The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1916
Stronghurst Graphic, Dec. 7, 1916
THEY STOLE A CAR! A new 1917 model, 5-passenger Ford automobile belonging to Guy Lanphere was stolen from the barn on his premises in the village either at a late hour Saturday night or an early hour Sunday morning. Mr. Lanphere had been out with the car Saturday afternoon and returning about 6 o'clock in the evening, drove it into the inclosure where he had been in the habit of keeping it and drained the water from the radiator into a bucket, leaving the latter setting beneath the machine. In the morning at about 7 o'clock when the loss of the car was discovered, the bucket was found a short distance from where the car had been standing and containing the water which had been drained from the radiator the evening before. It appeared from this that the thieves had either supplied the radiator with water from some other source or intended doing so before running very far. Mr. A.L.Beaver, the barber, who lives across the alley from the Lanphere residence and who came home from his shop about midnight, said that he heard the chugging of a motor in the vicinity of the Lanphere barn shortly after he had retired for the night. Harry Balard, who drives for the Suttliff livery barn says that he was returning from a trip to the south country and met some parties driving a Ford answering to the description of the Lanphere car near the Jos. Dixson place south of town. As Mr. Lanphere was able to follow the trail of the car to the end of the alley and for a short distance west on the intersecting street; it seems quite probable that the parties whom Ballard met were driving the stolen car.
As soon as he discovered the loss of his car, Mr. Lanphere proceeded to get into communication with the officials in surrounding towns, asking them to be on the lookout for the stolen car. He has also sent out notices offering a reward of $25.00 for information leading to the recovery of the property. The car had recently been purchased and no license number for it had been received yet. The motor number was 1,439,087. Within the car was a gentleman's fur coat, a new blanket, a mackinaw coat, two inner tubes and a set of tools.
ALMOST BURNED: The beautiful and comfortable home of Hon. Wm. Hartquist and family situated two miles north of Stronghurst, came near going up in smoke and flame last Friday evening. About half past five that evening a call from the home came over the telephone asking that assistance in saving the house from destruction be sent as quickly as possible. In a short time several auto loads of men and the village chemical fire extinguisher were on their way to the scene while other machines were speeding in the direction of the Hartquist place from farm homes in the neighborhood.
Those who first arrived found a building used as a storage house for fuel and other materials and situated only about ten feet from the residence in flames. This building, which was 20 x 30 feet in size and two stories high, was a roaring caldron of fire, the flames being fed by a stream of gasoline pouring from a metal. storage barrel in the building. As it was evident that nothing could be done to save the burning building, every effort was directed toward saving the home.
The proximity of the fire to the house made this task a difficult one, but it was accomplished after most strenuous efforts on the part of the bucket brigade which was formed. While the siding of the house next to the fire was badly scorched and charred, the flames were prevented from eating their way through the inclosure.
The fire originated from the attempt of the two sons of Mr. Hartquist, Edgar and Clarence, to draw some gasoline from the metal storage barrel by lantern light. The vapor from the flowing stream of liquid igniting with a flash which drove them from the room before they could turn off the stream. In a very brief time the whole building was a furnace of flame and the telephone call for help to save the residence was sent out. Within the building, which was burned,, were several cords of wood, a calf which had recently been slaughtered, 1/2 of a dressed hog, two cream separators, a base burner, a lot of chicken feed and a considerable amount of other stuff. While Mr. Hartquist's loss will be quite large, he is thankful that it was no greater.
WANTS A NEW ROAD: James P. Milliken, who lives 3 1/2miles southeast of Stronghurst, has filed a petition signed by himself and fourteen other petitioners, asking that the road running east from the Sanderson corner south of town be moved 1/2 mile south. If the change should be effected, the new road, which would be one mile in length, would run for a half mile through the lands of Geo.M.Foote and between the Foote lands and the Annegers farm for the other half mile.
The change would eliminate a couple of bridges which would soon have to be replaced with new structures and would also cut out a number of bad hills. The new road would be practically level and would require no bridges. It would appear that the proposed change has many arguments in its favor and that it should meet the approval of tax payers.
***OBITUARY***CHARLES S.APT: Mr Apt, for many years a resident of the Decorra neighborhood and for the past two years a citizen of Stronghurst, passed away at his late residence on Commercial street at about six o'clock last Friday morning. He had been in his usual health until about ten weeks ago when he was confined to his bed by an attack of neuralgia of the heart and it was to the effects of this disease that he finally succumbed.
Charles Shearer Apt, the 13th child of the fourteen children of Jacob and Hannah (Shearer) Apt, was born in Kensington, Philadelphia, Pa. May 5, 1840 and departed this life Dec.1, 1916, aged 76 years, 6 months and 6 days.
He received his education in the public schools of Philadelphia after which he came west and located in Henderson County, Illinois, May 15, 1858.
