The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, June 26, 1924
SEVERE STORM STRIKES: Tuesday of this week was marked by two storms which were especially severe in the country south and west of Stronghurst. During the storm which occurred in the morning, Mr. Chester A. Edmunds was killed by a bolt of lightning on the Frank Myers farm a mile east of Terre Haute and Mr. Myers so badly shocked that he has been in a serious condition since the accident. The two men were about to go into the house on the Myers place when a lightning bolt stuck a large cottonwood tree standing in the yard. A wire clothes line was attached to the tree and it is thought that Edmunds had hold of this wire when the bolt came. The electric fluid evidently passed through his body as there were said to be no external evidence of injury except a burned place under one arm. Mr. Myers was knocked down by the force of the electrical discharge and since the accident has been subject to delirious spells. Edmunds, was the son of the late Frank A. Edmunds and wife, both of whom passed away last spring. He was a brother-in-law of Mr. Myers and was visiting the family at the time of his death. He was until recently engaged in railroad work in Chicago.
The evening storm came accompanied by the heaviest deluge of rain experienced this year in the country southwest of Stronghurst. Dallas City is reported to have experienced a practical inundation and threatened washouts along the Santa Fe Railroad this side of Fort Madison which kept the section crews on the alert throughout the night. The display of electrical energy accompanying the storm was unusual and losses of buildings and livestock are reported fro many sections. Secretary W. J. McElhinney of the local Mutual Insurance Co. reports two steers killed in the feed lot of Jno. Peasley a few miles southwest of here and another steer killed on the John Torrance place southeast of Raritan.
AIR MAIL ACROSS THE COUNTRY: A new air mail service is to be established between New York and San Francisco July 1st. Going west the plane leaves Chicago at 6:30 p.m. and reaches San Francisco the next morning at 5:45:The postage to San Francisco from here is 16 cents on a letter weighing an ounce. For this service it must be labeled "via air Mail." Ordinary stamps may be used. The postage from here to New York is 8 cents.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The new $120,000 Community High School at Alexis, ill. was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies last Friday. Harry Whitmore, who has been in the employ of the Mudd Motor Co. for several months and Miss Hazel D. Burrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Burrell of Media Township, were untied in marriage at Monmouth last Monday afternoon. Two truck loads of people from here attended the Cantrell Revival meetings at Lomax. The opera house was well filled and those who heard both the evangelist and singers felt that they had but a taste of the wonderful treat that is is store for them when the meeting starts here. Frank Huston, living near Old Bedford Church, lost about 30 nice hens from their premises one night last week. Residents of the west part of the village report being disturbed and annoyed of late by a night prowler of the "peeping Tom" species. Clem Jarvis and family left for several week's visit at the home of Mrs. Jarvis' mother near Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. A pure Hereford bull from the herd of G. Q. & H. B. Fort was consigned by express to W. A. White at Hopkinsville, Ky. Miss Eveyln Shafer accompanied her grandfather, Mr. G. Bowen of Terre Haute and her aunt, Mrs. Ed Bowen on an auto trip to Moline. They spent about ten days there with relatives. Mr. Bowen while in Moline suffered a severe attack of indigestion and neuritis and is under the care of a physician.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gillis and daughter Mildred were called to Fort Madison where Mrs. Gillis' brother Bennie was operated upon for appendicitis. Mrs. Arthur Roberts of Blandinsville returned to Stronghurst and has obtained employment in the James Johnson home for the summer. Mr. Geo. Marsden and two of his neighbors from Biggsville were here picking cherries at the George Marsden place. A number of citizens attended the baptism at Clear Lake Sunday and Monday. About 75 were baptized as a result of the meetings held at Lomax by evangelists Cantrell and Pecaut. The play entitled "A Little Clodhpper" given by the M. E. Church members of Burlington was a success in every way and enjoyed by a large crowd. The social held on the lawn the same evening was well patronized selling out all the refreshments on hand. Mr. Dan Siens and family of California arrived here Friday night and intend to make Illinois their home in the future. Dan did not have good health in the West.
CHILDREN'S PARTY: Mrs. M. L. Evans gave a very delightful Story Book Party last Saturday afternoon in honor of her daughter Margie Lou's third birthday. All the children came costumed as Mother Goose characters and after playing various games, they were served a dainty supper. The decorations were cleverly carried out in the dining room with a large table in the center of which was a large Mother Goose pie with four life sized blackbirds perched on the top. When the pie was opened, it was found to contain favors for the children. For each child was a tiny blackbird filled with candy and nuts and also a hand painted place card with a picture to correspond to the Mother Goose character represented. About fourteen children and many grown ups were present to enjoy the occasion. The youngsters present were Martha Ross, Dorothy Davis, George Widney, Jr., Mildred Annegers, Charles, Junior, Kenneth and Donald Peasley, Ella Jane Evans of LaHarpe, Burton and Gloria Wallin, Bonnie Jean Boesch and Jacqueline Kinslow of Burlington.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: Media baseball team met defeat at Little York Saturday afternoon, the score being 6 to 2 in favor of Little York. The Men's Bible Class has changed their time of meeting and will gather Friday evening at 8 o'clock at the U. P. Church. Clifford Adair had the misfortune to cut the thumb of his right hand quite badly with a hedge knife while cutting weeds on the farm at his brother Harvey Adair's. Dr. Rankin dressed the wound and it is healing nicely. A baby girl arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Sullivan; all are doing nicely. The directors of the grade school are having the interior of the building decorated by D. H. Gilliland. Misses Eva and Dorothy Dixson entertained a company of their playmates at a party at their home. An ice cream social will be held on the Academy lawn Friday evening for the benefit on the baseball team. Prof. and Mrs. A. L. Beall and children expect to leave for Washington, D. C. to attend the National Teachers' meeting; they will make the trip in their car and will visit other Eastern places of interest. They expect to be gone three weeks. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Stansbary and sons Ernest and Kenneth were in Stronghurst having some dental work done Friday. This community was visited by a heavy rain and severe electrical storm Tuesday evening which lasted until almost midnight. Work in the fields and gardens will be at a standstill for several days. On account of so much rain, the corn is becoming quite weedy. Cherries are ripe and raspberries are taking their place. Gooseberries are plentiful.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: The division of the U. P. Church with Miss Lois Spears gave an ice cream and strawberry supper Saturday evening on the lawn east of the bank clearing $11 and a few cents. Jim Kilgore is in York, Pa., where he is visiting relatives. Prof. and Mrs. J. A. Johnson and little daughter, Barbara, are spending the summer in Wisconsin where he is attending school. Mrs. Earl Trimmer entertained The Eldeen Book Club at her home east of town.
THEY CAUGHT HIM: Herman ("Heinie") Matzka, who has been employed in the railroad shops at Burlington, Ia., for some time was arrested in Stronghurst at an early hour last Saturday morning and taken to Oquawka where charges of the unlawful possession, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquor were made against him in the county court. On Tuesday he entered a plea of guilty to the charge and was fined the sum of $200 ($2,872 in today's values) and costs.
Special officers who were on watch in the vicinity of the public dance pavilion west of Olena Friday night became suspicious that Matzka was supplying liquor to some of the patrons and on searching his Ford car found a basket containing a number of pint bottles of "hootch." They took possession of the liquor but did not take Matzka into custody. Early the following morning he was located in Stronghurst and placed under arrest by special officer Floyd Clark, who took him to Oquawka. It is understood that in addition to the fine imposed, the confiscation of the car used in transporting the liquor will be included in the penalty.