Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.
Stronghurst Graphic, Oct. 24, 1912
GAINS FINAL REWARD: Mrs. A.J. Davis succumbed to a short illness of only a few hours. She had been feeling slightly indisposed for about a week but not enough to cause any anxiety. On Saturday afternoon some stomach trouble developed and Dr. Harter sent for. He found a low state of vitality in the patient and a weak heart action. He administered some remedies and promised to call again in the afternoon. Shortly after noon a telephone message was received stating that Mrs. Davis was growing rapidly worse and he started for her home. Dr. Bond, who was in the neighborhood, had been called in and found that the heart action in the patient had almost ceased and resorted to emergency methods to restore it without avail and the sufferer passed away.
Sophronia M. Taylor, the third child of Allen and Margaret Taylor, was born in Huntington, Loraine County, Ohio, June 27, 1841. She spent five years of her early childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., joining her parents in Burlington, Ia., in May 1860. Having completed her own education in Brooklyn, she took up the work of school teacher and for seven years taught in the schools in the vicinity of Burlington and in Henderson County.
In 1869, she married Allen Hendricks, but in a few short months she was called upon to mourn his death. She again united in marriage with Andrew J. Davis at Burlington, Iowa, Feb. 28, 1872, and this happy union continued for 38 years and was terminated by his death on March 10, 1910.
She was one of a family of ten children, two of whom died in infancy, the rest all living to maturity, but of these latter all but three have now passed into the great beyond. The three surviving members of her father's family are Mrs. Jennie E. Allison of Monmouth; Mr. George H. Taylor of Chicago; and Miss Hattie Taylor of Decorra. She is also survived by her husband's children: Charles and Elmer of this vicinity, Frank of Springfield, Mo., and Mrs. Bertha Powell of Oakland, Ia., plus their children and a large number of nieces and nephews...
After Uncle Andrew passed away, life lost its great joy, but she bore bravely up and looked cheerfully upon life. The end of the journey came suddenly on Oct. 19th at the age of 71 years, 2 months, and 22 days. Funeral services were conducted at the home with interment in the Maple Grove Cemetery.
KIDNAPPED THE GROOM: Wilbur Dougherty, who was married Wednesday of last week at David City, Neb., to Miss Alice Clark of that city arrived in Stronghurst with his bride last Saturday morning on Santa Fe train No. 5. If the newly wedded pair had hoped to make an unobtrusive entrance into the village in the usually quiet hours of the early morning, they were quickly disillusioned when they stepped off the train. A large and enthusiastic crowd of the groom's friends were on hand to welcome them. An automobile was waiting where a portion of the crowd took charge of the bride and volunteered to escort her to the home of the groom's parents in the east part of town. Wilbur was invited by another group to enter another automobile and take a joy ride. He objected somewhat to this arrangement, no doubt feeling that the joy of the ride would be largely eliminated because of the absence of his companion. By muscular force his objections were overcome and the car with Albert Kaiser at the wheel was soon speeding away with the victim. A stop was made at the Kaiser home and taking advantage of a momentary lapse in vigilance on the part of his captors, Wilbur made a leap for liberty. Swift runners in the bunch, however, recaptured their victim and brought him back, promptly hustling him into the car. Resuming the journey on the road leading south from town to the Gustafson place, which is two miles out, a stop was made and the newly made benedict asked kindly but firmly to alight. The machine was then headed for town and the victim was soon standing alone in the road watching the fast receding tail lights of the car while the chug chug of the motor came fainter and fainter to his ear. With two weary miles separating him from home and happiness, Wilbur took up the return journey on foot (his thoughts whether spoken or unspoken will never be known). When he finally reached the home of his parents, he found that the bride had been kindly looked after, although she had abandoned the hope of seeing him again before the dawn of another day. In the joy of the reunion, the feeling of resentment which may have been harbored during the weary journey was no doubt obliterated and all will probably be forgiven.
NOTICE: There will be a wrestling match in Keener's hall in Stronghurst on Saturday evening, Oct. 26, in which Clarence Miller, the noted light weight wrestler of Dallas City will meet Ross Harvey of this place who is said to be a skillful man on the mat. The match will begin at 8:30 p.m. and a good exhibition is promised. Admission will be 25 and 35 cents.
LOMAX GROWS: The Lomax Herald states that the Lomax Town Co. has acquired title to 80 acres of land owned by Robt. Lomax, and lying just south of the C.B. & Q. station and that the tract is being platted into town lots which will be placed on the market in a few days. The price for the tract was $25,000 or a little over $300 per acre. The transaction is hailed as the most important happening since the work of building the new city was begun. A $100,000 bond issue secured by first mortgage on all the assets of the Town Company has also been placed on the market and the prospects for their ready sale is represented as being very flattering, all of which would seem to indicate that promoter Love remains on the job with a vision still undimmed.
