The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1927 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross

Stronghurst Graphic: March 31, 1927

COUNTY COURT CASES:   The People vs Ed Kessinger, Oral Kessinger, William Brainard-Violation of Prohibition Law.  The People vs Anna Saben-Information. Violation of Prohibition Act.  Sentenced by the court of a term of 60 days and to pay the cost of this suit including $40 analysis fee.  The People vs Walter Baxter-Larceny.  Pleaded guilty and was sentence to jail for four months and fine $1.00 and costs.  The People vs William Brainard, Oral Kessinger-Disturbing the Peace.  Fined $5.00.  The following were summoned for petit jury:  Charles Lyons, Emmett Milliken, Ed Brewer, Hugh Smith, Wm. Hicks, Glenn Marshall, Charles Painter, Frank Wilson, A.S. McElhinney, George Chant, Theo Knutstrom and Robert Ingerson.

AREA NEWS: The March meeting of the Ladies Aid was held Friday evening at the home of Mrs. W. C. Regan. Mrs. Bert Johnson and son, Max, are recovering from ptomaine poisoning.  Mr. Charles Shriver has moved to Smithshire where he will be employed on a farm this spring and summer.  The Graham Stewart house three miles southwest of Biggsville was slightly damaged by fire Tuesday evening.  A few buckets of water extinguished the blaze with little damage being done save a hole burned in the roof.  Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Wyatt are the proud parents of a baby daughter born to them at their home near Lomax on March 24th.  The little miss will be called Forrest Darylene.  Mrs. Wyatt will be remembered as Miss Bessie Billups, a former Stronghurst girl and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doug Billups. 

The community is urged to established more girls’ 4-H clubs.  Last year there were four clubs with 51 girls enrolled, 41 completed the work.  Mrs. R. N. Marshall, Mrs. Cecil Brook and Mrs. J. W. McElhinney represented the Stronghurst D.A.R. chapter at a conference held at Rock Island.  Over half of the $20,000 worth of shares are already sold and all the acreage pledged for the United Food Company factory to build in the area. Rev. C. E. Hawkins, representing the Memorial Hospital at Peoria, Ill. gave a very fine talk at a union meeting in the Methodist Church Sunday Evening.  The South Country Ladies enjoyed a pot lunch dinner at the home of Mrs. Hollis Links.  Last Friday evening 33 men gathered at the NuVon Hotel for the regular monthly banquet and business meeting of the Fellowship Club.  Judge J. W. Gordon of Oquawka has received formal notification of his appointment to represent the War Department in Henderson County as chairman of the committee in charge of the 1927 enrollment for the Citizens’ Military Training Camps b Brigadier General Michael J. Lenihan, Commanding the Sixth Corps Area .

CELEBRATING 91 YEARS:  Grandpa Brown, who makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. Belle Wilson in the east part of town, celebrated his 91st birthday last Sunday, March 27.  His daughter, Mrs. Nell Fisher, nieces: Miss Beulah Fisher and Mrs. Lulu Watson and nephew, Master John Watson of Roseville brought well filled baskets and with Mrs. Wilson helped grandpa celebrate in fitting style.

Although so advanced in  years, grandpa is in good health and prescribes good hard work as an excellent means of keeping well.  The old gentleman has just finished working up a large tree into stove wood.  Those who visit him at his home marvel at his skill and energy displayed in using the axe and saw.  He is always busy around home doing some chores and doing it well, which is a characteristic not to be thought lightly of…

WEDDING BELLS: STINE & HOWELL-The announcement received by many friends here of the marriage of Miss Rachel Hazel Stine of Biggsville and Mr. Joseph Howell of Carman at Waukegan, Ill. on September 4, 1926 came as quite a surprise.  Mrs. Stine is the daughter of Mr. J. W. Stine of Biggsville and was born and reared in Stronghurst and vicinity.  She graduated from Stronghurst High School in 1925 and since then has had employment as a telephone operator here and in Chicago.  Mr. Howell is a graduate of the class of ’25 of Stronghurst High School.  He was born and raised in Carman.  He is a young man of much ability. 

