The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1917 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1917

Stronghurst Graphic, March 1, 1917 

MARRIED AT HOME: Simple, yet beautiful marriage rites were solemnized the evening of Feb.28th at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Wm. Hartquist north of Stronghurst when their daughter, Ellen was given in marriage to Mr. Hugo Johnson. Promptly at seven the bridal couple, unattended, entered the living room to the strains of Mendelssohn's wedding march played by Ethel Hartquist and took their places beneath a lighted arch of smilax and pink carnations.

The ceremony was read by Rev. W.P. Anderson with the impressive ring service used. The bride looked charming in a dress of white charmeuse satin and georgette crepe trimmed in silver lace. She wore a veil and carried a shower bouquet of bridal roses and lilies of the valley. The groom was attired in the conventional black...

The bride is one of the community's most cultured and highly esteemed young ladies. She has been teaching and has done much work in connection with the Lutheran church of this village. The groom is a young man of worth and many excellent traits. Coming to this country from Sweden several years ago, he has by his life and habits shown himself worthy of respect and esteem of all those who know him.

Mr. And Mrs. Johnson will go directly to a home already furnished by them on the Thompson farm 2 1/2 miles north of Stronghurst.(This is a much longer article.)

CAMP FIRE GIRLS AT THEATRE: The Lyric Theatre will be managed Thursday evening March 8th under the auspicious of the Hedakohi Camp Fire Girls who promise an especially fine and varied program. During the evening special music, a short play and a five-act reel featuring Marguerite Clark as the star will be presented.

1892 GRAPHIC: The Burlington business men were agitating for a new bridge across the Mississippi as an inducement to the Santa Fe R.R. to enter that city by means of a branch from Stronghurst. Gear Putney started West to grow up with the country. Dr. J.E.Evans delivered a temperance lecture at the M.E.Church. Dr. Brelesford and wife had gone to Colfax, Iowa, hoping to regain his health. Foundations for three new residences for A.H.Silsbee, S.D.Parsons, and Jas. Atkinson were started.

Herman Annegers was in town feeling pretty good over the price he received for a car load of cattle he shipped to the Chicago market. He topped the market with 16 prime 1,600 lb. Steers, which went to an exporter at $4.90 per cwt.Considerable anxiety was being manifested over the disappearance of Robt. H.Rankin, a prominent young farmer of Monmouth, who purchased a ticket from there to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and whose movements could be traced no farther than Burlington at which point it was feared he had been foully dealt with. (Never did find out what happened to him.)

SHUT DOWN SIN IN RIVER CITY: Disgusted with having their city made a center of debauchery for a large section of the country in Illinois and Iowa, which condition has come about through the abolishing of saloons in other towns in the territory adjacent to it, the better element of the city of Nauvoo are asking that a local option election be held in connection with the regular city election this spring.

Here are some of the reasons they set forth:1. The lawless saloon is still here and more lawless than ever. 2. Almost impossible to get the law enforced against it. 3. Another crop of young men have started careers of drunkenness. 4. Automobile loads of people are drunk and driving. 4. The debauchery at social functions has advertised the city as a center from which debauchery spreads.

The people from other cities know how rotten the saloons are and how little the law is enforced. There is a host of decent, self-respecting citizens who make their home in Nauvoo and want their city to be respectable and know as long as the saloon is operating it will be a mecca for bums and roughs.The wet majority is decreasing; five years ago it was 284, three years ago it was 120, and last year it numbered 36...

MR.LANT'S GOLDEN CALIFORNIA: Henderson County's former citizen W.M.Lant writes from Tulare, Calif.: "We had an usually cold winter and spring if backward advancing slowly. Almond trees are in bloom; these are the harbingers of spring. The past season was unusually cool and early rains came and caught the drying fruit, damaging the raisins badly, a large percentage of them lost. Thanks to cooperative marketing, good prices were obtained; raisins and peaches made good money.

Last year in Tulare farm products sold for $2,000,000 coming in steadily throughout the year. We usually get 5 cents a lb. above the Los Angles price for butter and last month we averaged 43 ¸ cents and 32 cents per dozen for eggs. (When I was in Tulare County last month we passed a dairy having 10,000 cows in one location; this county produced $1.15 billion dollars in milk last year making it the biggest producer in the nation.2002)Considerable amount of land is changing hands here at increasing prices with a large percentage of newcomers from Kansas..."

FIRE AT WEST POINT, ILLINOIS: West Point in Hancock County was for the third time during the last three years visited by a very disastrous fire. The alarm was given at 1:15 Friday morning and by 4 o'clock a considerable part of the town lay in ashes. The loss is estimated at $9,000 while the insurance carried was $4,800.

