The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1917 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1917

STRONGHURST GRAPHIC, Nov. 8, 1917 

BEWARE OF THE TRAINS! This week saw another miraculous escape from death on the part of several people at one of the Santa Fe R.R.crossing in the village. Last Friday evening about six o'lock an auto party consisting of Mr. and Mrs. J.W.Schenck, Mr. Louis Enwall, his daughter Laura and son Russell were returning from a visit to Burlington to their home southeast of Stronghurst.

The engine of a heavy east bound Santa Fe freight train had been detached from the train on the hill west of the village and run down to the water tank near the station to take on water.

This engine was returning to the train, running bakwards, as the auto approached the Elizabeth Street crossing. Driving the car and failing to see the engine, which had only an ordinary red lantern on the end of the tender as a danger signal, Russell Enwall could not avoid a collision.

The auto crashed into the tender and was whirled over onto the West bound track, all of the occupants except Mr. Louis Enwall being hurled out and more or less seriously injured.

Running at a high rate of speed, another heavy freight train was at the same time approaching the crossing from the east. The crew of the engine which had caused the wreck, swung their danger signals in hopes of stopping this train before it reached the crossing.

Whether the engineer failed to respond promptly or whether the momentum of his train was too great to allow stopping within the distance, is somewhat mooted question. His engine struck the already disable car and reduced it to a pile of junk.Mr. Enwall was dragged from the car just as the engine struck it and thus saved from a horrible death.

All of the victims of the accident were soon under the care of physicians. Miss Laura Enwall was the most badly hurt member of the auto party with a broken collar bone and numerous cuts and bruises about the head and face.

Louis Enwall sustained a severe scalp wound about 5 inches in length. Mrs. Schenck was severely bruised about the shoulder and arm and Mr. Schenck had some bad bruises on one leg. Russell Enwall, the driver of the car, was the only one to come through without any visible marks or bruises.

***OBITUARY***GEO. B. STEWART: George B. Stewart, ill from blood poisoning, died at his home south of Stronghurst last Friday evening. Funeral services were conducted at the home with the remains taken to Raritan for interment with honors of the M.W.A.Fraternity of which the deceased was a member.

George Benton Stewart, the son of Enos and Sophia Foote Stewart, was born in Madison Co. New York, Jan.15, 1843, and passed away at his late home Nov.2, 1917, aged 74 years, 9 months and 17 days.

In 1852 he came with his parents by boat over the old Hennepin Canal to Peoria, Ill. and from there by wagon to this neighborhood where the family settled on a farm adjoining on the east the old home place.

On Feb. 13, 1872, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Lydia S. Brewer and to this union were born five children: Mrs. Lucy Stout, David, Bruce, Rolla and Gilbert, who died in infancy. The deceased is survived by the widow, four children, two brothers, Elihu of LaHarpe and Eli of Oklahoma.

Mr. Stewart lived for over 60 years on the home farm and was one of the old school of pioneers who are all too rapidly passing from aong us. He lived a quiet, unassuming life with his greatest wealth being his absolute honesty of purpose and deed.

***OBITUARY***MRS. W.F.MOREY: Mrs. W.F.Morey of Plano and a former resident of Stronghurst died Oct.30th at the hospital in Aurora following an operation. Emma F. Patterson, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. T.C. Patterson, was born Aug.2, 1858 at Dallas City, Ill.

She later moved with her parents to Monmouth and while residing there united in marriage on Feb.28, 1883 to W.F.Morey of Phelps.

They began housekeeping in Monmouth moving from there to Phelps and later to Stronghurst.

Eight years ago they moved to Plano.She is survived by her husband and five children: Harold E. Beulah E. And Glenn M. of Plano; Leonard A. now in training at Camp Dodge and Dwight E. of Rock Island; her mother, Mrs. T.C.Patterson and two sisters-Mrs. J.S.Pollock and Mrs. Rhoda Houseman of Monmouth and one brother L.B. Patterson of Des Moines....

The body was brought to Monmouth with the funeral held at the home of J.S. Pollock. Interment was in the Monmouth Cemetery. Pall bearers were her four sons, her brother and her brother-in-law, C.H.Morey.

3,000 MEN WANTED: The Quartermaster Enlisted Reserve Corps require in the neighborhood of 3,000 men to serve as clerks, blacksmiths, farriers, horseshoers, saddlers, storekeepers, tentmakers, wheelwrights, wagonmasters, assistant wagonmasters, skilled laborers, watchmen, packers, etc. Any man between the ages of 18 and 45 is eligible for enlistment provided he has not been called by his local board for examination and is physically qualified. Teamsters are especially wanted.

Promotions in non-commissioned officers grades are very rapid for men of ability and experience in their particular trade.

