The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1913
Stronghurst Graphic, June 5, 1913
BIG DAM FINISHED: In the midst of tricolor bunting, waving flags, shrieking whistles, cheering men and smiling women, the great dam across the Mississippi at Keokuk was completed with the depositing in the forms of the last concrete in spillway No. 101, four-fifths of the way over from the Illinois bluff to the junction of the dam with the power house in the Iowa side of the river.
The ceremonies were opened by Horace F. Anthony, second in command to Dexter P. Cooper of the Illinois division who has had much to do with the construction of this greatest of power dams when he mounted a timber on the dam and read to the party assembled the document placed in the metal box.
"The placing of this document in the masonry signals the completion of the dam across the Mississippi River between the cities of Keokuk, Iowa, and Hamilton, Illinois.
This structure made of concrete was begun in 1911, and completed on this 31st day of May 1913. The purpose of this works is to stay back the waters of this river and to supply this impounded forces to the generation of electricity which is to be utilized by man in his arts throughout this valley."
This dam with its abutments is 5,627 ft. long, 52 ft. high, 42 ft. wide at its base and contains 193,700 yards of concrete.
This great work in the Mississippi is so much a government work that it was felt the war department was quite as much a participant in the event as the Mississippi River Power Company. Major Meigs arrived early, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Frances Meigs, and his face showed that he was a happy man. Another interested spectator was George W. Cooper, father of the builder of the Mississippi River dam.ÑFt.Madison Democrat
BROUGHT HOME SOME MEDALS: Our local high school athletes made an excellent showing at the Western Illinois Interscholastic field and track meet held at Monmouth, the school ranking sixth in the contest with 15 schools represented. Seven points in all went to the credit of the Stronghurst lads: Doak winning first place in the pole vault with the bar 10 ft. 3 1/2 in. from the ground, Earl Brokaw finishing third in the 440 yd race running it in 55 2/5 sec. and Hartquist capturing third in the shot put.
Biggsville, the only other county school in the meet, won 6 points: Gibb winning first in the running broad jump with 20 ft. 7 1/2 in. and Boyer winning third in the mile race...
DECORATION DAY OBSERVED: Decoration day at Stronghurst was observed with appropriate services at the opera house in the afternoon. The attendance was not quite as large as on some former occasions doubtless owing to the delayed farming operations which kept the country people away.
The Stronghurst band opened with a medley of sacred airs after which Rev. Bear offered prayer. A quartet composed of the Misses Grace Marshall, Genevieve Hicks, Marie Mudd and Roxella Staley rendered a selection followed by the oration by the Rev. R. S. Strain of Oquawka.
Following the address, the quartet offered another selection and the exercises were then concluded with a very pretty "wreath drill" by a company of 12 little girls. From the opera house, a procession headed by a band of flower girls took up the march to the cemetery where garlands were placed upon the graves of the fallen heroes, and the assemblage dismissed by Rev. Montieth.
Most of the business houses and many private residences were decorated with the national colors and the stores were closed during part of the afternoon. The post office was also closed during the greater part of the day and the rural carriers took a vacation from their regular duties.
KILLED NEAR PONEMAH: The mangled remains of a man supposed from some papers found in the pocket book to be P. J. Madison were discovered lying along the Santa Fe tracks one and a half miles east of Ponemah, early last Tuesday morning. The man had been literally cut to pieces and no portion of the head could be found except a little patch of hair and some of the skin. The body had evidently been hurled from one tack to another ran run over by trains passing in both directions during the night. While it is not certain, it is supposed that he was first struck by train No. 15 the fast west bound passenger which passes Stronghurst at 7:15 p.m. but which was late that evening.
When the train arrived at Shopton, Ia., a piece of a human skull was found on the engine. From the clothing which the man had worn and the appearance of the body, he evidently had not been a common laborer.
Later The victim of the accident has been identified as P. J. Madison, a plumber living in Chicago, who had been visiting his mother at Knoxville, Ill. His wife and sister from Chicago and a brother-in-law, by the name of Nelson, living in Galesburg, came to the coroner's office at Monmouth and identified the property found upon the remains. At the inquest, the engineer of train No. 15 testified that while he had not observed the man on the track, it was in all probability his engine which had struck him and the jury so found by their jury.
