The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
(Read about A. H. Kershaw trip to Florida in this issue.)
195 STUDENTS ATTEND THE NEW BUILDING: (Artist sketch of new building on the front page.) The Stronghurst high and grade schools opened in the city’s magnificent new school building with every evidence of a coming prosperous school year. The total enrollment was 195, there being 97 pupils in the grade school and 98 in the high school. This is, indeed, a favorable outlook as last year’s high school enrollment was but 86. This year Senior Class of 25 is one of the largest the Stronghurst High School has boasted for many years. The Freshman class is also unusually large having 32 students enrolled. (List of teachers in this article.) This year there are 23 ½ units work offered, and as but 16 units are required to graduate; the student has liberal choices in determining his own course of study. New courses offered this year are Biology, Pedagogy, Soils and Crops, and Animal Husbandry…
WATERMELON SOCIAL: The Young People’s Christian Union of the United Presbyterian Church gave a watermelon social in the church basement Monday evening. Some 50 young people were present to enjoy many delightful games and last but by no means the most insignificant-watermelon. The social was primarily in honor of the young people of the society who were soon to leave for various place for schooling. To make it more of a success, a general invitation was extended to the public. A small admittance fee was charged to cover the expense.
RODEO COMING SOON: A rodeo will be held on Sept. 18th at the Doug Wassom farm in the north part of Stronghurst. There will be plenty of riders and bucking horses. A load of bronchos will be shipped directly from the ranch.
BOYER HOME DESTROYED BY FIRE: The home of Thos. Boyer, northwest of Biggsville was completely destroyed by fire caused by lightning during the storm about 4 o’clock last Friday morning. Mr. Boyer, who lives alone, was aroused from sleep by a terrific crash of thunder but thinking little of it, he dozed to sleep again to be awakened sometime later by the crackling noise of fire and to find his house in flames. He had time only to get a few articles of clothing and escape with his life.
STUDENTS MAKE WEEKLY PUBLICATION: The high school at Fountain Green, Illinois opened the school year with the publication of the school year’s first issue of “The News,” Fountain Green’s only newspaper published weekly by the students. This year 43 students are enrolled in the high school. However, in spite of the small number, Fountain Green high school accomplishes more than any larger schools. For instance, the students are publishing weekly, not just a school paper, but a community newspaper of from 12-16 pages size 11 x 15 inches.
OLENA OBSERVATIONS: The bad roads and inclement weather Sabbath Day prevented preaching service in the village in the evening. Next Sabbath will close Rev. Hubbs conference year here, but a strong plea from both Olena and Gladstone has been sent to annual conference for his return for another year. Mrs. Dan Burrell who has been quite seriously ill for the past several weeks is slowly improving and her daughter, Mrs. Calvin Lant, has returned to her Olena home so as to place her daughter in school. Mrs. Etta Lant of Burlington will care for Mrs. Burrell. Mr. and Mrs. Keith Hicks attended the annual fish fry in Lomax on Labor Day. Mr. Albert Dean has built a very neat looking garage at his home west of the village. The rumor is he has placed an order for a new car. Mrs. Johnson north of the village remains in very poor health. Miss Mildred Lant and Miss Ahlers left for Macomb to purse the teacher’s course. The village school opened with a small enrollment; Miss Louise Rankin is the teacher. Most all the country schools are now functioning: Mrs. Carlson teaches in Burrell district; Miss Galbraith in Eb Lant district; Nellie Johnson in Hopper; Esther Johnson in Marshall district; Marie Johnson in South Prairie district, Miss Butler in the Heisler district and Miss Gladys Mudd commenced her school near Lomax It is raining again delaying threshing. The grain in shock is already badly aged. Mr. and Mrs. John Lant are enjoying a screened in porch at their farm home. Mr. P. J. Johnson and Mrs. J. Carothers have new poultry houses. The South Prairie School has a new wood house and other needed improvements. A large crowd attended the Nat Bruen horse sale in Stronghurst.
WARNING TO HUNTERS: Warning to hunters that the opening of the shooting season for migratory game birds, ducks, geese, brant and coots is October first instead of Sept. 16th was issued at Springfield by the Director of the State Department of Conservation. The change complies with the federal regulations.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Simonson are the proud parents of a young son born to them Wednesday morning at their home southeast of town. Lillian Mink, Joseph Dixson, Frank Wilcox, Charles Decker, Max Veech, Raymond Johnson and Malcomb Smith are attending Monmouth College this year. Sheron Gregory is attending Weslyn at Bloomington. Mrs. Wilhelmina Ziegler, former old resident of the Terre Haute neighborhood, passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Evans, at Kansas City, Kans. on Tuesday afternoon. The body reached here last night and the funeral will be held this afternoon at the old home place where Chas. Wolford now resides southwest of town. Fort Hicks of Annapolis, Md.arrived here for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Hicks. Everything was quiet here on Labor Day. The banks and post office closed as well of business houses in the afternoon.