KEENER-WOODS MARRIAGE: Grover C. Keener, the well known implement dealer of this place and Miss Gertrude Woods were married at noon, Wed., Oct. 16th, at Industry, at the home of the bride's parents. The ceremony was performed in the parlor decorated in autumn leaves, the father of the bride, the Rev. J.H. Wood, pronouncing the vows. The bride wore a gown of Copenhagen blue charmense silk with trimming of Alice blue (perhaps referring to Alice Roosevelt) and ecru over lace. The groom was attired in a suit of blue black. The couple were attended by Miss Grace McDill of Oquawka and Walter Hazen of Media.
SAVED FROM A TRAIN: Three year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Marion Smith had wandered down town and got on the crossing near the water tank where he was watching one train passing on one track. However, he failed to note that the local freight was backing down toward him on the track on which he was standing. R.W. Upton chanced to be near and seeing the child's peril, ran to his rescue. He snatched him from between the rails just in time.
Hugh McMillan was on his way out to Marion Fort's to pick apples and was walking between the tracks. When he reached a point on the high grade west of town, he looked about him and discovered trains approaching from both directions. Concluding he would not risk crossing over in front of either train, the grade being high and the sides steep, he decided to lie down between the tracks. In his excitement and fear he lost his presence of mind and got too close to the rails of the westbound track. Section Foreman Bob Emmet was in the engine cab of the westbound train and fearing for Mr. McMillan's safety, he asked the engineer to bring his train to a stop. This was done but before the wheels had stopped, Bob ran ahead to the old man's rescue and found him almost paralyzed with fear. He was profuse in his thanks to Bob for the care he had exercised and probably will take no more walks on the railway tracks. (Roads were poor at this time and the train track was the shortest route to take.)
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Lem Logan has gone to look after his farming interests in Arkansas. John Gibb, son of Ellen Gibb of Biggsville, and Miss Irma Burrell, daughter of Herman Burrell of Olena, were married Wednesday evening, Oct. 16th, at the parsonage of the U.P. Church at Biggsville. Frank Crenshaw has been afflicted with a severe attack of quinsy for more than a week and went to a Galesburg hospital where it was found necessary to lance his throat in order to afford relief. (Quinsy was a severe swelling of the throat accompany by fever; suppurative tonsillitis.) W.C. Ivins has decided to let his name be placed on the democratic ballot for state's attorney. Orr Burr and family have returned from Macomb to the employment of Alex Marshall. Motion pictures at Lyric Theatre on Saturday night from 7:45-9 p.m. Admission 10 cents. Homer Burg, the Dallas City vehicle manufacturer, was married at Seattle, Wash., to Miss Bessie Goldsworthy of Bremerton, Wash. John Fordyce lost one of his best horses who dropped dead while pulling a load up a hill near the farm.
About 50 relatives and friends helped J.P Long celebrate his 80th birthday at his home. Ed Carlson has met with excellent luck in disposing of his 1000 bushel apple crop; most were sold from his orchard. Miss Della Shawler and pupils of the Olena school gave a weeny roast one evening which was largely attended. Jesse Hicks has sold his farm west of the Olena to Charles Lyons of Arcadia, Neb., who expects to move back to Illinois in the spring. This farm is better known as the Robert Gibson farm.
A large crowd from Gladstone attended the Charles Henry Brainard will case trial; the will was broken. Gypsies in wagons were in Gladstone and found to be a bad lot. Some were arrested and fined $7.80 and made to leave town.
THEY PLAYED OUTDOOR PING PONG: Dallas City--A bunch of athletes came down from Stronghurst and undertook to clean up our local champions in a game of outdoor ping-pong (familiarly known as tennis when played outdoors). But as long it was light enough to see the ball, our boys could yell 30-love or deuse or something like that about twice as often as did the visitors and we were told we had 'em beat to a frazzle. However, after the moon arize, one more batch of set was pulled off, and lacking a night glass, we could not get in enough yells to put it over them and lost out in that event. It was a fierce battle and the three rooters who occupied a reserve seat on a nail keg got so enthusiastic that they rooted more for the visitors than they did for the home team. (The bunch from Stronghurst included Dr. Bond, D. Prescott, Chesley Towler and Carl Baxter. They were beaten by a score of 2 to l.)