The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1916
Stronghurst Graphic:, March 9, 2001
RELUCTANT PUBLIC OFFICIAL: On Wednesday of last week the president and ex-officio health officer of this village blew into our editorial sanctum, tossed a slip of paper on our desk and jauntily announced that he was off for Indiana for an indefinite stay and that we were appointed acting health officer for the village during his absence. Before the protest which rose in our mind could be framed into words, the village's chief executive was on his way to the train.
An examination of the slip of paper which he had left showed that it contained a list of names of persons suspected of having been exposed to small pox and whom he had ordered placed under a modified quarantine.
We had up until that time been ignorant of the trouble making possibilities which lurked behind that innocent sounding term. Had we realized its full import, we would have chased the absconding village official to the station and even pulled him off the car steps by his coat tail if necessary to return him his slip of paper.
He had hardly settled himself comfortably amongst the plush cushions in anticipation of a pleasant journey and we had scarcely settled down to our interrupted task when the returns began to come in from that "modified quarantine." They have been coming at all hours of the day and night since that time, and after a week of nerve racking, temper destroying and patience exhausting experience, we will say to any troubled fellow mortal, your cup of misery will never be full until you have been selected to enforce a "modified quarantine."
If you would know what it is like, go out into the orchard on some summer's day and toss a stick at a hornet's nest hanging amongst the leafy branches and then from the swarming mass which pours forth from the front door of that once happy home, select a few individuals for quarantine and try to induce them to retire to the place from which they came and remain in seclusion.
A mysterious Providence has decreed that it should fall to our lot in the course of the daily routine of life to look after the general conduct of three gasoline engines of separate and distinct types. These rather intricate mechanical contrivances we are sometimes led to believe, combine about all of the eccentricities, perverseness and refractory traits of the whole gasoline engine tribe; but as a real trouble producer this "modified quarantine" has these three more or less balky gasoline engines backed way off in a corner.
We have been interrupted three times during the writing of this article by telephone calls from individuals praying for immediate relief from the burden which has been laid upon them through our efforts to carry out the mandates of that autocratic body of saw bones at Springfield called the Illinois State Board of Health and whose word on the matter of quarantines, modified or otherwise is declared by the statute to be law. We have during the past week been warned, advised, threatened, cajoled, entreated and damned and if this is of The Graphic is not all you think it should be, please remember that the editor has been trying to enforce a "modified quarantine."
However, we are glad to say that the end of the trouble is in sight and that by Friday of this week, if no unforseen contingency arises, the last one of the victims of the oppressive quarantine system will be set free.
In the meantime, we are pickling a rod against the return of the smooth and artful village official who "passed us the buck."(W.C.Ivins was the village board president and the editor is hardening a stick with which to inflict bodily harm.)
WHO SHOULD PAY THE BILL? Mr. John H. Voorhees who is one of the large shippers of livestock from this point, attended the meeting at Galesburg where it was hoped that with the aid of the public utilities commission some agreement might be reached between the shippers and the railroads regarding the payment for the work of cleaning and disinfecting stock cars.
The livestock board issued an order several months ago that all stock cars shall be cleaned and disinfected before being used again. It held $4.50 for double deck cars and $2.50 for single deck cars would be a reasonable charge.
The railroads complied with the order and charged the cost of disinfecting back to the shippers. The shippers refuse to pay and appealed to the public utilities commission. At two former meetings no agreement was reached. At the Galesburg meeting while no agreement was reached between the two parties in regard to who should pay, a resolution was adopted noting the protest by the shippers.
JOHN O'CONNOR DEAD: John O'Conner was born in New York Aug.1844 and died at the home of George Dewein near Carman at 5:20 p.m. March 5, 1916, aged 72 years, 6 months, and 17 days. In 1874 O'Conner was married to Della A. Foote and to this union five children were born, namely: Maggie Jacobs of Gladstone, J.H. O'Conner of Carman, Olive Dalton of Stronghurst, Jessie Dalton of Carman and George O'Connor of Mediapolis, Ia. The children all survive, but the wife and mother passed away Oct. 28, 1908.
Mr. O'Conner spent nearly his whole life in this vicinity having come to Henderson County with his parents when he was but a lad.
Besides his children, he is survived by two sisters-Mrs. Jesse Hicks of Stronghurst and Mrs. Kate Casebolt of Tacoma, Wash.-and one brother, Thomas O'Conner of Oquawka, Ill. There are also living ten grandchildren, nine nephews and two nieces.
The deceased was a jovial and friendly neighbor and a kind and affectionate father. Funeral services were held at the home with interment in the Stronghurst Cemetery.
RELEASED! No new cases of small pox in the village and all previous cases, which were confined to the W. E. Salter household, have completely recovered. The quarantine was raised from the Salter home and members of the family are now free to mingle once more with their fellow mortals. All suspects have been released with the exception of the C. N. Salter family and they will without a doubt be released on Friday. While there has never been much apprehension on the part of most of the citizens regarding the spread of the disease, all are glad that the suspense is over.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. Margaret Payton has gone to Lomax to take charge of the culinary department of the Hotel Lomax. (The Lionberger and Smith History of Lomax has several good photos of this establishment.) The board of county supervisors raised the bounty on grown female wolves from $8 to $15 and the bounty on males was left at $5 and cubs at $2. (Many think that a bounty on coyotes would be appropriate today.) Attorney E.P.Fields of Monmouth has been involved in the legal proceeding in connection with the installation of a system of water works for Little York. A 365 acre farm adjoining the city of Galesburg and known as the Burgess farm was recently sold to J. W. Windom of Warren County for a little less than $100,000. This is said to be the largest sale of farm land ever recorded in Knox County.
Mr. and Mrs. L. Wagy returned from Vega, Texas, where he has been operating a farm for several years. He reports an unusually large wheat crop last year. He has rented his farm for a term of years and will again make residence here. J.Bert Watson of Ft. Collins, Colorado, reports that his son Harley is doing newspaper work in Loveland.
Ellsworth Wetterling had the misfortune to sustain serious injuries from a kick by a horse. Mrs. Glenn Meredith of Raritan is to be taken to the Monmouth hospital for surgical treatment. Miss Margaret Keane of Raritan will return to Rochester for the removal of a goiter. James J. Shaw of Alberta, Canada, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee W. Shaw of Dallas City. He reports raising 900 acres of oats and wheat last year from which he threshed 32,000 bushels.
There have been some disgusting and disgraceful scenes enacted in the village recently as the result of "booze." There seems to be a certain element here which has reached that stage on the road to complete moral degradation that they are apparently willing not only to forfeit the right to the respect of all decent people themselves, but are also anxious to drag as many others as possible down into the mire with them. (In every town column for this issue are listed names of those who traveled to Burlington to see the motion picture "Birth of a Nation," now considerate a classic.)
Emmet Davenport of Oquawka vicinity caught a female wolf near Bald Bluff and received the bounty of $15.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: Oakley Colley has been working in Iowa for several years installing gasoline light plants. Mr. and Mrs. Will Liby who have been living on the Joshua Rankin farm southwest of town moved to Kirkwood. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Schroeder northwest of town are moving onto the Academy farm. Dr. Meloan has his Raritan store in operation with Olin Palmer running it. Mr. Paul Tilley and Miss Florence Trimble of Oquawka were married in Galesburg.