GRADUATES WITH HONORS: Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Fort traveled to Bloomington, Ill., where their daughter Vida graduated from the Normal school. Out of those present (over one hundred) Miss Fort was accorded second place in the class. From there the family continued on to Champaign where their son, Lyman, graduates next week with distinguished honors.
SANTA FE PROTEST TAX: The railroad companies are resisting the unlawful levy of taxes and in county court the Santa Fe road succeeded in setting aside $558.92 appropriated by Dallas City and Stronghurst.
DOWN HE WENT: Charles O'Gren, who lives on the east side of town, had a perilous experience down on the south county line. He was driving a team attached to a lumber wagon and had a mower tied on behind. While crossing a stream, the bridge collapsed and team, wagon, driver and all were precipitated to the ground, a distance of about fifteen feet below. There was no front end gate in the wagon box and as that end went down first, Charles slid down until his feet came in between the double trees and the hounds of the wagon. As a result one of his legs was badly bruised and lacerated, but fortunately no bones were broken and both horses escaped serious injury. What his opinion is of the board of commissioners who will leave such a death trap as that on a public highway is not given out for publication.
(It's here, the long awaited book on Lomax. Incredible would best describe the pictures and contents assembled by William Lionberger and Glen Smith. Need a Christmas gift? Contact Mr. Glen Smith, Niota, Il.; this book is one of a kind.)
Local and Area News: Miss Della Brokaw returned from Northwestern University at Evanston on summer vacation. Charles Dobbs, of Brown's Valley, Minn., is home visiting friends. H. J. Sheppard of Ft. Madison was in town distributing literature advertising the steamer Sidney excursion to Keokuk on the 13th. Mayor C. H. Curry and daughter, Esther, journeyed to Bloomington, where Esther remained to visit friends and attend the Normal school commencement. The ladies of the M. E. church will hold their tea Thursday afternoon, June 12th, at the home of Miss Naomi Cooper. Those who will assist the hostess in serving are Mrs. Schierbaum, Mrs. Keener, Mrs. Bond, Mrs. Bell, Mrs. Lazear, and Mrs. Jessie Curry. All ladies of the community are invited.
Get the boys a Studebaker Jr farm wagon at Dixson's to work the goat. (Otherwise, hitch up the goat to pull the wagon.) Dr. Bond is the possessor of a brand new Case two passenger automobile. Howard Wray is employed at the railway works at Granville, Ill. Mrs. E. A. Henderson of Centerville, Ia., is visiting her son, Dr. F. M. Henderson.
In the game of baseball played on the local diamond between the home team and the Raritan Coyotes, the former won by a score of 8 to 2. While not exactly an errorless game, it was sufficiently interesting to furnish good entertainment for the spectators. The dull moment which might have intervened between the brilliant plays was helped out by the enthusiastic rooting of "Woodrow" Wilson. Charles Marshall delivered to W. H. Penny one day last week four hogs that weighed 2050 lbs.; at 8 cents per pound, the four porkers brought a total of $164. Harry Ross and Andrew Davis, with their wives, went to Indianapolis to be present at the great international 500 mile automobile race.
J. Mack Sholl, mayor of Carthage, Ill., and former bank examiner and leading republican politician, died at Excelsor Springs, Mo., of Bright's disease. C. R. A. Marshall left for a visit with Kansas relatives. He will be accompanied home by his children, Henry and Stella, who have been attending school in Newton, Kan., during the past year. T. J. Parson had village Marshal Putney arrested one day last week for threatening to do him bodily injury during the course of a heated controversy, which the two had upon the street. The case was set for trial in Oquawka county court, but States Attorney Fawley, after an interview with the witnesses for the persecution, concluded that a conviction was improbable and the case was dismissed.
Asa Worthington of southeast country is afflicted with tonsillitis. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Filley of Carman. Votes for womenÑVotes for queen of Western Illinois can be had of every merchant. The farmers are taking advantage of the opportunity to dispose of a lot of 50 cent corn. Harry Beckett has just returned from Urbana where he attended school this year. The Reporter says the managers for the Raritan opera house have invested in a motion picture machine which they expect to put in operation soon. C. G. Richey and possibly his wife, are bound for Winnipeg on a business trip.
