The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1917
Stronghurst Graphic, December 13, 1917:
APPOINTED EXPLOSIVE LICENSOR: W.E. Hurd received notice from the Department of Interior at Washington that he had been appointed explosive licensor for Stronghurst. It is now unlawful for any unlicensed person to buy, sell or keep on hand explosives except those used in ordinary small arms or shot gun cartridges. The purpose of the law is to prevent disloyal persons from securing explosives and to keep explosives out of the hands of persons who will not guard them carefully.
1892 GRAPHIC: Louis Bowen, who lived four miles south of Stronghurst, died suddenly on Dec.14th while returning from the timber to his home with a load of wood.
Mrs. C.E. Skidmore and niece from Mexico City, Mexico, were visitors at the Joseph Dixson home.
Messers, Oakman, and Eakle of Colchester had just opened a new lunch room in Stronghurst.
Mrs. Ellen Starr Orgren died at her home four miles south of Stronghurst on Dec. 2nd. Patrick Gray of the Gladstone neighborhood was found lying on the ground near the Lone Tree Club house frozen to death Sunday morning, Dec.11th; he had been missing since the Tuesday previous.
BURNED TO DEATH: One of the most shocking and heart rending occurrences which it is possible to record was the burning to death of Mrs. W.E.Salter at her home last Friday evening. Death by burning is under any circumstances dreadful, but the circumstances connected with this death made it peculiarly distressing. A few years ago Mrs. Salter suffered a paralytic stroke and since that time has been practically helpless, being unable to walk or use her limbs to any extent. She has, however, been tenderly cared for in the home of her daughter, Edna, who is a trained nurse, devoting much of her time to her mother's comfort. Mrs. Salter spent most of her day time hours in an invalid's chair, which she was able to move about the room in without assistance.
Last Friday afternoon at about 4 o'clock she asked her daughter to go down town and see if she could find something in the nature of Christmas gifts for her to make selections from to send to her grandchildren. The daughter complied wit her request, going to the Towler & Grandey store only two blocks away. When she left the house, her mother was sitting in her chair near a window with a magazine in her lap.The daughter quickly accomplished the errand, being gone according to her evidence at the inquest but about 15 minutes. On entering the house on her return she found it filled with smoke and the form of her mother enveloped in flames, lying close to the heating stove in the room and close to the chair which was burning fiercely. The clothing which the unfortunate woman wore was almost completely consumed and she was burned in a terrible manner about the head and face. The screams of the daughter soon brought a number of the neighbors to the scene and a fire alarm was turned in, to which a large proportion of citizens of the village quickly responded.
They found on their arrival, however, that the danger of the home burning had passed and that a much more terrible tragedy had taken place. It required only the most cursory examination on the part of the physician who had arrived to convince him that the victim of the accident had passed beyond the reach of mortal aid. The greater part of those who had hurried to the home with the thought of rendering assistance in saving property from destruction returned with saddened hearts while a few remained to offer what consolation they were able to the grief stricken husband, who had been assisting at the Beardsley store at the time of the accident, and to the daughter, who was filled with anguish at the thought that her brief absence had made the awful tragedy possible.
Coroner Marshall empaneled a jury soon after the accident to inquire into the cause of Mrs. Salter'death and after listening to the testimony of the daughter Edna and that of Dr. Wells, the physician who first examined the body of the victim, rendered a verdict in accordance with the facts given.
Alice May Reed was born eight miles west of Monmouth, Warren Co., Ill., Feb.7, 1861. She grew to womanhood one mile west of her birthplace. At this home she was united in marriage to Wm. Edward Salter on March 27, 1883. The husband, seven children, 6 grandchildren, two sisters and numerous of her relatives survive the deceased. The children are as follows: Ney M. of Williams, California; Silas D. of Galesburg; Edna E. of Stronghurst; Lelah G. of Chicago; Wm. Reed of Stronghurst; Paul D. of (unreadable); Harriet A. of Galesburg; the sisters are Delia Elwell of Winfield, Kan. and Lida Hays of Monmouth...Funeral services were conducted at the M.E.Church in Stronghurst and interment in the village cemetery. (This is a much longer article.)
HIT BY A TRAIN: An employee of the Sinclair Oil Co. now laying a pipe line through this section had a narrow escape from death on Friday about two miles east of town. Two trains were approaching from opposite directions, but he did not notice but one. In stepping over to get out of the way of one, he was struck by the engine of the other. He was thrown some distance from the track but strangely enough sustained no severe injury. He was bundled up with a good deal of clothing to protect him from the intense cold, and this fact probably saved him for more severe injury. His clothing was badly used and even his shoes were torn off. Fellow employees said that he did not require the services of a physician but concluded to not tempt fate any further and left the next day for him home at Uniontown, Pa. His name could not be learned.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Henry Hanks and wife of Menlo, Iowa, returned to their home after a months' visit with the Beckett and Woodward families and other relatives. Ralph Marshall, who is living at the Hotel Berg, has been ill with the grip but is now somewhat improved. JosephWoodward expects to leave soon for California with the view of finding a home and employment where the winters are not so severe. T.C.Knutstrom, who has the agency for the Dodge line of autos left for Detroit and expects to purchase and drive home two of these cars for his salesroom. Doctors at Mayos advised Mrs. Meredith Lovitt to not have surgery at this time. M.E.Beardsley returned from Chicago where he made purchases for the holiday trade and for heavy goods to supply the unusual demand for warm wearing apparel. Lem Logan accompanied his brother, Victor, to Burlington where the latter had an eye removed. The sight was destroyed by an injury several months ago, and the other eye was becoming affected to such an extent that it became necessary to remove the injured one.
Weather of the "solid winter" variety has been in evidence in this locality for the past five or six days and one of the earliest ice harvests in years is in prospect. The work of cutting has already begun on Lake Fort and fine quality of ice from 6 to 8 inches in thickness is being put up. Nathaniel
Bruen returned from Nanton, Alberta, Canada, where he has large farming interests which have been in charge of James Shaw for several years. Mr. Buren says their sales will not fall much short of $25,000 this year. Mr. Shaw owns 1120 acres of land now and a large amount of personal property.
Mrs. Lois McIntire moved here from Oquawka and will make her home with her daughter, Mrs. Bert Putney. Mrs. Alvina Greenig of Tulsa, Okla. informs friends that all the Dallas Cityites at Sand Springs, a suburb of Tulsa, are doing well.
Amos Wright is an engineer at the Smelter Works, George Cramberg is employed in a Ford garage, Dave Greenig is a chemist for the Smelter plant and Otis Cramberg has a position in the laboratory. Newt Vaughn, Tom Dodds, Henry Adair, Elmer Negley, Ed Links and Ralph Painter were at Winamac, Ind. to attend a Hereford cattle sale.
R.O.Marsh, former mayor of Warsaw but now president of the Port Barre, La. Timber and Tie Co., shot and killed a man last June, who had been the manager of the company. Marsh was tried at Opelensas?, La. last week and acquitted on the grounds that the shooting was done in self defense.