LOCAL NOTES: Eleven divorce cases were on the docket for the March term of circuit court. Miss Ethel Shaw is spending a week at the George Barnett home north of the village. Miss Nellie Moreland entertained aobut 40 friends in honor of her brother, Clarence, and his bride. W.C.Ivins has had a relapse of rheumatism and is confined to his home. Perry Stamp and family are moving out their farm north of town; he has given up the tinning trade and decided to become a tiller of the soil.

The Martha Society of the Swedish Lutheran Church will hold a oyster supper in the church; all are invited.

LOCAL COUNTY OFFICIAL MARRIES IN CALIFORNIA: Coming as a distinct surprise to the friends of the bride in Riverside and throughout the southern part of the state is the announcement of the marriage of Mrs. Blanche Hurd and H. F. McAllister of Oquawka, Ill. on Feb.22nd. Immediately after serving a delicious wedding breakfast the new couple left for San Diego where they will be for a few weeks.

They will return to Riverside for a few weeks before returning to Oquawka in April. The marriage is the culmination of a friendship extending over 50 years for the couple were friends in their youth. Mrs. McAllister came to Riverside with her family in 1882 and with the exception of a few years passed in Los Angles, has lived here most of the time. Mr. McAllister is a well known banker, farmer and stock raiser. For 44 years he worked in the circuit clerk's office, the first eight as deputy and 36 years as circuit clerk. He is now and has been for 43 years the master of chancery.

***OBITUARY***J. M. AKIN DEAD: James M. Akin, who was for many years prominent in educational circles in this section of the state and who has been acting as deputy sheriff of the county, passed away at his home in Oquawka last Sabbath afternoon at 2:30.Mr. Akin was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Jan.14, 1845; making him 73 years, 1 month and 11 days old at the time of his death. At the age of 21 he came to Illinois and in 1870 was chosen principal of the Biggsville schools.

He held this position for three years and in 1875 was chosen as head of the Oquawka schools. Two years later he was elected to the office of County Superintendent of Henderson County schools and served in that capacity for two terms. During the latter years of his life he was engaged in various kinds of clerical work and held the office of justice of the peace for a number of terms.

He is survived by his wife and two sons, O.H.Akin of Kirkwood and J.L. Akin of Oquawka. He was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. Funeral services were held in the Baptist Church in Oquawka with interment in the cemetery of that place.

LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: The Country Club held a party in honor of Washington's birthday at the hospitable home of Mr. And Mrs. W. T. Weir of Coloma. Nearly one hundred people were present. A. L. Freed, formerly of Gladstone is engaged in the granite, marble and stone work business at Kewanee.

Mrs. Alvah Shook was brought home from the Galesburg hospital after a successful operation for appendicitis. Willis Keener and family took their departures from Stronghurst for their new home near Crawfordsville, Iowa. Chas. Johnson is moving into the house formerly occupied by Chesley Towler. Misses Esther Curry and Marie Rankin and Glenn McElhinney were home from Monmouth College.Will Allison has gone to Butler, Mo.to assist his brother Ed in starting farming operations for the Allison-Richey ranch.

Fred Reynolds moved this blacksmith equipment to his new shop on Mary Street. Mr. A. E. Jones' little daughter, Laverna, is recovering nicely from pneumonia. Mr. I. H. Brokaw is the owner of a new Wyllis-Knight touring car purchased through the agency of Knutstrom and McKeown. Mr. Ed Hardin and family are occupying rooms over the Jones grocery while he remodels his home on South Broadway. The ladies of the Stronghurst M.E.Church will hold their next tea in the church basement rooms with the following ladies serving: Mrs. John Gilliland, Mrs. Jas. Brewer, Mrs. John Salter, Mrs. Chalmer Salter, Mrs. Dr. Henderson and Mrs. John Fordyce.

CARMAN CONCERNS: Mr. Williamson and family are moving to town having rented Mrs. Showalter's property. Mr. Harry Coffman and wife and her sister, Miss Minnie Rehling and Mrs. W.H.Babcook and daughter, Miss Cheryl, attended the opera at Burlington. O.B.Maynard is employed in Rock Island and will move his family there.

LOMAX LINGERINGS: Little Clayton Henry Logan remains very low with doubtful hopes for his recovery. Mrs. J. W. Romick sold to John Bowlyou her new dwelling in the east end. Jesse Clark and family will move to the Clyde Gittings farm where he will work this coming season. Ray Smiddy and the Rockel boys will return to their claims in Montana about March 15th. Geo. Shanks are entertaining themselves with a new piano.

GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: Jacob Rust is the owner of a new horse and buggy bought from J.Robbins. He will no doubt be seen pleasure riding as soon as the weather permits. Mrs. William Galbraith was taken to the Burlington Hospital for treatment. The stork called at the Len Ditto home and left a fine boy for them to be proud over. A home talent play will be given at Bryan's hall for the benefit of the Gladstone band. Kirk Robinson moved to the Ward place.