The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1927 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross

Stronghurst Graphic, January 27, 1927

JOINT OIL COMPANY FORMED: Nearly one hundred farmers gathered at the request of the Henderson County and Warren County Farm Bureau at the Biggsville gymnasium on Jan. 24th to consider the organization of an oil company.  Following a lunch, the meeting was called to order by C. W. Cooper, present of the Henderson County Farm Bureau and Chairman of the Joint Oil Committee of Warren and Henderson Counties.

A. P. Bartech of the Central Cooperative Oil Co. of Owatonna, Minnesota was introduced and he told of the difficulties encountered and of all success achieved…G. F. Barnes, an oil chemist of Chicago gave a talk on quality in oils and stressed the necessity of farmers having a better knowledge of lubricating oils and of being equipped to test oils as their suitability for use in motors.  A letter from the manager of the Marshall-Putnam County Oil Company at Henry, Illinois, was read showing that the net profit at the end of six months operation amounted to $8.000 in addition to reserve.

C. E Duke presented the report of the oil committee appointed last summer to work out a plan for a joint company.  He told of the committee visiting the plants of other co-operative oil companies and then presented suggested articles of incorporation and by-laws which were unanimously adopted by the men present.  Following this vote, stock pledges were taken for a good size block of stock and arrangements were made to boost the stock sale as rapidly as possible.  Provisions are made in the by-laws for the operation of this company in a similar manner to any commercial oil company and the net profits are to be returned to the stockholders.

NICHOLS HAREWARE IN BURLINGTON: “The building at 113 Jefferson Street has been purchased by Thos. A. Nichols and it is announced that about the first of April he will return to the hardware business opening a new store there which formerly was occupied by Grover Martin.  He purchased the Martin stock as well as the stock of the Burlington Barber Supply Co. and will dispose of these under the firm name of “Nichols Sales Company.”

Mr. Nichols is a veteran of the hardware trade and since retirement from business several months ago when he sold his interests to George H. Minier, has conducted a merchandise and brokerage business which he will continue to have with his re-entry into the hardware business.”—Burlington Gazette

HORSE SALE-A FAILURE:   The crowd at the J.M. Smith horse sale at the stockyards last Saturday was all that could be desired, but the horses failed to sell.  Various explanations were offered by experienced farmers and stockmen as to why the horses didn’t sell with the consensus of opinion being that it was too early for a horse sale as the farmers were not ready to buy.  Only three of the 24 horses were sold and the owner bought one of them back.

BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS:   Arthur Noyes returned to Chicago after being called here by the sickness of his father, Dr. F. A. Noyes; he is much improved.  Moving time is here again: Ora Smith will move to the Jim Graham farm; Earl Dye from the Graham farm to the O. A. Whiteman farm; George Drain from the Whiteman farm to the Will Campbell farm and Glen Campbell will move his family to Burlington.  Dr. Murry of Monmouth preached at the Presbyterian Church Sunday morning and a congregational meeting was held after the service to consider the sale of the parsonage for which several offers have been received.  No definite action was taken.  Taylor Woolsey is suffering with a severe burn on one of his hands received while lighting a gasoline stove.  The shippers’ association meeting held at the high school was well attended and a number of important business matters were disposed of.  Stephen Graham, Sr, was elected as a director in place of Walther South who had resigned.  A plan for putting the association of a sound financial basis was formulated and adopted. Quite a sum of money belonging to the association is tied up in the Kirkwood bank by failure of the bank here, and the matter of available funds had to be arranged for otherwise.

GLADSTONE GLEANINGS:   The ladies of the sewing circle gave a handkerchief shower in honor of Mrs. Martha Lewis and Mrs. H. Witmer’s birthdays.  Mrs. E. Ligett returned to her home in Fairfield after a few days visit her with her daughter, Mrs. S. Stewart.  George Lewis is on the sick list.  Two bobsleds loads attended the church services at Olena Sunday P,M,: Mesdames L. Curtis, Maude Furnald, G. Zerber, W. D .Colley, Wm. Daughterty, Roma Welter, Vivian Graham, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Ditto, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Sandy, Misses Lucille Warner and Harriet Jaeger, Chas Petherbridge, Troy Colley, Mrs. Hubbs and sons and several girls from Mrs. Zerber’s class. Ike Brewer is filling his ice house today.  A movie on the Near East Relief will be shown Friday evening at Bryan’s Hall.  A lunch will be sold for the benefit of the Near East Relief Orphanage afterward.

OBITUARIES:  MISS RUTH STIWELL: Miss Ruth Stillwell died Sunday morning at Hillcrest Sanitarium in Quincy, Ill., where she went early in the winter for treatment for tuberculosis.  The body was taken to Oquawka and short funeral service were conducted at the home of Mrs. William Kemper by Rev. E. Wood, pastor of the Oquawka M.E. Church in which Miss Stillwell was a member.

