The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
STRONGHURST MOVIES PROVE TO BE GREAT SUCCESS: “Stronghurst Movies: presented by the Junior Class at the high school building last Friday and Saturday evenings proved a great attraction. At each of the three shows both evenings there was a full attendance and on Friday night, owing to the large crowd, many people were unable to obtain seats at the earlier shows and returned home.
Preceding the moving pictures each evening members of the Junior Class provided a splendid program. The music consisted of trombone and violin solos and selections by mandolin and saxophones with banjo and piano accompaniment. Naturally, the most interesting part of movies was the six or seven reels of pictures of local characters filmed by Prof. Nicholas, sponsor of the Junior Class…The pictures of local business men at their place of business proved interesting. The remainder of the movie consisted of several reels illustrating surf boat riding in Hawaii and a two act Harold Lloyd comedy, “Bashful.”
The event proved a success financially and it is reported that $47.30 ($753.48 in today’s values) was taken in above expenses. This will be used in defraying the expenses of the banquet which is customary for the Juniors to give the Seniors at the close of each school year.
HANCOCK COUNTY PRODIGY: The Hancock County Journal last week contained a lengthy article concerning the mental feats of a six-and-a-half-year-old boy living near Denver in Hancock County. The lad, Leon Harter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harmon T. Harter of Denver, Ill. and a nephew of Dr. I. F. Harter of this place, astonished County Superintendent Decker by his unusual mathematical ability. He did not learn to count and compute by the old fashion method of using the fingers. He assisted his parents in gathering eggs and in doing this first demonstrated his ability as a mathematician. He is able to read large numbers running into the quadrillions and easily distinguishes between even and odd numbers at a glance. He adds numbers at a glance and adds numbers readily, subtracts, multiplies and deals in fractions quite a bit…
The Journal quoted Supt. Decker as saying, “In all my years of experience in the supervision of thousands of school children, I have never before seen a child of this age with such a brilliant mind for mathematics. He does not confine his talents to mathematics; I have in my possession a map of the United States accurately drawn with each state in the proper place and shape, set out in colors, drawn by this little fellow. His ready solution to the problems with which I endeavored to test his ability was astounding. With no school training, he is now capable of handling work for in advance of the primary pupil.”
AIR PLANE DAY AT LOMAX: April 20th will be airplane day at Lomax with special demonstrations in flying stunts and exhibitions. Some of the best trapeze work, wing walking and fancy fling will be done by some of the most death daring flyers in the country. The exhibition is being sponsored by National Airways System of Lomax and will afford thrills for all who attend. Lieut. G. J. Romkey, ace of all aces and generals supt. and instructor of National Airways will give some demonstrations in trick flying and stunts. Tonki Martina, will perform in the air riding the radiator, wings and underneath the machine hanging by his teeth and toes and finally taking a leap of 3,000 feet to the earth. Dome Harwood of the Near East, recently associated with the Airways, will do passenger hauling. The ships will take to the air at 10 A.M. and flying will continue throughout the day. Parking space for autos will be free at the flying field and lunch will be served on the grounds. Lomax is expecting to entertain a large crowd the 20th and folks of this community should make it a point to witness the event.
DALLAS CITY MAN DROWNS IN THE RIVER: Koll E. Shaffner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Shaffner of Dallas City who disappeared from his home last Friday night, was found in the river on the following morning by Harry Platte and Iris Diver who were dragging the stream in search of the body. Mr. Shaffner was 23 years old, married and a prominent church worker and was bookkeeper for the Pioneer Lumber Co.
According to published reports of the disappearance of Shaffner, he left his residence early last Friday evening to go to the home of his parents to secure some old clothes to wear in a hard time social. His failure to arrive at the church where the part took place caused much uneasiness and posses were organized and continued to search all night. On Saturday morning tracks were noticed leading down to the river near the electric light company plant and the task of dragging the river was started. His body was found several yards above the light plant. Shaffner was a graduate of the Dallas City public schools and had lived in Dallas City most of his life.
OLENA OBSERVATIONS: Quite a few are indisposed from colds and throat trouble. The roads are just getting fairly passable again after the late terrific snow storm. No church services have been conducted for the past two Sabbaths. Mrs. Oscar White, west of the village, entertained a number of ladies at her home complimentary to the birthday anniversary of her house guest, Miss Mary White of Lomax. Miss White was the recipient of a handkerchief shower. Mr. P. J. Johnson is a great sufferer from facial trouble. The following school directors for Dist. 28 were elected: Mr. Wm. Brown and Mr. John Hicks. They join Mr. H. O. White to form the new board. Rural teachers are busy preparing their students for the final examinations to be held in the future. Mrs. Calvin Lant is spending a few days at the home of her father, Mr. Dan Burrell of near Hopper. Mrs. Burrell in is Carman helping care for her daughter, Mrs. Logan and a young daughter which recently arrived at that home. Some of the young children in the Logan home have been numbered with the sick.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Allison quietly celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary at their home last Friday. Mr. A. E. Moore was elected director for the full term for school district No. 30. Mrs. Noble Moon, who resides north of Stronghurst, has been seriously ill from ptomaine poisoning but is recovering nicely. Paul Galbraith was a recent visitor at the home of his aunts, the Galbraith sisters. He has for the past eight months been engaged in bridge construction in Old Mexico. Keith Stratton who recently resigned his position with the Stronghurst Grain & Mdse. Co. went back to his old home in Huston, Kansas. He and his brother have gone into the cream and produce business there. Mr. and Mrs. Estel Mudd have purchased the house in which they reside from Mrs. Ivins. Corporal Harry Buckley of Fort Riley, Kansas was a visitor in the home of his friend H. S. Lant. Emerald Hurd of Galesburg visited his parents and returned home with his large Stutz truck which had been stranded here for some time on account of the impassable roads. Mrs. L. O. Dawson entertained the members of the bridge club at her home. Mrs. Sadie Lovitt and Mrs. Zulu Allison won the highest honors. Mrs. Pearl Drain and Mrs. George Peasley stopped at the Graphic office to obtain names to be put on a quilt which will be auctioned for benefit of the Terre Haute Church.
