The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1916
Stronghurst Graphic, Jan. 27, 1916
STATE ROAD FUND: The editor of the paper editorializes on the recent decision of the Henderson County Board of Supervisors to refused to accept the state aid allotment of $5,107 for the coming year to be used in the improvement of highways to be designated as "State Aid Roads." He points out that the money will go elsewhere and that the county will have to develop and pay for roads themselves if they do not accept this money. He urges them to reconsider and call a public meeting to discuss the issue.
ESCAPES DEATH: Last Sunday Mr. J. W. Hicks accompanied his daughter Genevieve to the railway station where the later took the noon train to return to Stark County where she is teaching. Mr. Hicks went into the car to assist her with her baggage and the train had started and gained considerable speed by the time he was ready to get off. In doing so he was thrown and rolled perilously close to the wheels of the train, saving himself from being caught only by the most strenuous effort.
The brakeman, seeing the danger Mr. Hicks was in jumped to the ground to assist him and was himself thrown and obliged to look out for his own safety. The rest of the crew being ignorant of what had happened, the train continued on its way until stopped by the semaphore (a signal telegraph used on railroads for giving signals by the disposition of lanterns, flags, oscillating arms) at the east end of the yards, which Shore Hollingsworth, the operator at the station, was informed of what had happened by Chesley Towler, who was an eye witness of the occurrence.
After mutual congratulations over their escape from serious injury, the brakeman again boarded the train and Mr. Hicks returned to his home.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL AT BIGGSVILLE: The Biggsville United Presbyterian church closed a three-days celebration of the semi-centennial of the organization. Sermons and addresses were delivered during the time by Dr. Kyle, the pastor; Rev. J. A. Renwick of Topeka, Kansas; Rev. E. F. Kimmleshoe of Monmouth; Rev. D. W. McQuiston of Elmira, Ill..; Rev. A. Renwick of South Henderson and Rev. S. G. Huey of Monmouth. The congregational history from 1873 to 1886 was given by Dr. Russell Graham, the pastor during that period. Two of the charter members, namely Mrs. Ellen Stanley and Mrs. Mary Graham were present.
1900 GRAPHIC: James Atkinson and his assistants were putting the finishing touches on the new Kessler residence. Dr. Harter removed a small cancer from the face of Mrs. Charles Drew. Wm. Houtchens, a policeman and former resident of the Raritan neighborhood, was shot in Missoula, Mont. John Connor committed suicide at this home near
Hopper's Mills. Richard Nevius was recovering from partial paralysis as the result of injuries received by falling from the hay loft of his barn south of town.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Gerald Fort and his crew are busy putting on the finishing touches on a fine residence for Will Gearheart near Raritan. Miss Beulah Fisher has given up her position at the post office and is now teaching at the Allison School. Mrs. John Allison of Chicago, a former resident, recently underwent an operation for the removal of an eye. Harvey Lant and Joel Marsden each purchased player pianos and the Carman Royal Neighbor lodge bought a regular one. (Life was good as they had extra money for a luxury.)
Will Drain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Drain of south neighborhood, was married at Keokuk to a young lady by the name of Thomas whose parents live near Peoria. Eleven carloads of cattle were shipped from the south neighborhood.
Mrs. Dr. Henderson left for Kirksville where she will take treatment at the hospital. One of the finest and most complete barns in the country has just been erected and completed by Wm. Spear on his farm northeast of Stronghurst. Thurman Steffey was the contractor and builder. H. N. Vaughn, Ed Brewer, Frank Pearson, Walter Detrick, J. B. Fort, Chauncey Mayfield and R. W. Upton were drawn as jurymen from Stronghurst Township for January term of county court. Glenn Marshall has gone to Quincy to take a business course at the college there. Mrs. J. H. Ross returned from Platte, Kansas where she has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Fulton. In Media victims of the Grippe are Miss Kate Jackson, Arthur Terry, Ralph McIntyre, Etta Thompson, Mrs. Joseph Mathers and Omah Lukens.
W. H. Wyatt of the Lomax area threshed his wheat yielding 33 1/2 bu. per acre. In Gladstone Mr. Bert Ditto opened a new butcher shop in the old Conrad shop place.
WEDDING BELLS: Paul Melvin and Miss Blanche Links were quietly married in the Christian Church parsonage at Old Bedford Thursday evening, Jan. 20th, Rev. Catlin officiating. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Melvin of the south country. He is an honest, industrious young farmer possessed of frugal habits and good, clean character.
The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will Links of the Old Bedford neighborhood and is said to be an estimable and worthy young lady. On March first, it is reported they will establish a home on the Roderick farm southeast of LaHarpe now occupied by Fred Bivens and family. Raritan Reporter
SUFFERS A STROKE: Mrs. W. E. Salter was the victim of a paralytic stroke early last Sunday morning affecting the whole of her right side and also her speech. At present she is resting easily and able to partake of some nourishment.
