The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915
Stronghurst Graphic, April 1, 1915
METHODIST ENTERTAINMENT SCORES BIG: "Ye Old Folkes Concerte," given at the opera house last Friday evening by the M. E. Church people proved to be one of the biggest entertainment successes of the season, both in merit of performance and financial returns. From the moment the company of performers numbering 30 or more garbed in quaint costumes of the centuries past trooped on the stage and arranged themselves for the rendering of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" up to when they bowed their farewell as the curtain descended during the singing of the last stanza of "Hear Dem Bells," the audience was kept in a highly pleased state of mind and a condition of delightful anticipation as to what was coming next.
W.C. Ivins, who was resplendent in dress coat with ruffs at sleeve and throat, a waistcoat of brilliant hue and ample dimensions, black riding trousers with russet leggings and with hair powdered to a silvery whiteness and surmounted by a shiny silk tie, directed the musical part of the program as "Ye Tyme Beater," and did it with characteristic elegance and grace. He and Mrs. Ivins also rendered a duet entitled, "Oh Yah! Don't dat vas Fine." which brought out a perfect tumult of applause.
A number which so pleased the audience as to bring out a request for its repetition at a later point in the program was the song, " Grandma's Advice," rendered by Mrs. Luna Staley, Mrs. Mary Miller and Mrs. Alice Salter. The songs given by a male quartette composed of Messrs Ivins, Wheeler, Yoakum and Bell received hearty encores as did also those rendered by the quartette of ladies consisting of Mrs. Ivins, Mrs. Dixson, Mrs. Bell and Miss Grace Marshall.A number which gave special delight to the crowd was the old Negro melody, "Kingdom Come" sung by Rev. Hanes assisted by Mrs. Hanes in the chorus.
The musical numbers were interspersed with "spoke pieces," in the rendering of which some of the ladies, who have witnessed the passing of many years since as school misses they were wont to declaim in public, displayed their possession of a degree of elocutionary and dramatic talent which was a surprise to even their closest friends. Those giving spoke pieces were Miss Naomi Cooper, Mrs. Martha Calkins, Mrs. G. W. Fisher, Mrs. Luna Staley, Mrs. C. N. Salter, Mrs. Ida Woods and Mrs. W. C. Regan. A "double spoke piece" given in the German language by Mrs. Johanna Wheeling and Mrs. Schierbaum created much amusement.
Mrs. John Layton, Mrs. N. B. Curry, Mrs. W.C. Regan and Mrs. E. E. Bond dressed in the simple girlish costumes of the long ago, played the part of "Ye pretty young maidens." During the intermission between the two parts of the program, they passed the water to the thirsty singers using tin bucket and long handled dippers in the performance of the task. At a later point in the program they each told the audience what occupation they proposed to follow when they "grew up."
The audience taxed the seating capacity of the opera house to the limit and the gross receipts of the evening were about $106.00.
1890 GRAPHIC: Rev. W. P. Weekly was called to Ohio by a telegram announcing that his father was lying at the point of death. Gear Putney visited his brother Bert at Carson, Ia. The night of March 27th saw a blinding snowstorm which left one or two inches of the "the beautiful" on the ground. A tenant house on the J.W.Brook farm burned to the ground while the family was at church. W. T. Weir was offering 1500 bushels of potatoes for sale at the Oak Grove fruit farm at 15, 20 and 25 cent per bushel.
Mr. and Mrs. John Stine celebrated their 33rd anniversary on March 2nd. Pete Lauritsen, the village shoemaker, shot at a rabbit which was running down Broadway and as a result two of the citizens of the village, Ed Ward and W.E.Hall, were obliged to visit a physician and have several shot picked from their anatomies. The chronicler failed to state what became of the rabbit.
TIE THE KNOT: Last Thursday afternoon, March 25 at the home of Mrs. Jane Stiles in Dallas City, Miss Ethel Logan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Logan of the Lomax neighborhood was married to Mr. Ernest Staley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Staley of Stronghurst. Rev. L. P. Bear officiating.
***OBITUARY*** Wm. R. Livermore died at his home 1 1/4 miles northeast of Raritan March 29th after an illness of over a year's duration. Mr. Livermore spent nearly his whole life of 64 years in Point Pleasant Township, Warren County, and was a member of a family of brothers prominent in the affair of that county for many years. He is survived by a wife and ten children and two brothers. Funeral service was conducted at the Reformed Church in Raritan with burial ceremonies in charge of the members of the Masonic lodge of Stronghurst.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. Rigg Hodges and Mrs. Joe Beckett entertained the Country Club at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Stine last Thursday night. Those from town in attendance were Mrs. C. C .Butler, Misses Opal Stine, Mabel Simpson and Alice Chant. Bring your automobile, buggy or carriage to us for repainting, top recovered, etc. Good work. Reasonable. The L. Burg Carriage Co., Dallas City, Ill. Sam Carothers from Dallas City assisted M. F. T. Schierbaum in locating some trouble in connection with his electric light wires. Mrs. Morning and daughter Effie of Basco returned home after visiting her daughter, Mrs. P. A. Stamp.
A citizen of the village accompanied by his wife is reported to have called on the landlord of Stronghurst's principal hotel last Saturday and demanded the retraction of a story which they claimed the latter had started reflecting upon the conduct of the lady and that of a certain male citizen of the community with whom she had visited the hotel the day previous. After a few preliminaries in which the spectators claim that the rules governing the usage of polite society were slightly infringed upon, a short, sharp and decisive engagement took place. When the charge was over, the landlord still held his trenches and the enemy is said to have retired in some confusion. (Everyone reading this in 1915 knew exactly the names of the participants. The editor, however, reported the news and thus did his duty and could not be sued.)
Auctioneer Fred Gray was operated upon for appendicitis at a Monmouth . Hospital and is reported as recovering nicely.
DECORRA DAYS: Marion Evans of Emerson, Ia. was in the county visiting his mother, Mrs. S.Y.Evans. Funeral services for Jack Kemp, son of John Kemp of Galesburg, (the Carman area news says the Kemps lived near Chicago) were held at the Warren Kemp, Sr. residence with burial in the Carman Cemetery.
The Santa Fe carpenter gang was in town fixing up the stockyards. Crabill is giving silverware away free to his customers. A nurse was called from Burlington to care for Mrs. Dannenburg who is quite ill at the home of her son Fritz east of Carman.
OLENA OBSERVATIONS: The Olena M.E. Sabbath school sent as an Easter offering to one of their hospitals in Chicago a 30 doz. case of eggs. About 10 or 12 of the ladies west and north of the village have organized a social club which has been meeting once a week. They have chosen the name as the"Busy Bee Club" and will meet this week with Mrs. Walter Deitrick. The James Pendry family of near Carman who shipped to Iowa a few weeks ago were not pleased with the country and are moving back to Illinois. John Hicks' family have moved to one of Mr. John Carothers' houses south of the village. Will Fisher received quite a wound when a wire stretcher slipped and struck him in the forehead.