Miss Gail Brook left for Sherrard, Ill. where she commenced her work as instructor in the high school. Prof. and Mrs. L. O. Dawson returned from Chicago where he has completed his summer course at Northwestern University. Last Friday morning at about 2 am lightning struck the chimney on the G. W. Worley residence causing bricks to fall down into the fire place and out onto the floor in the parlor. Misses Frances Sweasy and Lorraine Anderson departed for Burlington, Iowa, where they have enrolled for a course in Nurse’s training at the Burlington Hospital. Friends are sorry to hear that Mr. C. R. Kaiser suffered a stroke of apoplexy, but he is improving and hope in a short time he may be fully recovered. Mr. and Mrs. Willlis Keener and family left for their new home in Florida. They have rented their property here to Mr. and Mrs. Lester Gerber. Mr. E. E. Davidson has severed his connection with the Standard Oil Co. here as distributor and is loading his household goods and with his family are moving to Rock Island, Ill., where he will have employment with the Schell Oil Co.
The contract for installing shower baths in the Media High School has been let to Mr. A. E. Moore and Mr. Ralph Butler. Lyman Taylor was seen again on the streets after a long illness at his rooms at the Shook rooming house. The Misses Frances Mahaffey, Florence May Findley and Doris Dixson left for Monmouth where they will attend college. Dr. I. F. Harter left for Albuquerque, New Mexico where he will attend a meeting of the Santa Fe Railway surgeons and medical men. Fred Kershaw who has employment with the Bell Telephone Co. with headquarters at Danville, Ill., and his brother Rudyard, who has been stationed for some time at Grundy Center, Iowa were called home by the serious illness of their sister, Pearl Kershaw who underwent an operation for appendicitis at the Burlington Hospital. She is improving rapidly and will be able to return home in the future. Frank Stevenson and Ivan Gibb of Biggsville left for a tour of the Western states in Ivan’s Ford coupe. Forest Drain, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Drain was taken to the Burlington Hospital where he was operated on for appendicitis.
OQUAWKA NEWS: The sun shone again Monday after three days and nights of nearly steady rain. The result is that Henderson Creek is out of its banks both on the east and south of town, and people are being carried across in boats. All the nearby fields of unthreshed grain and corn are covered with water. Just what the damage is to other corn they cannot tell until the water goes down. The railroad near the bridge near Gladstone began to wash out and the section men worked day and night filling in with sacks of sand and succeeded in keeping it for going through. The trains were stopped for a day. Attorney C. E. Fort and W. C. Ivins of Stronghurst were here Monday. They thought of swimming the creek, but came in on the morning freight instead.
Harry River, a former resident of Oquawka, passed away at the Monmouth Hospital Monday morning after suffering a stroke a few days ago. His only child, Mrs. Mary Ross of Monmouth, survives him as well as one sister, Mrs. Herman Polpeter of Ft. Madison, Ia. Burial will be in the Oquawka cemetery. Alice Peterson suffered a severe attack of appendicitis and was operated on that night; she is getting along as well as count be expected. Mrs. Wm. Hartgrove is suffering with a severe cold. Mr. and Mrs. Webster Eads have a new baby son born at the Burlington Hospital. The young man weighed nine pounds. Meredith Werts is suffering with a very sore thumb caused by a large splinter; Dr. Eads cared for him. Dr. and Mrs. Lange and children of Chicago are visiting at the Chas. Meyer home at “Fairview Knoll.” Mrs. Frank Wood is having a new roof put on her house. Arthur Martin and Anna Mizer of Burlington were united in marriage here by Justice of the Peace, Wm. E. Shorts. Miss Margaret Essex opened her school at Harmony, north of town, on Monday. Miss Ruby Essex opened her school at Smith, north of town on Monday. Miss Helen Stewart, Miss Katherine Noble, Opal Fryrear, Marion Person, and Julius Haffner expect to leave soon to attend school at Macomb. The public school will open Tuesday with the following teachers: Primary-Mrs. Minnie Hall; Intermediate-Miss Anna Burrus; Grammar-Miss Ethel Knox and High room-Prof. Wm. Leach who just returned home from Cody, Wyo. where he spent the summer.
GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: The heavy rains last week caused this community much hard work and worry. The North Henderson Creek came out of its banks Friday and by night it was flowing over the tracks as it did two years ago, but not to so much of an extent. Shortly after starting to flow over the tracks, the creek began to fall and carloads of sand and gravel were used to stop it which helped very much. Men stayed up all of Friday and Saturday nights working trying to keep the levy and the track built up. Not so much damage was done this time as there was two years ago, but still the farmers met quite a loss too.
Mr. and Mrs. Ella Clayton, high school teachers are boarding at the Ella Galbraith home. Mrs. Marvin Evans if quite sick. Miss Garnet Burrell left for Galesburg, Ill., where she will commence her duties as a member of the Junior Class of Galesburg High School. Jean Cook is quite sick with stomach trouble. Rev. and Mrs. Whitmyer, who were just recently married, were pleasantly surprised Saturday evening by a number of their friends. The evening was spent in a social way and a delightful lunch was served. The couple were presented with a beautiful floor lamp.