The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1913
by Virginia Ross
Stronghurst Graphic, May 8, 1913
PLANS FOR DECORATION DAY: A number of old soldiers and a few citizens of the town met in Geo.J. Morgan's office to begin preliminary arrangements for the public observance of Decoration Day this year. W.C.Ivins was appointed as a committee to secure a speaker for the occasion, and Mrs. P.S.Gristy was appointed to arrange a short musical and literary program with power to select her own helpers and assistants.
A.H. Kershaw was named to arrange for the place for holding the exercises and Bert Putney was asked to interview the managers of the Stronghurst band in regard to securing its services for the occasion. J.E. Amerman and Tom Morgan were selected as a committee to solicit funds to defray the necessary expenses of the affair. (This, obviously, was an important day in the village life. All would attend. Graves would be marked with bouquets of flowers and a special program would recall the service of veterans. How different today!)
ROSEVILLE MAN TRACK STAR: In the track meet held in Rock Island, Dale Pittman, a Roseville boy, but now attending William and Vashti College (Aledo-later Roosevelt Military Academy) was the star performer. He not only won the individual honors and his letter but also tied a college record and broke a track record. He was carried from the field on the shoulders of his college fellows, and reports a sore arm from having it shaken so much. He is a member of the Academy, but is in all the college athletics. He ran the 100 yard dash in 10 1/2 seconds, the 200 yard dash in 24 seconds, 440 yard dash in 56 seconds, and the last lap of the mile relay in 53 seconds.ÑRoseville Times Citizen.
CAPT. ASA WOODWARD DIES: Capt. Asa Woodward died on April 30, 1913, being 76 years old at that time. He was born at Lancaster, Ohio, in 1836 and received a good education in the schools of that place. At the age of 19 he struck out for himself, going to St. Paul, Minn. Here he chanced upon a raft going down the Mississippi River and engaged to go with it. This trip marked the beginning of his experience as a riverman and he quickly developed into one of those noted pilots who made the Mississippi River famous 50 years ago and in whom Mark Twain found material for some of his famous stories. When the Civil War broke out, young Woodward enlisted as a volunteer in Co. A First Iowa regiment in which he served for a term of three months. He then entered the service of the U.S. as a wagon master, and served in that capacity throughout the war.
In 1869 Capt. Woodward and his wife, whom he married in 1862, settled in Ft. Madison and this was his residence until the time of his death. On making his home there, Mr. Woodward again took up his occupation as steamboat pilot and was for many years the pilot of the "Sam Altee," one of the best known lumber rafters of the old times. When the Klondike region in Alaska was opened up, Capt. Woodward went to the new gold fields and on his return was shipwrecked along the Pacific coast, and stayed several years at the Snake River. He later became a prospector and miner in the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. About 8 years ago he returned to Ft. Madison and although then close to 70 years of age, his love of the river led him to again seek occupation in guiding the crafts plying the stream. He continued to hold a wheel in the pilot houses until within a year of his death. Although his life was one of romance and adventure, Mr. Woodward was always a kind and true hearted husband and father and was highly esteemed by a large circle of friends.
WOMAN A CIVIL WAR VETERAN: The old saying that truth is stranger than fiction has again been illustrated in the case of "Albert D.J.Cashier," now an inmate of the Soldiers' Home at Quincy, Ill., who served through three years of the Civil War, and has since that time been engaged in masculine pursuits and whom it has now been revealed to the world, is a woman.
For 50 years this woman has masqueraded as a man, enduring the hardships of that sex both in war and in time of peace and has succeeded in keeping her secret from all but a very few; and they few, out of respect and admiration for the plucky woman, pledged themselves to secrecy. The strange story of this dual life appeared in the Quincy Whig and was mailed to this office by Col. J.O.Anderson, superintendent of the home. He was one of few who knew the woman's secret and the Whig states that out of respect for her desires, the superintendent treated her as he would any inmate of the home, with the exception that she was given more private quarters than the majority of veterans. She, however, mingled with them around the grounds and ate at their tables and joined in the routine life of the men.
Previous to entering the Quincy institution, the woman was in the employ of ex-Senator I.M. Lish of Livingston County, Ill. She was run over and injured by an automobile while working for Lish and through this accident her employer discovered that "Albert Cashier" was a woman. He did not reveal her identity, but interested himself in seeing that the woman who had endured the privations and hardships of a Union soldier and fought in a number of battles of the Civil War, should be cared for as any other veteran...
The secret of the woman's life would probably not been revealed previous to her death, had it not been for the fact that of late her reason has deserted her and the main purpose in keeping the facts from the public, that of saving her from humiliation would no longer be served by such a course. A recent severe illness had also brought the woman's secret within the knowledge of Quincy physicians and as rumors were beginning to be circulated about the case, Col. Anderson thought it best to take the public into his confidence and gave the story to the reporters of the paper.
Nothing is known concerning the life of the woman previous to the Civil War, but it is supposed that she was a native of Ireland and that she ran away from home, crossing the ocean as a stowaway, disguised as a boy and following an impulse to lead the life of a man and a soldier, enlisted as a private in Company G. 95th Illinois Infantry at Belvidere, Illinois, Aug.6, 1862. The records of the company show that more than two-thirds of its officers and privates were killed or wounded during the course of the war and they also show that Albert Cashier was discharged with honor and mustered out of service in 1865.
