The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, Nov. 1 1923
MET THEIR FIRST DEFEAT: The hitherto triumphant march of the Stronghurst high school football team toward the 1923 pennant was rudely interrupted last Saturday afternoon when they were overwhelmed by the Dallas City gridsters on the latter’s home field. It was not an ordinary defeat but a Waterloo, Austerlitz and Bull Run rolled into one (all decisive battles in history), but as there was a second battle of Bull Run, there is also a second battle to be waged this season between last Saturday contending forces, and the locals are hoping that they will yet be able to wipe out in a measure at least the blot which this game placed on their record.
While the boys, as matter of course, feel keenly the loss of the prestige which they had maintained thus far in high school football this year, they are by no means discouraged over their prospect of heading the list in the averages which the end of the season will disclose and will go into every succeeding contest with his goal in view. . .
HOW TO CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN 1923 STYLE: Special Halloween celebrations were marked by the following events: On Tuesday evening Mrs. C. M. Bell’s Sabbath school class of young girls were entertained with a merry party in the basement of the U. P. Church while on the following evening the boys of Estel Mudd’s and Robert McKeown’s Classes enjoyed themselves in regulation Halloween fashion at the same place. On Wednesday evening the hospitable Kaiser home in the village was the scene of merrymaking and entertainment on an elaborate scale with Mrs. C. R. Kaiser, Mrs. A. Kaiser and Miss Erma acting as hostess. The guests gained admission to the home by being shot into the basement on a slide presided over by a witch stationed at the entrance. They were then obliged to grope their way through the dark, subterranean passages peopled with ghosts and containing an electrical shocking device to the stairway leading to the lighted and handsomely decorated upper apartments where mirth and good cheer held sway until the wee hours of the morning. In addition to the regulation Halloween forms of amusement, dancing and card games were enjoyed and a delicious luncheon was served by the hostess.
Besides these numerous social functions, the mischievously inclined younger element of the village pulled off the time honored Halloween stunts and this morning a motley array of more or less dilapidated vehicles, farm machinery and etcetera was found strewn along Broadway for a distance of a block or more while the glass fronts of the business houses were decorated with inscriptions calling attention to facetious qualities of the authors as well as their disregard for the rules of orthography or grammar. While there was a small amount of property damage inflicted, a tendency to express the Halloween spirit in a more harmless manner than usual was apparent.
NEW BUSINESS IN TOWN: The “Stronghurst Building and Loan Association” is the name of a new organization for this community…Subscribers to the stock of the proposed association met in the Masonic Hall and proceeded to organize in accordance with the state law. The maturity value of each share of stock was fixed at $100 and the limit of the amount of share issued was placed at 5,000. A board was elected: A.E.Jones- Pres., W. C. Ivins-Vice Pres., G. T. Chant-Sec. and A. F. Kaiser, Treas.
BIG POWER LINE COMING: According to reports appearing in Chicago and near by daily papers, the Illinois Power and Light Co., the concern which absorbed Western Illinois Utilities Co. which has been furnishing Stronghurst with electric current, has decided to build a high tension power line from Keokuk to Galesburg, the cost of which is estimated at $1, 250,000. The new line will follow the Mississippi River from Keokuk to Ft. Madison and will follow the Santa Fe right of way from there to Galesburg. Steel towers will support the wires which will carry 66,000 volts. Monmouth is expecting to be supplied with current from this line by means of a stub line run into the city from the nearest point on the Santa Fe R. R.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Dewey Mudd is filling a position in an orchestra in Chicago. A number of youngsters were entertained Monday evening at the Mr. and Mrs. Ed Simpson home in honor of their son Jimmy’s birthday. Miss Ruth McMillan is teaching in Canton, Illinois. Mrs. Clair White is spending a few days in the home of her brother, Geo. Galbraith near Gladstone. Mrs. A. J. Steffey returned from an extended visit in Kansas City at the home of her mother who celebrated her 90th birthday. Mrs. Minnie Peterson who was badly hurt in an automobile accident some time ago is slowly recovering from her injuries and thinks in the course of a week or ten day she will be able to leave the hospital where she has been confined since the event. Rev. J. A. Mahaffey, the U.P. pastor, went to La Prairie, Ill. to assist in a series of evangelistic meetings. Miss Ethel Jenkins is back at work in the Stronghurst Telephone Co. A number of ladies of this community were entertained at a bridge party at the home of Mrs. Lawrence Lynch southeast of town. James Pendry, who is now an inmate of the Old Folks’ Home at Mattoon, Ill., was in town shaking hands with friend and acquaintances. He expects to return home in a few days. Dr. R. O. Mudd, veterinarian who has been practicing at Biggsville for several years is moving to Bushnell. He will be succeeded at Biggsville by Dr. Z. C. Shum who has been located at Smithshire. Mrs. Harold Simonson underwent an operation for appendicitis at the Burlington Hospital. The members of the Stronghurst High School enjoyed a masked Halloween social given at the school Saturday evening by the high school girls. Mrs. Dr. Henderson, who made an extended visit with relatives in Colorado, returned to her home. She says her sojourn in the mountains was a decided benefit to her health and that she is now feeling fine. She reports lots of snow in Denver.
