The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915
Stronghurst Graphic, July 29, 1915
THE BIG PICNIC: Stronghurst's annual two-day mid summer festival known as the I.O.O.F. Picnic held last Friday and Saturday, afforded the people of this and neighboring communities abundant opportunity for relaxation from the cares and troubles incident to the routine of business affairs and daily toil.
The attendance, while not as large as on some previous occasions of a similar character, was very good considering the unsettled condition of the weather and the fact that the farmers were so generally busy in making up time lost in farming operations because of the unusually wet season.
The largest attendance was on Saturday afternoon during the hours of which the village park where the picnic was held and the streets of the village itself presented a decidedly animated appearance.
The program, with the exception of one or two events was carried out as arranged, although the brisk shower, which came up at about nine o'clock Friday evening emptied the park before all of the numbers had been given. The address of W. H. Hartzell, who spoke on Friday afternoon and Grand Master Pease who was the orator on Saturday afternoon, were appropriate to the occasion and ably delivered.
Their enjoyment by the audiences was considerably marred, however, by the distracting noises which filled the air and which emanated from the throats of the "barkers" for the side shows and thimble-rigging devices, the merry-go-round whistle and the squawking toys of children.
The slack wire balancing and fancy shooting and the spiral tower act given by LeGare, the famous equilibrist, were the best amusement attractions presented and were apparently highly enjoyed by spectators.
The crowning of the "Queen" on Saturday afternoon and the presentation to her and her Maids of Honor of the diamond and ruby rings was also a very interesting feature of the program. The choice for Queen this year as expressed by the majority of ballots cast in the contest, fell upon Miss Dorothy Bainter. The next two closest contestants were in order indicated, the Misses Alice Davidson and Pauline Penny. These young ladies acted as the Maids of Honor during the crowning ceremony, which was a very prettily staged affair.
The baseball games each afternoon drew a fair sized crowd to the local ball park. Friday afternoon game was between the home team and Lomax and was hotly contested, requiring 10 innings to complete. The final score was 8 to 6 in favor of Lomax.
It was claimed by our boys, however, and admitted by the umpire after the game was over that the decision should have gone to the home team at the close of the 9th inning when if they had been given credit for a run fairly earned, the score would have been 7 to 6 in their favor.
The Saturday game between the home team and the Monmouth "Giants" was also a close and exciting game in which but 3 runs were scored, two being made by the visitors and one by the local team.
A feature which added very much to the pleasure of the crowd during the two days of the picnic was the excellent music which was furnished without stint by the home band under the able direction of Prof. Myer. (Nancy Findley Isaacson told me that the I.O.O.F. Picnic was the most wonderful happening of the entire summer.
She and her sisters could hardly wait until the day arrived and just to see the huge crowd gathered about the park was amazing to a small girl. It was as if a foreign land was erected with barkers calling out to passers by trying to lure them into a side show or tempting a young gallant to display his expertise by throwing a ball to win a prize for his sweetie.)
(This issue of the paper contains a complete story of the sinking of the steamer Eastland in the Chicago River at which time over 1,200 men, women and children were swept to an untimely death as the great lake steamer took its final plunge. Stories of survivors as well as those of human interest of bravery and courage connected to the tragedy are included.)
THOSE INFERNAL MACHINES! Last Friday evening a rig being driven by Alfred Carlson who is employed by Gust A. Swanson on his farm near Media was run into by an auto being driven by John Gould who lives a mile and half east of Stronghurst. Carlson was driving alone in a single buggy and the auto was occupied by Gould and his mother. Both drivers were going east on the Media road and were striving to reach their homes before the breaking of a storm which was coming up from the west.
When near the Wm. Allison home a mile east of town, the auto over took the rig. The horn of the machine was sounded to warn the latter of its approach. The road for quite a long distance in that locality is double; that is, there are two traveled tracks with a strip of sod in the center between them. Carlson claims that being in the south, or right hand track, he did not consider it necessary to turn out, supposing that the auto would pull over to the north, or left side track.
Gould, however, kept in the south until his machine had almost reached the Carlson rig when turning suddenly to the left, he caught the rear wheel of the buggy and overturned the vehicle throwing the driver out and frightening the horse so that he dragged buggy and driver for a considerable distance before he could be stopped.
Fortunately, the occupants of both vehicles escaped without any serious injuries. The buggy, however, was quite badly wrecked. (Foregoing information from Carlson-otherwise, one side of the story.)
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Local veterinarian, Dr. R. P. Frans attended the annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Veterinarian Medical Association at Galesburg of which he has been president this past year. Considerable attention was given to the subject of the prevention and cure of hog cholera. A party of happy excursionist left town bound for California and the Panama Exposition.
Among the young people were the winner of the "Golden Gate Contests" sponsored by Fisher Grocery, M.E.Beardsley & Co., Lazear's Pharmacy and the Graphic: Martha Davis, Hannah Swanson, Mary Dixson, and Lloyd Chant. Older people journey with the group included C.H.Davis, Gust A. Swanson, Mrs. Mary Miller, and Mrs. George Dixson.
With deep regret, it is announced that the Stronghurst Band has decided to give up its existence. It is presumed that lack of financial support was the main reason.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Editor Moore of the Henderson County Progress was mingling with the crowd in attendance at the I.O.O.F. picnic. (Has anyone ever seen a copy of this paper?) Some of the business men of Oquawka are agitating the question of having boulevard lights placed along Schuyler St., their main business thoroughfare. The proposition is for the merchants to buy the lights and fixtures and the city to furnish free electric current.
Dr. H. L. Marshall has been confined to his home by illness. W. B.Towler is in Chicago looking over the wholesale dry goods establishments and purchasing goods. Harvey Adair, who has been living on the Lynch farm southeast of Stronghurst, moved to Kirkwood last week.
According to the Monmouth Daily Atlas, Truman C. Allen of Oquawka has the unique record of not having taken a drink of water in 40 years. The article states that Mr. Allen's sole drinks are coffee for breakfast and tea for dinner and supper. Peter J. Voorhees, a well known citizen of Raritan who is in his 82nd year, passed through the ordeal of having a leg amputated above the knee at the Macomb Hospital. The operation was performed with the hope of arresting the spread of gangrene which had affected his right foot. E. F. Beardsley. and wife of Tulsa, Okla arrived for a visit with the wife's parents. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Lovitt.
In the Gladstone two items of note occurred: Mr. Fred Pence is carrying the mail for Mr. Frank Porter who is taking his vacation and a man was lecturing on snakes and selling medicine on the street Monday. News from Carman is that Sidney Trainor and Rhoda Marsden received gold watches in the pony campaign at Burlington. The Olena United Presbyterian Congregation has decided to close their church services for an indefinite time. Virgil Davis has purchased a new piano.