The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic: July 17, 1924
WAGES FIERCE WAR ON SIN: The Cantrell evangelistic party which is conducting a campaign against sin in this community is drawing large crowds nightly to the big tent in the village park and there are evidences of an awakening on the part of many to the need of higher ideals in their lives and the acknowledgement of the saving power and sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Probably more than 1,000 people in and around the tent last Sunday evening listened attentively to the evangelist's discourse on the theme "It pays to be a Christian:"
MAYHEM IN GLADSTONE: an auto accident in which three young men had a narrow escape from death, and the shooting of another young man as the indirect result of this accident furnished some thrills for the people of Gladstone community last Saturday night. The auto accident happened on the Monmouth-Burlington state highway a mile south of Gladstone where about 40 feet of the roadway had been washed out during one of the recent floods and a deep hole created which was filled with water from a small creek running alongside the road (the overflow from which had caused the washout). The hole is something like 12 or 14 feet deep and the cement surface of the roadway had fallen into the hole after the embankment forming the grade washed away. A light barrier of brush and rails had been placed at either edge of the chasm extending across the road and warning signs placed some distance back. Red lantern lights were also supposed to be kept burning at each edge of the break in the roadway as a precaution against accidents to night travelers.
Sometime between 11 and 12 o'clock last Saturday night three young men whose names have not been revealed, but who are supposed to live at Mt. Pleasant, Ia. and who were driving a large Studebaker car were proceeding eastward at a high rate of speed and either failing to observe the danger signal or seeing it too late, plunged through the light barrier at the west edge of the hole down onto the jagged pieces of concrete and into the pool of water.
The car turned completely over during its descent and the three occupants were all caught beneath the wreck. The driver of the car was almost entirely submerged in the water with the weight of the car resting on his chest and would undoubted have perished in a short time but for the timely arrival of aid. This aid was furnished by Vernon Long, formerly of this place who accompanied by a Stronghurst young lady was returning from Burlington in a run-about car and following close behind the big Studebaker. While skirting the big hole in the roadway, this couple chanced to observe the big car lying top down in the pool of water with one of the wheels still spinning slowly and on stopping to investigate heard the cries o the imprisoned men for help. Telling his companion to drive their own car to Gladstone for help, Vernon climbed down into hole and by the most strenuous efforts succeeded in extricating the driver of the Studebaker from his perilous position and in liberating the other two occupants of the car. More help soon arrived from Gladstone and the three men were loaded into a car and taken to the village to be cared for. Dr. Stephens of Gladstone was summoned to attend the injuries of the men. He found that one of them had a gash in the top of his head which required nine stitches to close and that one ear was nearly torn off. Another of the men had a gash in the back of his head which required 14 stitches to close and was also suffering from wounds in the leg and shoulder. The third man had bad cuts on the leg and chin. After receiving first aid the men were all sent to the Burlington Hospital.
The shooting accident which occurred as a sequel to the auto accident happened in the village of Gladstone. The clothing of the victims of the auto accident had become torn and mud and water soaked during their experience at the place of the accident and it was found necessary to provide them with dry garments. These were secured from the Ellison Store in the village, the proprietor being called out of bed and induced to go to the store and provide the clothing. The store of Chas. Hedges is on the opposite side of the street from the Ellison Store and Mr. Hedges and his family live above the store. The Ellison Store was robbed recently by parties who drove up to in the night and carried the safe from the building and loading it on a truck, drove away with it. Mr. Hedges was awakened last Saturday night while the clothing for the auto accident victims was being procured at the Ellison Store and looking across the street and seeing men coming out of the store with bundles in their arms, he jumped to the conclusion that another robbery was in progress. While he was watching, a car drove up in front of the Ellison store and Hedges, thinking that this car contained accomplices of the robbers, opened fire on it and shot the driver through the arm and side. He was soon made aware of the fact that instead of winging a bandit, he had shot one of his fellow citizens as the victim of his bullet proved to be Ralph Keever, a Gladstone youth who had stopped at the Ellison store out of curiosity.
When Mr. Hedges learned of his mistake and its probably grave results, he loaded Young Keever in a car and hurried with him to a Burlington Hospital where it was found that the young man's wounds though painful were not necessarily fatal.