Her condition is however regarded as extremely critical and the children who are in California have been sent for and are expected to arrive the latter part of this week. Mr. Salter who has been taking care of an invalid at Mendon, Ill. arrived home Monday in response to the summons notifying him of her condition.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Miss Edna Dobbs of Hartington, Nebraska is visiting home folks for a couple of months. Jack Regan and Frank Wood received medals in an endurance contest held mornings during the chautauqua here this summer.
The Oquawka Journal reports that the ice has broken up in the Mississippi at that point and that huge glacier like formations as high as 20 to 25 feet have resulted. The ice is said to be packed up higher than has ever been known before by the oldest inhabitant. Dean Cortelyou of Raritan neighborhood was on the Chicago market with a carload of hogs. Peter Bainter of the south country is quite ill.
Dale Davis and Joe Peasley are attending the auto show in Chicago. In the last 30 days 51 cars of stock have been shipped from Stronghurst.
A January "thaw" of over a week's duration in connection with frequent showers of rain has had the effect of taking nearly all the frost out of the ground in this vicinity and has left the roads in a condition bordering on the impassable.
The wind has veered to the north and there are some indications that the cold wave which the weather reports have been telling us for the past week was about to swoop down on us is about to arrive.
We will then probably have "hard roads." (No weather channel to check or radio reports of the weather-one had to rely on newspapers and what came over the telegraph.)
A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Will McKeown; the young lady will be known as Wilda Lorene. The sale of the personal property at the Joseph Dixson farm south of town last Saturday was largely attended and good prices realized for the property sold. Norman Grossman of the east neighborhood was the victim of a painful accident one day last week when the thumb on his right hand was torn apart at the first joint by getting caught in a gasoline engine.
At their congregational meeting held last Monday, the members of the Olena U. P. organization voted to offer their house of worship to the M .E. people of Olena in exchange for the edifice owned by the latter; and in case the offer was accepted, to dispose of the church building obtained by the exchange and also their parsonage property, giving one-half of the proceeds to the boards of the church and one half to their late minister, Rev. H. P. Jackson of Cedarville, Ohio.
In Gladstone Mr. Clyde Galbraith is laid up with rheumatism; he was taken out to his sister Jennie's Sunday as his family is still in quarantine from scarlatina.
OLENA OBSERVATIONS: Miss Fern McCannon took sick while visiting friends at Carman, but after a few days recovered enough to be removed to her home where she is now convalescing. Mr. Irlin Lant who is expecting to move to Dolliver, Iowa, is greatly delayed by not being able to get his stock inspected.
Correction: Mr. Ira Peterson's first accident was caused by a threshing machine when he had both his leg and arm broken. The last one he fell during the icy spell and broke both of these over again. We're glad to report he is getting along quite well.
GLADSTONE OBITUARIES***NANCY EMERY FURNALD*** was born in Kentucky Sept. 6, 1830, and passed away after a brief illness from pneumonia at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Alexander Whitmore at Gladstone Jan. 21, 1916. She was married at Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Mr. Ira Furnald, whose death occurred about 15 years ago.
For the past nine years Mrs. Furnald had made her home in Oquawka. Four daughters are left to mourn the loss of a devoted mother: Mrs. Wesley Decker of Oquawka, Mrs. A.Whitmore of Gladstone, Mrs. Flora Gray of S.Dakota, Mrs. Clara Doty of White City, Iowa, the latter two being children by a former marriage.
****MARTHA WINDGALE BEACH*** was born in Ohio Nov.18, 1842 and departed this life Jan. 22, 1916. On Dec. 2, 1860 she married Samuel Rhoades in Liberty Township, Adams County, Ill. In July 1870 Mr. Rhoades passed away. The wife was left with five to share with her the loss of husband and father. In Oct. 1898 she married Samuel Beach of Quincy, Ill and a few years later they removed to Henderson County where they have since made their home.
Mrs. Beach was a member of the Dunkard Church. For the past 9 years she was a patient sufferer from ill health. Of the daughters, three remain to mourn the loss of a beloved mother: Mrs. Susan Hincyley of Nangatuck, Conn., Mrs. Lizzie Baugher of Keithsburg, Ill.; Mrs. Lydia Schermerhorn of Burlington, Iowa. The other daughter, Mrs. Etta Nichols passed away at LaHarpe, Ill., Nov. 21, 1914.
Funeral services of both women were held at the U. P. Church on Jan. 22th with interment in the Olena Cemetery. There was one set of pall bearers for both caskets, a very unusual occurrence.