Remember the Dallas City Cement Products Co., when you need the finest thing in continuous hollow concrete building blocks or porch columns. See A. L. Russler for prices. The monthly tea of the Terre Haute Ladies' Aid Society will be given at the home of Mrs. Freeman Doak with Mrs. Finch assisting in serving. Meredith Lovitt has returned to his home in Scott's Bluff, Nebraska. Lewis Duke, a former well known resident of this county, and who was the father of C. E. Duke of Rozetta, died at Redlands, Calif.
WHAT A SCAM! Some time ago a stranger claiming to represent a Kansas City concern collected several hundred dollars from various and sundry persons in this vicinity promising them that they would in a few days receive the equivalent in a distilled product of unusual quality. The long summer days are now dragging wearily by for the waiting ones, and it begins to look as though the only prospect of relief from the long drought is from local showers. (Farmers desperate for rain seeing their crops shrivel clutch at any hope and there is always someone to take advantage of misfortune.)
GOOD ROADS-TRY THIS: In Mt. Sterling a novel way of getting the roads dragged from country into town was inaugurated by a grocery firm. (Roads were horrible, if not impassable in muddy weather. At this time all had the responsibility of working on the road, but just at scheduled times so this resourceful grocery upped his trade considerably.) They had printed large posters on which they advertised to give each farmer dragging the road from his home to the front of their store, one dollar's worth of their favorite brand of coffee and to the farmer that came the fartherest on a drag, a barrel of their highest priced flour. The posters were given to the farmers while in town and the next morning shortly after 8 o'clock the first drag drove into town. The weather was very bad all day, a drizzling rain falling most of the time, which made the roads very muddy. This did not deter the farmers in the least and by 4 o'clock, 52 men had registered at the store and received their reward.
LOMAX LINGERINGS: The heat has been intense lately. Bert Waggener's family, Will Rocke and Mrs. Dr. Russell attended the Gordinier show at Roseville.
The seven week old babe of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Bowers died and was buried in Crane Cemetery; the little one had been a great sufferer. Terre Haute has seen several automobiles pass through on their way to the New City. (New Lomax book is out; check this paper for ad.)
Visiting his parents was Charles Romick and family from White House, Mich. Dr. Dave Kirby of Peoria was home recently. Mrs. Bert Anderson expects to be home soon from Rochester; her operation was a success. Gus Rehling and wife of Carman spent the afternoon at the Dr. Emerson home in the New City.
CARMAN CONCERNS: A number of young folks from here attended the concert at Terre Haute. Wm. Crose and wife, A. C. Babcock and wife and daughter motored to Keokuk to view the new dam. Mr. Cooper and Mr. Moore are building a fine new barn for the Rehling Bros. on their farm east of town.
BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: H. O. Garriety went to Monmouth to the funeral of Captain John Turnball. Mr. Turnball was a soldier of the Civil War 36 Regiment, Company C. Miss Carol McMillan of Cairo, Egypt, is in town visiting relatives. The Hawkeye Boys of Burlington gave an entertainment at the United Presbyterian Church. All farmers are very busy now finishing planting their corn.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: R. L. Wray has purchased a new Chalmers auto. The members of the board of directors of the academy announced that they think it will open next fall. The building is now being reshingled. The sheriff from Smithshire swooped down upon Ed Kane in town Monday evening and gave him a chase for his life to the corner west of town where his buggy was overturned in trying to make the turn and he was thrown out which stunned him for a while. They captured him and took him to Monmouth but he was released the next day on bond. Rumor has it that a new barber will come to town. He is having the brick building west of Smith's blacksmith shop repaired and put in shape to be used for that purpose.
JOIN THE BIG EXCURSION: Join the big excursion to the Keokuk dam, Friday, June 13th. Big time, fine music, dancing, refreshments. Everybody is invited. The steamer Sidney has been chartered to leave Ft.Madison at 10 a.m., arriving at Keokuk at 12, leaving there at 4 p.m., reaching Ft.Madison in time to take the special train at 6:30 p.m. Special train will leave Stronghurst at 9:02 a.m., arrive Ft.Madison at 9:45 a.m. Boat fare-50cents; for railroad fare, ask the Santa Fe Agent. This excursion will be run under the auspices of the Potomonock club, Ft.Madison.