There seems to be more or less mystery concerning the identity of the young men who were the victims of the auto accident. Although they claimed to hail from Mt. Pleasant, Ia. and to be well connected there, the car which they were driving and which one of them claimed belonged to his father bore an Alabama license number and the name of an Alabama city on a plate attached to the car. The real facts in the case will no doubt be revealed in a short time.
Later-Since the above was written, we have learned that the young men who were injured in the auto wreck were Earl Hoaglin, Paul Gavin and Mark Noble, all of Mt. Pleasant. Keever's injuries were not of a serious nature and that he has been released from the hospital.
BEING SAVED IN THE VILLAGE PARK: The Cantrell evangelistic party which is conducting a campaign against sin in this community is drawing large crowds nightly to the big tent in the village park. There are evidences of an awakening on the part of many to the need of higher ideals in their lives and the acknowledgement of the saving power and sovereignty of Jesus Christ. More than a thousand people from in around the tent last Sunday evening listened attentively to the evangelist's discourse on the theme "It pays to be a Christian."
A men's meeting was held in the tent on Sunday afternoon. where Mr. Pecaut offered a fine solo, "Somebody Knows." Evangelist Cantrell took the platform and for 35 minutes held the closest attention of the large crowd of men and boys as he told them some of the plain facts about sex and the sex problems of the day. He made a moving appeal for purity of thought and life and urged his hearers to rise up in their might against sin in all forms.
At the same hour, Mrs. Pecaut, wife of the song leader, addressed the mothers and daughters of the community at a meeting held in the U. P. Church. The audience completely filled the edifice and all were deeply moved by the appeal which the speaker made in her address, "God's greatest gift, a Mother." The song service was led by Mrs. G. T. Cantrell. The musical features of the nightly meetings at the tent are no small factor in the success of the meetings.
HIKING TO THE COUNTRY: Monday afternoon eleven Boy Scouts of Stronghurst together with the Scoutmaster went on an over night hike to the home of W. W. Ross. The Scoutmaster took his car and hauled the tents and other impediments for the boys so when the tired boys arrived, some of the tents were already up. Soon all were up and numerous camp fires were burning merrily, indicating the desire of hungry scouts to supply the inner man.
Mrs. Ross proved herself the hostess superb. She provided iced tea, fruit sauces, eggs and then when the boys had well eaten, a big freezer of ice cream that was "some" cream; cookies topped off the dessert. Oh, boy, what a feed! One of the scouts was so overcome that he feelingly made the motion that the group hike to Ross's every Monday afternoon.
After many games, the tired scouts crawled into their tents and when they could quiet their exuberance and cease from throwing a few vagrant shoes, they slumbered until morning light. After breakfast cooked over the camp fires, they folded their tents (not silently stealing away like Arabs) thanked Mrs. Ross for her kindness and were off for home voting this hike a dandy time.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Ex-Congressman J. W. Graham of this district, who is now the presiding judge of the U.S. Court of Customs Appeals at Washington, D.C. was the guest of honor at a luncheon in Monmouth at the Kiwanis club. Mrs. Mary (Finch) Dawson of American Falls, Idaho, who was sent as a delegate to the war mothers' convention at Davenport, Iowa, extended her trip to Stronghurst for a visit with her mother Mrs. Finch at the old home south of town. Walter Woodward is assisting at Harold Simonson's farm near Olena. Frank Johnson shipped two loads of hogs for the Association: one from Media and one from Stronghurst. Mrs. Addie Gray came from her home at Syracuse, Kans. for a visit with her mother, Mrs. M. Crane and her brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Crane. A family reunion of the Germanicus Bowen family at the old home in Terre Haute was a very pleasant event last Saturday night. A splendid supper was served (long list of attendees in this article). Little Helen Sutliff of Burlington visited the home of her grandmother, Jennie Galbraith. Mrs. Alice DeAtley of Kansas City, Mo. arrived for a three weeks visit with her mother, Mrs. S. S. Slater and sisters, Miss Grace and Mrs. Ivins. County Farm Agent Walker went to Oquawka to attend a meeting on the T. B. eradication committee of the county Farm Bureau which convenes for the purpose of selecting a county veterinarian from the list of applicants for that position. Mr. Levi Ray and Mr. Ditch of Roseville, Ill, accompanied by C.S.Cooper of Raritan drove the Ray car here and picked up B. L. Mudd and the Graphic editor before journeying to the river near Carman; they spent the day fishing. The S.A.D. Steffey home in the village has been the scene of a happy family reunion. A. J. Steffey and family of Norwood, Minn., Chester Steffey and family of Basco, Ill., and Harry Winter and family of Maysville, Mo.. All spent several days in the parental home.
