The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1918
Stronghurst Graphic, Jan.24, 1918
CHILD BURNED TO DEATH: June, the two and a half year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Smith of Lomax was burned to death last week. During the mothers absence the little tot secured some matches attempted to burn some ravelings off her dress.
Her little four year old sister Hazel, who was the only other occupant of the home, made a brave attempt to cut out the blazing portion of the little girls dress with a pair of shears, but failed.
The unfortunate child managed to crawl out on the porch where she was found kneeling on her hands and knees with her clothing practically all burned off and her body horribly burned. She died within 30 minutes from the time of the accident.
POWER TO THE TOWN: At a meeting of the business men and representative citizens of Stronghurst held in the Stronghurst Club rooms, a movement was inaugurated which is hoped and expected to enable the citizens of the village and those in the territory lying between here and Burlington to reap the benefit of the harnessing of the Mississippi at Keokuk.
The committee, which consisted of G.C.Rehling, C.H.Davis and C.D.Wax made a very thorough and careful investigation of the matter of obtaining electrical energy from abroad and prepared an elaborate report embodying estimates and propositions from the Mississippi Power Co. at Keokuk and from the Walsh Brothers who are wholesalers of current which they buy in large quantities from the Keokuk people.
Both propositions provided for the financing of the building of the transmission line required and the equipment and operation of the system by local capital.
The Mississippi Power Co. proposed building transmission line from Dallas City while the Walsh Bros. provided for one from Burlington (they have their own transmission line from Fort Madison to that city.). In presenting their report, the committee stated that, taking all into consideration, they favored the proposition of the Walsh Bros as most promising. By their invitation, Mr. Bensinger of Burlington, who is a salaried employee of the Walsh Bros. carefully explained the various feature of their plan.
After listening to the report, some time was spent in discussing the various points of the plan after which M.E.Beardsley moved that an effort be made to organize a local stock company for the purpose of securing electrical energy from Keokuk through Burlington. Amendments were made and rejected until the original motion was passed unanimously. The investigating committee was then appointed to solicit subscriptions for stock in the proposed local company. The estimates by Mr. Bensinger call for about $23,000. No organization will be done until this amount is in sight.
1892 GRAPHIC: The fattening of hogs through the feeding of wheat was being advocated. Rev. H.P.Jackson was installed as pastor of the Kirkwood U.P. Church. Robert McKeown, little son of Mr. and Mrs. John McKeown, fell and broke his arm while skating. Mr. J.B.Fort missed his footing and fell fracturing the small bones of his right leg; he is 82 years old. Plans were circulating for a deep well at the intersection of Broadway and Main Streets in Stronghurst for the purpose of fire protection. The plan included the erection of a 600 barrel tank and the laying of 2 inch pipe one block north, east and south respectively, the installation of hydrants and the purchase of 1,000 feet of hose.
LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Mrs. Elias Beall of Reed neighborhood broke her arm as the result of being thrown from a sled. A Warsaw man killed and sold three wild geese a few days ago. A deputy game warden found it out and the Nimrod paid $41.90. Richard Bradway, 76 year old resident of Carman, died at the Burlington Hospital.
GLADSTONE: A mass meeting was held at Bryan's Hall with the speakers being Lawyer O'Harra from Carthage and Senator Thompson from Rock Island. The Red Cross ladies served supper at Ellison Hall realizing $25 for their work. Mrs. Lizzie Thomas has purchased the Lon Ward property for $1200 and will move there near the first of March. Mrs. Guy Leonard from Corning, Iowa, is visiting her sister, Mrs. J.L.Duvall.
OQUAWKA: Miss Bess Wood has tonsilitis, Mrs. J.M. Akin has suffered with an ear ache, and Frank Morehead has an infected tooth. Bert Ditto was taken to the Burlington Hospital for treatment for an infected arm. The businessmen of Oquawka complied with the order from the government and closed their businesses here Monday. All grocery stores closed at noon. The local Button Factory closed Thursday for five days. The result is the country is full of wood choppers (coal was in short supply). Glen Stimpson and Miss Grace Wood were united in marriage at the home of Rev. Charles Holmes at Rozetta. They will make their home upon the farm belonging to the bride's father east of town. The remains of Richard Wright were brought from Quincy and laid to rest in the cemetery. He had made his home previously with his sister, Mrs. Ellen Ditto,before going to the Soldier' Home at Quincy where he suffered two strokes of paralysis.
SMITHSHIRE: A carload of coal was received here and families were allotted one ton a piece. About 60 or 75 men moved into town and pitched their tents on the north side known as Oklahoma. They are working on the oil pipeline. Mr. Adoniram Edwards is convalescing slowly at home. Mrs. John Rosenbalm and children have moved from the Tinsman farm to town. All stores in town closed Monday in compliance with the government's order.
STRONGHURST: Mrs. James Hicks went to Burlington to be present when her mother underwent an operation for cancer. Ben Matzka returned from Wilcox, Sask.; he reports a very severe winter with bad storms and intense cold. Prof. Cravens of the LaHarpe Pubic School and Dale Roll, a student, engaged in a fistic encounter and now the professor is defendant in a suit brought by young Roll's relatives charging assault.
W.E.Salter closed out his property here and expects to go to Williams, California, for an indefinite stay with his son, Dr. Ney Salter. Del Dixson will hold a public sale of Registered Duroc swine consisting of about 40 head at the large new sale pavilion of the Hereford Breeders' Association.
A casual observer would have been unable to determine whether Guy Lamphere has turned horse buyer, auctioneer or was at home on a army furlough. The facts are, however, someone dropped a lump of coal on his foot and that accounts for the fact that he was using a cane. A car of coal arrived in the local yards and the accident was due to the haste some chilly householder was using in trying to get his share of coal.
The freight blockade seems to have broken and grain and stock are again moving. The Grain Co. shelled and shipped two cars of corn and yesterday a lot of stock left. Newt Marshall had two loads of cattle, Isaac Brokaw had two loads of cattle, John Voorhees had one load of hogs, Charles Curry had two cars of cattle and one of hogs, Chris Wetterling sent one load of hogs, and Frank Nelson shipped one load of hogs. (Snow and inclement weather had halted train traffic.)
NEIGHBORHOOD HAPPENINGS: Somebody soaked a rope in kerosene and wound it around the McCall elevator at La Harpe and then set fire to it. Someone passing discovered the blaze and extinguished it. L. B. Benson, the popular pastor of the Lutheran church at Galva, has resigned so that he may become field secretary for home missions, a position that will require him to travel over the U.S. establishing new congregations. W. W. Pearce, an old and much respected resident of Kirkwood, died at his home there at the age of 78 due to uremic poisoning; he was the father of Mrs. L. A. Servatius, a former resident of Stronghurst.
MEDIA: Three car loads of stock were shipped from here last Monday evening. Miss Esther Richey is suffering from pink eye. Miss Prudence Strong has been employed as clerk in the W. C. Winders restaurant. A box social was held at the Academy; boxes sold all the way from 5 cents to $4.25. Singing practice for some of the young people in town was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry White.