MEDICAL MEN MEET: The Henderson County Medical Association met in Dr. Harter's rooms in Stronghurst and elected officers for the ensuing year: President, Dr. Kaufman of Oquawka; Vice-President, Dr. Eads of Oquawka; Sec., Dr. Riggs of Media. In addition to the local physicians Dr. Emerson of Lomax and Dr. Riggs of Media and Drs. Percy Matheney and Nash of Galesburg, Dr. Unkrich of Monmouth and Dr. Magee of Burlington were present. Interesting papers were read by Drs. Matheney and Magee.

OQUAWKA OCCURRENCES: Mrs. Figg of Chicago has been visiting her sister, Mrs. Kate Chapin. Ray Banta has been teaching at the high school in Miss Armstrong's place; she is quite ill. John and Saunder Hurka were called here by the illness and death of their father, Joseph Hurka. Mr. Hurka, one of Oquawka's oldest citizens, passed away at his home Tuesday morning. He fell some time ago and injured his hip and since that time he was never able to walk.

He did use a wheel chair until the past few months. He was an old soldier and resident of the Oquawka nearly all of his life. Besides his sons, John and Saunder, left to mourn are his daughters: Mrs. Carrie Johnson, Mrs. Lottie Knox, Mrs. Gus Anderson and Miss Setta. Mrs. William Fliege had the misfortune to fall on a small box at her home and break two ribs. She also had the misfortune to step on a nail but is under doctor's care and doing nicely. The Red Cross met and knitted at the home of Mrs. C.J.Eads.

LAHARPE NOTES: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Perrine of LaHarpe have gone to Austin, Texas. The heirs of Mrs. John Roberts of LaHarpe have learned that they have fallen heir to the estate of a sister of their father, who died recently in New England. Anderson Bros. of LaHarpe have purchased of Samuel Stevenson of Gladstone 300 acres of land in Drainage District No.2, paying $107 per acre. County Advisor J.H.Lloyd reports hog cholera cases in Hancock county can be traced to the use of virus for the prevention of the disease.

OLENA OBSERVATIONS: Mr. and Mrs. George Fort, Mrs. Clas Carlson and son Elmer left for an overland trip to visit friends in and near Keosauqua, Iowa. Mrs. John Crane returned from a five weeks visit in the West: she spent a week with a sister in Marysville, Mo. and four weeks with her daughter at Lacross, Kansas. A motor truck came over from Burlington and moved the household goods of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Lant of that city. Troxwells Motor also from Burlington passed through the village loaded with new furniture, probably for some inland town. Mr. J.L.Fort is the latest Ford victim in this neighborhood and if rightly informed, Mr. Fort can hit a fence post just as easily where it is as where it isn't. Very few farmers in this locality have began picking corn as it is not yet matured.

GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: The funeral of Mr. Levi Ditto who departed this life Tuesday afternoon at his home was held at the M.E.Church Thursday afternoon with interment at the Oquawka Cemetery. He had dropped dead on the street downtown. Levi Ditto was born in Shelby County, Ohio, Feb.13, 1835 and came to Illinois when a small boy with his parents. He lived in Mercer and Henderson Counties most of his life. He leaves to mourn his departure two sons and two daughters and one brother. He lived to a good old age.

Dewein, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Galbraith, fell in Burlington and cut his mouth severely with a whistle he had in it.

The wound was attended by a physician. The first lecture in the lecture series was held in Bryan's Hall. Mr. Samuel Stevenson has bought the place of Mrs. N.Ellis for the sum of $2,000.August Wiegand, who has been engaged in the furniture business in Biggsville for many years, has sold out to Mr. Clark Kelly and will devote his entire attention to his farming interests.

MAKES A GOOD DEAL: Col. R.M.Kirby of Dallas City shows his faith in the government by selling a farm near Dallas city for $49,000(in 2002 would be $778,165.30 and investing all the money in Liberty bonds. That will bring him a net income of $1,600 a year(in 2002 would be $25,409.48) as he will not be obliged to pay anything for taxes, insurance or repairs.

A first-class 160 acres of land is now worth $40,000 (in 2002 would be $635,236.98) if well located and improved. That would be equivalent to $10 per acre cash rent (in 2002 would be $158.81), clear of all expenses. Mr. Kirby is now 74 years of age and is to be congratulated for being both a patriot and a good businessman.

NEWS OF THE NEIGHBORS: Dr. Kerr, a Presbyterian minister, who quit the pulpit 14 years ago with most of his treasures laid up in heaven, now owns 1,000 acres of land near LaGrange and does a business of $40,000 a year.

No doubt he had been wanting to quit the ministry a long time before he did. Eight members of the Phillip Horney family of Monmouth were injured when the Overland car in which they were riding was crashed into on East Broadway in Monmouth by a big Chalmers Six being driven at a 60 mile an hour rate of speed(?????doubtful at this time) by Marion Goddard, a University of Illinois student.

The Industrial Securities Co. has secured possession of 283 acres of land in Fort Madison which it intends to lay out with up-to-date houses and bungalows designed to make an attractive working mens residence district. The tract will be the home of the Perfection Tire and Rubber Co. Plant which when fully equipped, will have a capacity of 3,000 tires per day and furnish employment for 2,000 people.