The Webb & Son Department Store in Blandinsville was robbed last Thursday night of $1,500 worth of merchandise consisting of clothing, blankets, shoes and miscellaneous articles. The town has no night watchman and the thieves, who gained entrance to the store through a back window, had evidently taken their time in selecting such merchandise that they knew would be most valuable to them. Investigation showed that the plunder had been hauled away in a truck or car which had been driven into the public alley at the rear of the store.
LA HARPE MAN DIES IN DUCK BLIND: Edward Phelps, 57 year old citizen of La Harpe, died suddenly last Tuesday morning while seated in a duck blind on a small island in the Mississippi River near Sourwine where La Harpe hunters make their headquarters. C. C. Carmer and W. G. Bushby, companions of Phelps on the hunting expedition, had left the blind and gone out on the river to pick up some ducks which they had shot. While they were out, Phelps brought down another duck and after the men had retrieved it, they returned to he blind and found Phelps dead with his reloaded gun lying across his knees. Coroner Emerson was notified and an inquest held with the verdict being that death had resulted from natural causes. The remains were taken to La Harpe where funeral services will be conducted Thursday afternoon at the Christian Church. The deceased was a widower and had no relatives closer than cousins.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: At the Parent Teachers meeting it was decided to continue the meetings. Ora Smith was elected president, Francis Gibb, vice-president, and Mrs. Maude Kelly, secretary and treasurer. Last Saturday afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Glenn a Halloween party was given their little daughter, Mary Esther and some 20 of her little friends. The home was tastefully decorated in black and yellow crepe paper. Games of various kinds were played and the little people had a splendid afternoon. Ice cream, cake and candy were served and each little one received a souvenir dunce’s cap and a squawker in the shape of a yellow and black rosebud. Mrs. Ernest Moore and Mrs. Robert Foster? (ink blot on name) entertained the Country Club. Decorations were autumn leaves and ferns with Halloween place cards. A three-course dinner was served: first course-grapefruit in the shell; second course-creamed chicken in patties, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, pickles, cranberries, marshmallow salad and Parker House rolls and the third course-brick ice cream, cake and coffee. A social hour was held afterwards and books exchanged.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: The Freshman Class of Media High School had a merry Halloween party Friday evening, games and the usual Halloween sports were indulged in. The room was prettily decorated with pumpkins, Jack-0-lanterns, apples, etc. The members of the class were masked and the password had to be given ere they could gain admittance and some real fun was had when masked members of the other classes tried to be admitted and failed. Sandwiches, pumpkin pie and cocoa were served. Miss Judith Gull was their chaperon. Mrs. Joe Stanley of Roseville came over to make the acquaintance of her new niece at the home of her brother, Joe Campbell. The little miss has been named Evelyn Theressa.
RARITAN REPORTS: Elbert Calhoun came over from Iowa to help his uncle, Amos Cavins, with the corn picking. Mrs. Roy Strickler passed away at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Watson. Funeral services were held at the Watson home with interment in the Roseville Cemetery. She leaves to mourn her departure her husband, mother and father, one sister and two brothers. The bazaar and supper which was held in the opera house was a success and over a $100 was realized. Mrs. Lormer Runner spent several days in the Runner home in Blandinsville helping to care for Lormer’s mother who is reported sick. Elgie Ray had the misfortune to get his nose and jaw bone broken in an automobile accident the fore part of the week in which the car he was driving turned turtle. He is at present in the Augusta hospital near where the accident occurred. The American Legion of Roseville will give a minstrel show in the opera house Nov.1st.