MRS. PHEOBE DAY: Mrs. Pheobe Day, aged 92 years passed away last Saturday night in the home of her son John, southwest of Biggsville with whom she made her home.  She with her son came from Oklahoma some three years ago.  One daughter lives in California and a sister of Carman survives besides her son.  Funeral services were held in the U.P. Church parlor.  Mrs. Marsden of Carman, sister of the deceased was present.  Burial was in the Biggsville Cemetery.

SOY BEAN NOW BIG CROP:   The soybean acreage in this country increased from less than 500,000 acres in 1917 to about 2,200,000 acres in 1924 says the USDA.  The product of 1,000,000 acres was used for hay, that of 7,00,000 acres for pasture and ensilage and 500,000 acres were used for seed.  This increase in acreage is largely due to the development of better adapted varieties.  The total value of the soybean crop in 1924 was $18,360,000 and of this value the new varieties were responsible for a little more than half.

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: S. W. Claybaugh, Edgar Hartquist and Glen McElhinney left for St. Paul, Minn., where they went to purchase a few loads of cattle which they will feed for the market.  Mrs. Hezekiah Butler is suffering from bruises received when she experienced a bad fall upon the icy steps at the home of one of her neighbors.  Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Epping and family moved to the Campbell property in the east part of town. Irvin L. Kemp of Quincy, Ill., who for several years has been with the John M. Brant Co. of Bushnell, Ill. as a salesman, was in town on company business and greeting old friends.   A. S. McElhinney, real estate agent, advertises a trip on Jan. 29th via railroad fare for round trip of $28.50 to San Antonio, Texas and adds the following: “Why not buy a few acres near San Antonio, Texas and spend the winters in comfort while your little farm pays all expense?  This proposition is being liquidated by trustees and is in no sense a land company.”  The Medina Valley Irrigated Farms land lie between the Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific, two big main line railroads and are paralleled by a paved state highway into San Antonio.  No farm tract over four and one-half miles from the railroad station nor more than 32 miles from that city. (Move West, young man as opportunity lies there.)

Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Gregory motored to Bloomington and was accompanied home by their son Sheron who is a student in Illinois Wesleyan.  Sheron will spend his semester vacation helping his parents move their household effects to their new home in Oquawka.  (Mr. Gregory was elected sheriff, hence, the move.) Mrs. Juliette Johnson and Mrs. Frances Harbour entertained a five-table bridge party Wednesday evening at the home of the former.  Mrs. Charles Fort won first prize and Mrs. Anna Rankin the consolation prize.  Delicious refreshments were served.  Miss Ethel Wright is suffering with an attack of neuritis.  The Christian church will hold their bazaar on April 16th.  James Lindberg and family will remain at the George Wilson farm for another year and will farm for Will Reedy, having given up the contract for the Crenshaw farm.  Mrs. Phillip Mains has resigned her position as teacher of the Olena School and accepted a clerical position in the Halstead Street bank in Chicago.  Charles Anderson will soon be a resident of Stronghurst moving from his farm near Decorra to the Davis residence recently vacated by Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Yeomans.  Mrs. Fred Simons and son of Beulah, Wyoming; Mrs. Alfred Schloredt and son of Deadwood, So. Dak; and Mr. Geo. E. Ward of Spearfish, So. Dak., who have been visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Anders north of town, left for a visit with relatives in Iowa before returning to their respective homes.  Miss Pauline Stine visited at the home of Pearl Drain near Terre Haute.  Pauline states she attended the basketball tournament at LaHarpe, seeing eleven games played. 

Mr. Epping is on the sick list with influenza and Mrs. Mary Steffey of Dallas City is quite Ill.  Mr. J. B. Staley now sits up the greater part of the day and is improving from his recent attack of paralysis as well as could be expected for one of his age.  The Girl’ Basketball teams of S.H.S. will play a game before the boys play Lomax High School on Feb. 1st.  The Junior-Senior girls will play the Sophomore girls; both teams are well matched so the game should be worth the price of admission.

CARMAN CONCERNS: :  The putting up of ice in the locality was completed last Saturday.  Manager A. Rehling supplied several homes for it.  Mr. and Mrs. Willard Crose of Colchester are the proud parents of a baby girl born to them on Sunday.  Mrs. Crose was formerly Miss Vera Marsden of the village.  Gertrude Dowell is keeping house for them.  Mr. Pete Good still remains very poorly and Mr. Merlin Yaeger is on the sick list.  School was dismissed in the afternoon three days last week on account of the principal, Mrs. Huff, being a flu victim.  Johnnie Dannenberg is reported somewhat batter as he is able to sit up and be about the house.  Ruby Dannenberg has diphtheria.  She is being well cared for as they have a trained nurse, and Doctor Emering is in charge of the case. She was reported in a very serious condition Monday evening, but is some better.  The Kirby School closed Tuesday morning on this account.  Mrs. Fred Crane received word in regard to her father on Monday; he has had two light strokes of late so she went to Lorraine to see him.