The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1917
Stronghurst Graphic, July 26, 1917
COUNTY QUOTA FOR DRAFT: The Exemption Board of Henderson County received official notice that the quota of drafted men the county will be required to furnish for immediate service in the U.S. Army is 74. Twice the number of designated men will be summoned to appear before the board for examination and will be appear is three different time slots. (List in this issue is of the first 1,000 names drawn in Washington.)A study of the list reveals that Stronghurst Township will furnish 30; Oquawka, 16; Lomax, 19; Gladstone, 15; Raritan, 15, Media, 11; Bald Bluff, 10; Terre Haute 10 Carman,8; Biggsville, 5; Rozetta, 9. Fletcher G. Kelly of Rozetta Township was the Henderson County man who was numbered 258, the first number drawn from the big glass bowl in Washington.
***OBITUARY***GEBHARD FITZ: Gebhard Fitz, a resident of this county for almost a half century and one of its most honored citizens, died at his home one mile west of Decorra July 21st, following an illness of extended duration. Funeral services over his remains were held at the Maple Grove Church July 23 with interment in the Terre Haute Cemetery.
Gebhardt Fitz was born Jan.17, 1844 at Lous-te-nan, Austria, and died July 21, 1917 at the age of 73 years, 6 months and 4 days. He was the youngest of a family of seven and the only one to leave his native town. When 24 years of age he came to this country and worked in Chicago for a year before coming to Henderson County. On Jan.4, 1871 he married Emma
Kunze and seven children were born to this union, two whom died in infancy and another Herman, at the age of 3 ¸ years. The four surviving are Fred W. Fitz, Mrs. Bertha Chandler, Mrs. Alma Powell and Miss Clara Fitz who lives at home with the mother. There are 14 grandchildren and one great grand child besides a sister and many nieces and nephews living in Austria. He was a member of the Maple Grove Church and when his health permitted was regular in attendance.(This is a long article extolling Mr. Fitz virtues and ending with a poem.)
RACING IN LAHARPE: The LaHarpe races are next week with three of the big $1,000 ones filled, the fourth failing to do so and a 2.09 pace for $400 was substituted. This makes twelve harness races and three running races for three days, which is truly a big program. The fair management confidently expects 200 horses to compete. Special attractions this year are greater than ever before attempted. The Orchard City Band will furnish the musical program. Aug. 1,2, and 3 are days to mark on the calendar.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: The children of James Brewer are visiting their grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brewer. "Red" Walker is the latest volunteer for Uncle Sam. This makes 18 men in the service from here. W.C.Towler and E.R.Grandey were in Chicago purchasing merchandise for present and future needs. Lyman Taylor of Bayard, Neb. wrote Ed Hardin that mechanics are very scarce in that section of the country and that painters are finding more work than they can do at 60 cents per hour.
Earl Beardsley and wife are now living in their new residence at 308 S. Olympia, Tulsa, Okla. Mrs. Belle Jaquis suffered a severe stroke of paralysis at the home of her daughter at Carolina, Kan. She is in a very serious condition and remains about the same.
She will be remembered as Miss Belle Curry, having been raised in the Cook School neighborhood. Fred Anderson of LaHarpe has just harvested a 350 acre tract of wheat near Gladstone and 9000 bushels is considered a very conservative estimate of the yield. At $2.00 per bushel, the return from the land would be $18,000, which ought to pay for the seed, labor and rent and leave a comfortable balance.
The oldest daughter of James Brewer was taken seriously sick and it was thought for a while the only chance for saving the child's life would be an operation, however, it was decided after the arrival of a surgeon from Galesburg not to operate at once.
The patient seems to be improving some and there is now thought to be a possibility of recovery without the use of the knife. The little child is but five years old. The fine new motor hearse recently purchased by James Sutliff was placed in service at the funeral of Mr. Gebhard Fitz. Keep in mind the Moonlight
Festival to be held in the interest of the Red Cross work at the D.A.Whiteman home near Biggsville on the evening of Aug. 2nd. Dr. And Mrs. Harter entertained an auto party of guests at a picnic supper in Crapo Park in Burlington in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Kirkpatrick and family. C.E.Lynch, who has been employed at the Santa Fe station here for several years, has been transferred to Dallas City to take charge at that point.
Attorney W.C. Ivins has joined the fast increasing army of auto owners and now may be seen occasionally on the less frequented thoroughfares of the village, guiding the more or less erratic career of a brand new Buick 6.
He is looking forward with expectancy to the time when he will be able to safely negotiate Broadway on band concert night and no doubt entertains visions of sometime being arrested for exceeding the speed limit.
LOMAX: J. U. Vaughan and W.J.Fisher each have a new Case car. Miss Byrd Harvey and James Freeland still continue on the sick list. Oats and hay cutting seem to be in full blast as wheat is about all in the shock. Some 42 of our young men who were registered June 5th were drawn in the army lottery at Washington Friday. Considerable repairing is going on at the school building including a new heating system.
GLADSTONE: The ladies of the M.E.Church gave a home talent play in the hall entitled "Aunt Matilda's Birthday Party." Good attendance realized $24 from the sale of tickets. Blanche, the little daughter of Charles Watson, had her arm broken at the elbow. The fracture was reduced by Dr. Ditto and the patient is now doing nicely. Mr. I.F.Forward will soon be driving a fine new Overland car which he purchased in Biggsville.
J.C.Tolman, a former citizen, met with a painful accident at Kewanee. He was assisting at the Anthony drug store in that city during the absence of the proprietor in Nebraska. Going down into the basement, Mr. Tolman slipped and fell to the bottom of the stairway, sustaining a cut on the forehead which required several stitches to close.
One of his hands was also painfully bruised. Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Pence and daughter and Mr. Fred Pence attended the Ringling Bros. Show at Monmouth. Messrs Harold and Lynn Galbraith have a fine new automobile which they drove home from Burlington. Mr. and Mrs. Bud Kemp and baby of South Dakota are visiting at the home of his brother, Charles Kemp.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: OLENA-Archie Lant, who has been spending the summer in Northern Iowa and who was very recently called to join the colors, made a hasty visit here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.E.Lant and left for Michigan, his place of enlistment, but thought likely he would be sent to training camp at Waco, Texas. Ernest McKeown, who recently volunteered in the U.S.Army, made a brief visit home before reporting to training camp.
Mrs. Calvin Lant has received word that her husband had arrived safely in France. Cecil Dowell who is quite critically ill with typhoid fever, remains quite low. He is now being cared for by a trained nurse.