The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915
Stronghurst Graphic, Nov. 4, 1915
FOUND DEAD: James H. Staats, an old resident of Raritan, well known throughout this section and a Civil War veteran was found dead in his home last Sunday evening by neighbors. Mr. Staats had been living alone, his wife having died several years ago and his children having all married and moved away. The last time he was seen alive was on Saturday evening, Oct. 30th when he purchased a pie at a church social in the town. He had taken the pie home and placed it on the kitchen table, evidently intending to make it part of the evening meal.
On the following day the neighbors noted the absence of any stir about the premises and that Mr. Staats was absent from church services. Along about 7 p.m. Ed Duncan and R. Gove who live across the street investigated the premises. They went to the house and knocked and getting no response entered the door which had not been locked. Here they found the body of the owner lying cold and stiffened on the dining room floor. Everything indicated that he had been stricken soon after entering the house with the pie as the body was dressed in the same clothes which he had then worn and no attempt had been made to lock up the house or to prepare in any way for the night. The county coroner was notified and word was also sent to Undertaker Hunter to come and take charge of the body.
Mr. Staats was a native of New Jersey and came with his wife to Raritan in the early days of that colony. They reared a family of ten children consisting of four sons and six daughters, all of whom with one exception married and made their homes in various states. Funeral services over the remains were held at the Reformed Church with interment in the Raritan Cemetery.
FARMERS' INSTITUTE: Two sessions of the Henderson County Farmers' Institute are to be held in Stronghurst today at the M.E.Church. At 1 pm Mrs. J. H. McMurray will give a Household Science lecture and demonstration after which Hon. F. I. Mann will lecture on "Soil Fertility." In the evening Dr. E. B. Rogers will deliver his address "America's Biggest Job."
NEW TOWN OF EAST BURLINGTON: The new town of East Burlington, platted and being marketed by some Burlington people, had their sale of town lots Sunday of last week. Three thousand people visited the property and seventy lots. Forty-five acres was the first platted but since then what is known as the Whiteman Addition of one hundred acres had been added. This is probably some of the J. Y. Whiteman land and it is claimed to be a superior location to the original plat, the new bridge terminal being in a good part of this tract.
Many years ago an East Burlington consisting principally of stock yards and hotel was platted but time and high water wiped it away and little evidence of that town exists today. Some think that the new town may be one backed by the whiskey interest as Iowa is to be cleared of the traffic in the next two months and it may be that one or many breweries will move to this place. If this should prove true, no doubt a good sized town will be built that will prove an oasis for the thirsty through this arid region -Henderson County Journal
BIBLE CLASS PARTY: The ladies of Mrs. Ed Salter's class in the M. E. Sunday School served a chicken dinner to the men of the Bible class and to the teachers and officers of the school. The feast was spread at 7 o'clock and the merry company did not disperse until 10:30. The games of the evening which proved successful were a spoon race, ringing the doughnut, guessing answers to Bible questions and buying at auction some famous paintings. The group was split into two teams, the reds and the blues and a score was kept to determine the winners at the close of each contest. The blues were victorious getting the prize, a large box of candy, through both skill and strategy.
The social gathering closed with a reading of the complaints which the guests had made during the evening, which afforded much amusement. (Stop and picture the scene: a lovely dinner served with friendly conversation and then the usual games for that time period. How strange they seem to us today, but we must remember people had to entertain themselves then lacking televison or the internet. They made do with what they had. As competition heated the comments probably were hilarious and a simple reminder of what had been said topped off the evening.)
HUSKING BEE & OYSTER SUPPER: The young men's class of the M. E. Sunday School will give a "Husking Bee" in the basement of the church. At 8 p.m. or immediately after the Bee the following program will be rendered after which oysters will be served in the basement.
Program: Duet-Miss Helen Doty, Miss Ethel Schierbaum; Reading-Roxella Staley; Cornet Solo-Roland Davidson. Prizes will be awarded. An admission of 10 cents will be charged for the program which may be applied towards the purchase of a ticket for the Oyster stew in the basement; otherwise, it will be 25 cents. (Another social opportunity. The M. E. Church must have been leading the social set at this time period.)