On Dec. 25, 1865 he was united in marriage to Celia Miller, who was born in Henderson County and who was also one of a family of fourteen children. The marriage ceremony was performed at the "Granpa Miller" farm west of Stronghurst, now owned by Allen Annegers. The golden anniversary of this event was celebrated on last Christmas day when the twelve living children and fifteen of the grandchildren gathered at the Apt home. Thirteen children were born to the couple and of these all are living with the exception of one daughter, Viola Amanda, who died in her 5th year, Dec.5, 1885.
The twelve surviving children are Mrs. Frank Painter, Mrs. John Fordyce and Silas I. Apt of Stronghurst; Charles M. Apt of Oakland, Ia.; Frank A. Apt of East Pleasant Plains, Ia.; Clarence E. Apt of Carman, Ill.; Christian S. Apt of Terre Haute, Ill.; and William, Ernest, Edith and Fronnie Apt at home.(only eleven are listed) Besides the wife and 12 children mentioned above, there are 23 grandchildren and numerous other relatives left to mourn his loss.
In 1875 Mr. Apt was converted to the Christian faith and with three others, his wife and her brother, Wm. Miller and his wife, was the first to unite with the Maple Grove M.E.Church.
On Feb.25th, 1877 Mr. Apt was chosen Superintendent of the Maple Grove Sunday School and filled that position for 35 years.
In Oct. 1914, the deceased purchased from Wm.Stine the old Joseph Thompson home on commercial Street in Stronghurst and moved into it...Funeral services were conducted at the M.E.Church with interment in the Maple Grove Cemetery.
***OBITUARY***MARIE SALTER: The sad intelligence of her daughter Marie's death arrived by telegram to Mrs. Flora Salter.
She had previously received word of Marie's serious illness from typhoid fever so she was partially prepared for the announcement of her daughter's death, having been kept informed of her condition through Dr. Ney Salter, her nephew, who lives about 60 miles from Sacramento.
Marie went to California a few years ago and was preparing her self for the profession of a trained nurse. Arrangements have been made for having the remains shipped back to this place for burial.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: 200 barrels of cranberries were purchased to be made into sauce for the 1,620 veterans at the Soldiers Home in Quincy on Thanksgiving Day. On account of the prohibitive price, turkey was omitted from the bill of fare and 1600 pounds of chicken substituted.
M.E.Beardsley returned from Rochester, Minn. where he was at the bedside of his brother Charles who recently underwent surgical operation. He reports that his brother was in a condition pointing to his early recovery.
Ben Matzka has returned from Canada for the winter. John S.Lant, who has been looking after his farming interests in the Red River Valley district in Minnesota returned here to spend time with relatives and friends.
C. M. Bell, the Graphic's foreman, has enlisted in the Ford army by the purchase of a new 5-passenger 1917 model car. James Dobbs, who is engaged in farming near Solomon, Kans. arrived in Stronghurst to visit home folks.
Archer Wells has resigned as the teacher in the 7th and 8th grades of Stronghurst Public School an has gone to Davenport where he will engage in the grocery business. Miss Esther Hartquist is temporarily filling the position.
The village of Mendon in Adams County was visited with the most disastrous fire in its history on the evening of Nov.28th when a livery barn, general merchandise store, restaurant, and hardware store were burned, involving a loss of $20,000. A distressful feature of the fire was the roasting to death of seven horses in the livery barn. John Simonson and Guy Lamphere left by auto on a stock buying expedition through Northern Missouri.
Jake Waymack of Raritan has filed a suit against the Woolworth Company in the sum of $2,999.99 for causing his arrest in their 5 and 10 cent store in Monmouth on the charge of shoplifting. Waymack proved by the clerk who waited upon him in the store that he had bought and paid for the articles which he was accused of stealing. Mrs. C.R.A.Marshall left for Newton, Kans. where she was called by the serious illness of her father, Mr. G.D.Stratton.
She failed to arrive there, however, before the death of her father but will remain for the funeral services.
NEWS OF THE COUNTY: CARMAN: Mrs. George Marsden and children spent Thanksgiving with her mother Mrs. Paul D.Gibb at Biggsville. Mrs. Edna Brock has returned home in Chicago after a few days visit with her mother, Mrs. James Twilley and sister, Mrs. William Pendry. The I.O.O.F. will give a dance at their hall Dec.8th.
GLADSTONE: The Gladstone band boys gave an entertainment and box supper at the Stone Hall; a full house was in attendance and the receipts of the evening totaled $16.00. Mr. O.O.Ogle of Keithsburg is building a fine new grain elevator east of the depot.
Dr. Ditto is now making his calls in a new Ford car, a roadster which Elmer Pence brought home with him from Peoria. Jessie Drew came from Chicago to visit her sister, Mrs. Wm. Galbraith. She expects to be accompanied home by her father, Mr. James Drew, who will spend the winter there.