GLADSTONE GLEANINGS:   Mr. Floyd Zerber of LaPorte, Indiana is here visiting with his father Glenn Zerber and family. Ben Bass and family moved from the Dulton farm to the Bush property.  Dennie Ahlburg went to Chicago where he has employment. A. Lambert family of Burlington moved on the Fred Dulton farm. Mr. Jas. Kelly and Miss Maggie Cadle were called to Peoria by the serious illness of their sister, Mrs. Nell Begerman.  Miss Cadle remained for an indefinite visit.  Mrs. Jas. Sandy and son Howard and Mrs. Ida Killen and Loyd Sandy of Monmouth motored to St. Louis.  Frankie Sandy, who has been a patient at a hospital there for almost a year returned home with them.  The Ladies of the M.E. Church held a bake sale at the Town Hall.

LOMAX LINGERINGS:   Mr. and Mrs. Forest Wyatt are the proud parents of a baby girl born to them Thursday morning.  The National Airway System have completed another airplane and have it ready to deliver.  They are working hard to complete two special planes.  Some of the girls about town enjoyed an airplane ride Sunday.  The Loyal Gleaner’s Sunday School Class held a bake sale Saturday afternoon at Hoover’s store.  Rev. Mitchell and Wm. Bradford have been doing some plumbing at the S. F. Tannus property in the south part of town.  Mrs. John Bowlyou still remains under the doctor’s care.

DIGGING A HOLE:   Estel Mudd is having some excavating done under his house in view of making a basement.  The dirt is being removed in a somewhat novel manner.  A road scraper is forced into the ground by use of a cable attached to a Ford coupe and then is pulled out and the dirt emptied.

BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Positions for high school director were being circulated -one for Paul Stevenson and one for Robert Foster.  Wm. Campbell and Robert Foster are the retiring member of the board.  The election will be held April 9th.  The Grade School election will also be held the same day.  At a high school board meeting a letter from the state fire marshal following a recent visit of a fire inspector noted that another exit and fire escape from the auditorium, another outside exit from the assembly hall, special fire alarm, electric wiring somewhat changed and door added to the furnace room were needed to comply with state laws; they must be conformed to within 30 days. Mrs. Jessie Rezner moved her household goods from the farm into her new home recently purchased in town and which has been completely remodeled.  Mrs. Eliza Beebe was among the nine guests present at the birthday dinner party of Ed Christensen at Burlington, Ia.  The social held Friday evening by Clarence Gibb’s Sunday School class in the parlor of the United Presbyterian Church was decidedly a success.  Few country people were able to be present owing to the deplorable condition of the roads. A program of music and games and the serving of delicious refreshments were highly enjoyed by all. Friends have received cards from Phil Rowley of Oak Park saying that he is recovering from a serious operation and he expects to leave the hospital the latter part of this week. 

NOTES FROM HENDERSON COUNTY HISTORY:   At the first county election on April 15, 1841 the following men were elected to office: John S. Pollock, Clerk of Circuit Court; Alfred Knowles, Clerk of county Commissioners Court; John McKinney, recorder; W. D. Henderson, Sheriff; Francis J. C. Peasley, Preston Martin, Benjamin C. Coghill, County commissioners.

RARITAN REPORTS: The February and March Birthday social was held in the church basement.  Refreshments of roast beef, sandwiches, mashed potatoes, gravy, pickles, tea, cakes, peaches and coffee were served. Miss Dorothy VanArsdale who is attending school at Pella, Iowa spent the weekend with home folks.

MAPLE GROVE MUSINGS:   Mrs. Lois Anderson Coy who recently underwent an operation in the Burlington Hospital is in a critical condition.  Miss Alma Mills is attending business college in Burlington.  Mrs. Elmer Davis spent several days last week at Pontoosac, Illinois, helping care for a small nephew who has been very ill.  Mrs. Ed Chandler, Albert and Marion Chander visited Miss Grace Chandler at the Macomb Hospital where she is recovering from a recent operation.  The Santa Fe railroad will soon dispense with the night operator at Decorra.  Kenneth Daugherty, who has held this position for over a year will leave in a few days to take another position. 