MUDD BARN BURNS: The large barn and its contents on the B.L.Mudd farm four miles south of Stronghurst was destroyed by fire. One thousand bushels of oats, several tons of sheaf oats and hay, a number of sets of harness and a lot of farm utensils perished. Luckily, no livestock was in the barn at that time. The fire occurred shortly after dark and was not discovered until it had gained such headway as to make it unsafe to enter the building to remove any of the contents. Its origin is a mystery with the theory being that it was a result of spontaneous combustion in the sheaf oats stored in the mow. The total loss will amount to more than double the insurance carried. The fire attracted the attention of many people in Stronghurst and the road which passes the farm was soon lined with autos a half mile or more.
THE LAWYERS GOT THEIRS: (This is the actual title of the article and shows the paper's opinion of the situation!) The Henderson County Journal published the amounts of the attorney fees in the contest over the late Henry Brainard estate in this county: O'Hara, O'HARA, Wood & Walker $4161.93; Hartzell, Cavanaugh & Babcook $3085.00; Moffett, Hanley & ??field $4156.25 totaling for the attorneys $11,403.25. With court cost the final bill was $12,959.57 (In this time period, papers told it like it was without thought of being sued; they firmly believed that to spend so much on lawyers was outrageous.)
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mrs. Milton Lovitt and daughter Maxine were Galesburg shoppers. The Christian people are installing a new furnace in their church edifices this week. G. C. Rehling, present; C. R. A. Marshall, secretary and Thos. Dixon, manager of the Stronghurst Telephone Co. attended a hearing in Springfield before the Public Utilities Commission.
The gentlemen made the return trip in Mr. Dixon's car. As an illustration of what nature will sometimes do in the way of producing vegetable freaks, John Fordyce was exhibiting a potato "cluster" in the village which had one main tuber of good size to which were attached a dozen smaller ones of various sizes, the whole mass weighing exactly two pounds. Mrs. Ed Links and Mrs. Will Ross have been visiting their sons, Hollis Links and Joe Ross at the Ames College in Iowa.
The Stronghurst Embroidery Club was entertained at a Halloween party given by Mrs. Del Dixson at her home in the east part of town. (No Discovery Channel or HGTV so people had to make their own entertainment.) Ed Carlson and family have returned from Minnesota and have decided to take his chances at farming in this vicinity. (Many left and many returned when the promise land did not measure up to Illinois soil.)
The village of Ipava, Ill., suffered a $60,000 fire loss last Monday when the entire north side of the business section was practically wiped out. The village was without a water supply system.
A number of ladies from the Stronghurst vicinity who are interested in the establishment of a rest room in the village went to LaHarpe to see and learn something in regard to the room which has been provided for a similar purpose in that city.
In Olena area Joel Marsden is putting a new addition to his house in the way of a kitchen. He has also purchased a new carriage. George Fort has erected a new poultry house. Al Booten is running a saw mill in the timber south of the village and is being quite liberally patronized by the farmers who wish to erect corn cribs and numerous other out buildings. There was considerable discord in the village school on account of the changing of their text books.
Mrs. Arthur Dowell will entertain the "Busy Bee Club" in her home west of Olena. The order of the day will be tacking comforts with a good savory dinner in sight. Mrs. Helen Burrell is in the Prescott home in Stronghurst. A few farms in the neighborhood are likely to change hands before spring.
CARMAN CONCERNS: Miss Fern Pendry went to Burlington to enter Burlington Hospital where she expects to become a nurse. Miss Rhoda Marsden attended a Halloween party at Dallas City as the guest of Miss Elsie Lamb. Don't forget to attend the street fair at the school house; all your old friends will be there. A party was given in honor of the 18th birthday of Miss Faye Dowell by her uncle, Harry Wisbey, in his home. Fifty young people attended.
A large crowd from Gladstone attended the East Burlington lot drawing and sale. (Gulfport) In Media Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Tilley have moved into the late J.W.Tilley house; the household goods of the late Mrs. Tilley were divided among the children. Mrs. John LaVelle is again suffering from cancer.