For some time, Rev. Myers and family have been annoyed by water backing up from a drain in the parsonage basement. Several men are now busy on a 43-rod ditch running from the parsonage to the J. W. Hicks’s corner and a six-inch tile is being laid to permanently free the basement of water. A large part of the work is being donated by members of the M.E. congregation. Mr. C. R. Kaiser received word that his brother, Captain Louis A. Kaiser of the U.S. Navy has been retired after 41 years of service. His home is at Jamestown, Rhode Island. He was a boy of 15 living in Kirkwood when he took the competitive examination for appointment and went to the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Recently, the Graphic received a box of orange blossoms from Florida. The blossoms were very beautiful and gave off a pleasant, sweet perfume. They were a gift from Mr. A. D. Armstrong who is now making his home near High Springs, Fla., just ¼ mile from the Dixie Highway. When living here, Mr. Armstrong was employed by the Stronghurst Lumber Co. as bookkeeper.
Mrs. Clarence Combines and children of the south country are numbered among the sick. Mrs. W. C. Ivins is ill suffering from a nasal hemorrhage. Mr. and Mrs. Dee Headen returned home from their winter sojourn in California. Mr. W. L. Spiker left on train No.22 from Galesburg to visit his daughter, Mrs. Rose Chase and family and also his wife who is still confined to her bed from an attack of Grippe. Last Thursday evening Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Trimmer received word that their son Charles of Joliet, Ill. had suffered a sudden attack of appendicitis. Mrs. Trimmer left at once for there and reports the surgery successful. Miss Ordelle Leinbach while employed at the Ed Links home suffered quite serious burns on the hands and arms when one morning the first of the week while attempting to start a fire, the gas from gasoline can which she had mistaken for kerosene ignited. She obtained the injuries while throwing the gasoline out of doors. She was brought to her house here and is being substituted at the Link home by her sister. Mrs. Earl Lewis of Gladstone, 93 years old, died at the Mercy Hospital, Burlington last week. The funeral was held at Gladstone M.E. Church with interment in the Oquawka Cemetery.
From the MEDIA BROADCASTER, April 11, 1926: FIRE IN MEDIA: The Media Dairy Co. building caught fire on the roof around the chimney last Monday shortly after dinner. Fortunately, the fire was discovered before it had spread very much and action was taken immediately. A crowd of willing workers gathered quickly with fire extinguishers and buckets. Ladders were erected against the building and some of men went up while other carried water and relayed it upon to roof. Great credit is due the willing people of Media for extinguishing the blaze.
LOCAL MEDIA NEWS in the BROADCASTER: Alice Garrett, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Garrett who live south of Media, was very unfortunate to break her leg last week while playing. She jumped from the hay mow expecting to light in a pile of hay below, but struck the floor missing the upturned times of a pitch fork by a mere fraction. Dr. L. T. Hoyt of Raritan set the limb and after having an x-ray picture made at Galesburg, found that the set had been made very neatly. A very good crowd enjoyed the cantata at the Sunday morning service at the United Church. The influenza epidemic has quite a hold on the village, especially among the children. Medical aid has been called from several neighboring towns to care for the victims. Little Evelyn Campbell, who has the “flu” pneumonia, is at present one of the most seriously Ill. Others are gradually getting better. The election for the clerk of the public school board was held with Cleve Hickman winning; he just recently moved to town.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Dr. A. D. Murry of the faculty of Monmouth College will preach at the Presbyterian church next Sunday. He was for some years a missionary in Japan. Miss Madeline White who is teaching in the high school at Cuba and Lynn Jamison who is a member of the Harlan, Iowa high school faculty, visited home folks. Mrs. Alfred Sibley shipped her household goods to LaGrange where her husband is employed. The family and Mrs. John Keener will leave for there on Tuesday overland. Mr. and Mrs. Kizer of Woodland, Kansas are the proud parents of a baby girl. Mrs. Kizer was formerly Miss Mildred Kilgore and her grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kilgore. J.C. Keener was again re-elected to the school board. The Senior Class will present their play, “At the End of the Rainbow,” next Friday evening.