GOOD ALFALFA CROP: C.C.Butler has a fine 7-acre field of alfalfa on the farm southwest of Stronghurst. It was seeded Aug.14, 1912, and now is about 10 inches high with a good stand on nearly all parts of the field. In 2 or 3 spots the plants died and this land on being tested proved to have an excess of acid. This, he says, can be over come by a treatment of crushed limestone as soon as he can secure a supply. He undertook to supply his needs in that line at the Biggsville quarries, but they reported that they are several hundred cars behind their orders. Charles expects to harvest the first crop about the first week in June and the present indications are that there will be a good yield. He expects to cut three crops during the season.
CYCLONE HITS COUNTY FARM: The county farm was visited by a young cyclone Sunday evening about seven o'clock and damaged the buildings to an amount of about $300. The large chimney was blown off of the county house, the cattle shed was torn to pieces, the implement house was wrecked, shingles were torn off and several window lights were blown out of the house and the peach orchard practically ruined. Sheriff McDill was in the barn at the time and while it did no damage to the barn, says it was the fiercest storm he had ever experienced. Louis Meyer also had a little taste of the storm as he was caught out on the Johnson Hill with his automobile, which he ran to the side of the road and was blown up against the bank several feet away, but no damage was done. The storm was followed by some fierce lightning, but no loss has been reported on account of itÑHenderson County Journal
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Get some mixed millet for your chickens from Dixson. First class repairing of watches, clocks, jewelry, etc. at C.M.Wheeler, Jr. Monmouth Catholics are arranging to build a fine, large parochial school building in that city.
A teaching force of four instructors will be employed at the beginning, who will supervise both the secular and religious training of the youth of the Catholic faith. E.L.Tobie, the railroad promoter, and two other men came to Stronghurst and the next day drove over to Sciota, inspecting the surveyed route of the proposed St.Louis, Macomb and Northern Railroad. Mr. Tobie was endeavoring to interest them in the proposition.
Rev. L.P.Bear has received notice that Wm. Lloyd Clark of Milan will be in Stronghurst to deliver a series of lectures covering 5 days. Mr. Clark is an ex-Catholic priest and his lectures deal largely with the subject of Roman Catholicism.
This promises to be a year of unusual activity in the matter of building improvements in Stronghurst. Work is already in progress upon three new residences to be built by Dr. Bond, Mrs. E.A.Kessler and C.H. Davis and the new business building being erected by Geo. J. Morgan is well along in the course of construction. (Look on your house lot abstract to see if these names are a part of the document in 1913 and then you will know when your house was built.)
The ice cream manufacturers of Galesburg are reported to have raised the price of the product, which is fast making that city famous from, 25 to 35 cents per quart. This will probably mean less cream and more fizz in the ice cream sodas.
A recital was given at the Lyric Theater Tuesday evening by pupils of Mrs. W.C.Ivins class in music to the number of about 30. A fine program was rendered and greatly enjoyed by the parents of the pupils and other invited guests. A lady living in the east part of town, on breaking some 'fresh eggs' that she had purchased of a groceryman one day this week, made the rather startling discovery that one of them contained a live chick.
A union service of churches of the village will be held at the Christian Church so all may hear Mrs. Horn, a prominent worker and official in the state organization of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
In the Gladstone area Clyde Galbraith has moved into the Garrison house and Sam DuVall moved into the vacated home. Harry Loucks is very sick with pneumonia. James Johnson of Carman is lying seriously ill with small hopes of recovery.
A merry crowd of young girls took a walk to Lomax Sabbath afternoon; just ask Pearl how many miles it is to Lomax and if she counted the ties. S.S. Morgan of Terre Haute vicinity is moving his saw mill to southeast of LaHarpe.
In Media, Anna Lavelle closed a very successful term of school northwest of town and has been re-employed to teach the same school the coming year. Miss Laura Kane, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kane, who reside on the Pogue farm, was married to Mr. A.P.Zimmer, a pharmacist of Monmouth.
OLENA OBSERVATIONS: Roscoe Deitrick is supplying this locality with fresh fish. Frank Rickles has put out a large young orchard for Leonard Brokaw south of Stronghurst. He also has yellow dent seed corn for sale. Mr. Porter, the rural mail carrier is laid up with a few broken ribs and Fred Pence is carrying the mail. He just recently purchased a new automobile and when weather and roads permit he uses this for delivery.
The First Annual May school festival for Biggsville, Gladstone and Rozetta townships and neighboring schools was held in Biggsville, May 5th. The day was ideal and a very large and enthusiastic crowd was present. The educational exhibits from the various schools were receiving much praise, but the banner for this line of work was captured by the pupils of Ellison Valley School.
Gladstone received a banner for relay work. Two banners went to the Biggsville public school which excelled in athletics. They also were awarded the loving cup, which was given the school winning the meet. Aside from this were several drills, music, three May poles and numerous other diversions. (Somehow, today, we miss a May Day celebration.)