and became the lower class-sometimes uneducated but hard working the Irish suffered discrimination.) He leaves two sons Russell and Raymond of Stronghurst, Ill. and five sisters: Mrs. James Kelley of Gladstone; Mrs. Jane Powell, Mrs. Ellen Begeman, Miss Margaret Cadle of Peoria, Ill.; and Mrs. D. J. Driscoll of Alton, Ill. His wife preceded him in death fifteen years ago. The funeral was held at the Catholic Church with interment in the South Henderson Cemetery.
***J. R. MARSHALL***James Ralph Marshall, son of Robert and Rebekah Marshall, was born on the paternal homestead northwest of Stronghurst known as "Pleasant Hill" farm on March 4, 1853. He passed away at the home of his son, Oscar E. Marshall, near Danville, Iowa on Nov. 17th after a lingering illness, aged 63 years, 8 months and 13 days.
He received his education in the grade schools and at the Teachers' College at Mt. Pleasant, Ia. and spent several years in that profession. He was also quite well versed in the legal profession which he practiced to some extent. He was a lifelong resident of Illinois with the exception of 12 years spent in Cass County, Nebr. and 5 years in Clay County, Tex. He was a resident of the Marshall neighborhood for 51 years.
On Nov. 12, 1883 he united in marriage to Miss Adeline Gaddis of Olena, Ill. This union was blessed with six children: four sons and two daughters. Many years ago, the young wife preceded him in death and some three years ago one son, Clifford E. passed away.
Those left to mourn his departure are Leslie F. of Stronghurst; Oscar of Danville, Iowa; Norton E. of Rockport, Ill.; Mrs. Maud Davis of New Mexico and Mrs. Grace Waldrop of Winette, Mont. One brother, Harry Wilson Marshall of Campbell, Minn. and many other relatives and a host of friends and neighbors will cherish his memory.
Funeral services were held in the Olena M. E. Church with interment in the Olena Cemetery. The casket bearers were Alex Marshall, C.R.A. Marshall, Thomas Marshall, John G. Lant, S. C. Lant and Erwin Lant.