Real estate agent George Chant reports the sale of Mrs. Annie Smith residence in the West part of town occupied by J. W. Denum and family to Mr. Gus Johnson. A bunch of about 25 from the Dallas City Christian Church, comprising the Philathea and Berean Classes, traveled to Stronghurst Thursday afternoon to enjoy a picnic supper with the Cantrell-Pecaut bunch of devil chasers in the Stronghurst Park and attended the revival meeting that night. Some went in autos and some by train, all taking well filled baskets and report a joyful evening. Mr. and Mrs. N. W. Grainger have located in Stronghurst and are engaged in remodeling and refitting the rooms in the McElhinney building recently vacated by O. R. Gent. They will engage in the practice of the Chiropractic profession. Mr. Grainger is a recent graduate of the Davenport school of Chiropractic and Mrs. Grainger is a student in the same institution.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Farmers are busy these sun shiny days finishing their harvest and laying by their corn. Threshing will commence this week. Mr. Harry Dowell is very sick at his home with the summer Flu. Dr. Emerson is caring for him. Some of our young people were Burlington goers Saturday evening going on the moonlight excursion. Mrs. Mary Bradley, who is county and district president of the Sunday Schools, was at Sunday School and gave an interesting talk. Mr. Samuel Howell who has been ill with plural pneumonia is able to be up again. Several from here are attending the Nazarene meetings at Lomax.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: The Men's Bible class have issued an invitation to every man, woman and child to meet with them for Sunday School during the month of August. The meetings will be held at the U.P. church at ten o'clock A. M. Miss Opal White and Mr. George Admire, Jr., have surprised their many friends by announcing that they were married a day recently at Monmouth. Although a surprise, friends have been suspicious that such an event would soon take place. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry White who recently moved here from Raritan. She is a young lady of excellent qualities being quite active in church work. She finished the business course at the high school this year. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Admore. Presently, they are making their home with the bride's parents. Ott Lamb and son Clyde are visiting relatives in Kansas. Mrs. Alice Schroeder is home from Olena where she has been helping to care for her mother.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Relatives have received word of the birth of a little daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Bailey of Mediapolis, Iowa. Mrs. Bailey was Miss Martha Glenn before her marriage. John Applebee and Chas. Applebee of Galesburg were called here by the serious illness of their father and brother, George Applebee at the home of his niece, Mrs. Elmer Epperley. Mr. and Mrs. Bert Graham were at Hamilton to attend the funeral of D. C. McDill. Mr. Ralph Stewart and daughter Beatrice of Monmouth expect to leave for California to make their future home. Miss Elizabeth Butgen left for her home at Crandon, Wis. after an extended visit with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Claybaugh. Friends received cards from Dr. and Mrs. A.C.Douglas, Sterling, Kans. announcing the marriage of their daughter Evelyn to Rev. Chas. Roy Harper on July 10th. Ava, the little daughter of Mrs. Mamie Eaton, fell and broke her collar bone. They were called here from Burlington to attend the funeral of Mrs. Easton's mother, Mrs. J. H. Keener. Road work on the hard road is progressing nicely. The men have left the south part of town and have gone east again to do grade work.
LOMAX LINGERINGS: The wheat harvesting has almost come to a close and the hum of the thresher will soon be heard. Mr. E. Arnold remains about the same from his attack of T.B. It will no doubt take some time for a decided state of improvement. The grading of the streets and the mowing of weeds have made an improvement in the town. The fresh air kiddies from Chicago will possible get a four weeks outing instead of two if the proper arrangements can be made. (Who are the "fresh air kiddies?) Geo. Roth is treating his house to a couple of coats of paint. Born to Vernon Nixon and wife last Friday, an eleven pound girl. Loyal Daughters Circle of the Christian Church Sunday School went to Crapo Park Sunday bringing their dinner along. Mrs. Mary Bradley on her circuit to visit Sunday Schools made a visit to Maple Grove Sunday School.