AULD LANG SYNE (March 27, 1902) Bert Neff of Gladstone drank carbolic acid and died at his home Friday or Saturday.  Neff owned a 10-acre tract known as the old distillery property in the northeast part of Gladstone and lived there alone.  Melvin Royse was in the habit of supplying him with milk and Friday evening he left a bucket of milk sitting on the doorstep as the door was locked and there appeared to be no one at home.  He returned Saturday evening and still no one was in sight and the bucket of milk had not been disturbed.  When he returned Sunday morning, the same conditions were found.  He called a neighbor and the two men pried a window and raised a curtain.  Mr. Neff lay on his bed dead.  An empty bottle in which had been carbolic acid was found beside the bed and Neff’s lips and mouth were seared with the fluid.  Coroner Emerson reported the verdict of the jury to be that Neff came to his death by the use of poison administered with suicidal intent.  The act was a complete surprise to his neighbors.  The deceased was an uncle of Carl Lavien of Stronghurst.

The Firemen’s ball given at Beardsley’s Hall Thursday evening was largely attended and a success.  The Stronghurst brass band was reorganized with J.T . Maxey as leader.  John Gilliand of Russell, Ia. reported the arrival of a fine son at his home about three weeks ago.  The Dallas City hotel was quarantined with small pox which was quite prevalent in the Middle West at that time.  Around Terre Haute oats sowing was in full blast.   

1927 CARMAN CONCERNS:   Several of nearby farmers are busy planting oats.  Members of the Rebekah lodge reported a fine social evening at their last regular meeting.  Mrs. Maggie Anderson and son Wayne left for their new location at Canton, Ohio where she will take work in the hospital.  Mrs. Violet Leiser and daughter Delius and Mrs. Frank Marsden and children are reported on the sick list. 

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. Mae Woodward and Mrs. Ernest Putney and sons returned from Nebraska and Iowa where they visited relatives.  Mrs. Woodward attended the funeral of her sister. Mr. A. E. Moore and his carpenters are building a seed house on the hard road two miles east of Biggsville for Mr. Edgar Lewis.  Mrs. Ruby Butler received word that her cousin, Miss Julia Barnes, who is in the employ of the Bell Telephone Co. at Rockford, was under quarantine for scarlet fever.  Miss Doris Dixon is among the Honor students at Monmouth College this past semester.  Miss Jennie Galbraith is again stricken with a severe attack of eczema.  Mr. and Mrs. John Peterson have moved from near Bowen, Ill. to Stronghurst and are now living with Mrs. Peterson’s mother, Mrs. Swanson.  Mrs. Flo Myers and children returned to their Indiana home.  C. E. Spiker, who has employment in Galesburg, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Mr. R. B. Chase, and nephew, Master Jimmie Browning, were dinner guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Spiker last Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Will Ogden moved from the upstairs rooms they have been occupying in the Davis building on Broadway to their own residence in the east part of town. 

MEDIA BROADCASTOR:   Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sullivan are the proud parents of a new son March 22nd.  Goldie Heap, Lillian Mink and William Pogue are home from Monmouth College for spring vacation.  Mrs. George Hickman has been suffering with rheumatism.  Mrs. Aaron Erickson is confined to her bed due to a nervous breakdown.  A Girls’ Glee Cub Concert will be held at the high school Thursday evening.  Fifteen cents admission will be charged. A very successful benefit was held in the gymnasium Saturday afternoon and evening for the Media Picture Show.  The Community very generously donated to and patronized a food sale.  Lunch was served and a sum of $30 was realized. 

RARITAN NEWS IN THE BROADCASTER: C.S. Brokaw and Bert Russeler were among the farmers who shipped hogs with the cooperative shipper’s association.  Harold Simonson shelled corn on the Cecil Brook place.  Will Reedy sawed wood Friday and Saturday.  Lyle Gray has been having considerable trouble with sores on his arm.  Jake Neff hauled clover. Cliff McKeown carried the mail last week on rural route one while Joe Huff and his horses took a brief vacation.