The Graphic

July 28, 1927

MODERN ELECTRIC COOKING: The art of electric cooking—and it is an art—will be demonstrated at a school which will be conducted by Mrs. Alma E. Hunt at the Community Room on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Mrs. Hunt, who is a cooking expert and who devotes her time exclusively to personal training in and study of food preparation will present much of real value and interest to the ladies of Stronghurst in her demonstration of new recipes, perfected methods and economy

One cannot help but be impressed with the calmness and ease with which she continues successfully preparing salads, cakes, pies and many other foods-all the while lecturing on the art of cooking.  She talks while she works, beating, mixing molding and baking.  Her many cooking hints, covering system and short cuts, are highly practical as well as being interesting…The services of Mrs. Hunt have been secured by the Illinois Northern Utilities Co., who are also providing the cooking school, and an invitation is cordially extended to the public to attend as guests. . (How exciting!  Similarly, I remember going to a microwave class at the extension office when they were the new appliance to own.)

HE SERVED 40 YEARS: (Pumping station supplied water for steam engines.) On Tuesday of this week Dee Headen of Stronghurst completed 40 years’ service in the employ of the Santa Fe Railway.  Mr. Headen was formerly a resident of LaHarpe and entered the employ of the Santa Fe by taking charge of the pumping station at Monica, Illinois on July 27, 1887.  It was in 1887 when the Chicago extension of the Santa Fe was constructed.  One of the first pumping plants completed was at Monica and Mr. Headen was put in charge.  He later transferred to Galesburg; then Lomax’ later to Princeville.  On July 12, 1889 he took charge of the pumping plant at Stronghurst and has remained in the service here ever since.  Mr. Headen is not only one of oldest employees of the Santa Fe on this division, but is known from one end of the division to the other as one of the company’s most faithful and reliable employees.  In all these years, he has never had a breakdown making it necessary to send the thirty engines elsewhere for a drink.  This is s record seldom equaled and certainly not often surpassed.

BIGGSVILLE PICNIC, AUGUST 18 & 19: The annual Biggsville Picnic and Home Coming will be rather earlier than usual this year.  The attractions have not as yet been definitely decided, but we feel sure that they will be of their usual merit and that the picnic will be a big success.  Plan to attend.

STATE GAME HERE:  The big game so far this season for the Henderson County Farm Bureau baseball team will come Saturday, July 30 at 2:30 pm at Stronghurst when they meet the fast team representing the Marshall-Putnam County Farm Bureau.  This team has twice taken the state championship trophy in 1924 and 1926 and have just been declared winners for their district which includes Peoria, Woodford and Tazewell Counties.

The Henderson County boys have played in the state championship game the last two years but have fallen short of the coveted trophy. They figure “the third time’s the charm” and do not intend to let any team stand in their way this year.  These teams have met twice before and each has one battle to its credit.  This one is for blood.  Don’t fail to see it.

In Saturday’s game with Little York, Henderson County won by a score of 3 to 6.  It was a fast contest which proved to be considerable of a pitchers’ battle.  McCullough pitching for Little York yielded only five hits and struck out twelve men while Pence was touched for only two hits-one of which should have been an easy out and retired ten men on strikeouts…

WEDDING BELLS: BAINTER AND WORLEY: Mr. Harold Bainter and Miss Frances Worley were married at the beautiful home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Worley, Stronghurst Illinois at 12 o’clock, Sunday July 24th.  The marriage was a complete surprise to the young couple’s many friends as well as to nearly all of their relatives and only the members of the immediate families were present, namely, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Bainter and Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Worley and niece, Miss Ida Ruth Sandy who makes her home with her aunt.  Rev. J.A. Mahaffey of Stronghurst United Presbyterian Church officiated.  The single ring ceremony was used.  The bride looked charming in a dress of white silk crepe de chine.

Mrs. Bainter is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Worley of Stronghurst and spent most of her life in this community.  In 1923 she graduated from Stronghurst High School and three years later with unusually high honors from the Burlington Hospital School for Nurses.  During the past year has been very successful in her practice as a nurse.  She has a pleasing personality and many talents which have made for her scores of friends. She is a member of the United Presbyterian Church of Stronghurst and quite active in church work.

  Mr. Bainter is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Bainter, south of Stronghurst.  He graduated from Stronghurst Community High School in 1922 and attended Monmouth College for one year.  Later, he entered as a law student at Ann Arbor, Michigan, this being his second year as a student there.  He has many friends because of his good character and pleasant manor.  He is a member of the United Presbyterian Church of Stronghurst.

 A sumptuous wedding dinner was served by Mrs. Johanna Wheeling, cateress, immediately after the wedding ceremony.  The couple then departed by auto for Carrolton, Mo. where they will spend a two weeks’ honeymoon visiting relatives of the groom in that neighborhood.

FACTORY HELPING FARMERS: The canning factory erected here by the United Food Co., although not ready for operations, has already proved a boon to this community.  Seven carloads of cabbage have been shipped to date and there is yet more to be cut.  The growers have netted a nice return and everyone seems encouraged.

As cabbage has been bringing from $15 to$18 per ton and land in this community is producing as much as seven tons to the acre, it can easily be seen that cabbage growing is a quite profitable business.  Mr. H.O. Lorrance, company’s bookkeeper, has just returned from a visit to Muscatine, Iowa, and reports the cabbage and tomatoes doing much better in this community than in the trucking lands there.  He said the cabbages in this vicinity were bigger heads and the tomatoes rather stronger than those near Muscatine.

Work at the factory building is advancing steadily, two capping machines have arrived this week: one machine to cap number 2, 2 ½ and 3 cans and the other gallon cans.  The boiler was shipped in Wednesday and the engine, copper and other equipment will be here soon.

FIRE DESTROYED FARM HOUSE: The two-story farm house on the Mrs. Ruby Butler farm about six miles southwest of Stronghurst was destroyed by fire last Saturday afternoon.  The house was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Hope Cox and as no one was home at the time of the fire, all of the household goods were lost.  Insurance on the building amounting to $2,000 was carried, but this will not cover half the loss.

 The fire is of unknown origin.  Everything seemed to be all right when Mr. and Mrs. Cox left Saturday morning, but on their return a few hours later, their home was but a pile of ashes.  They will start housekeeping anew in the house across the road belonging to Gene Painter.  A number of neighbors and friends met at the home of Mrs. Ellen Finch on Tuesday to do some sewing for the unfortunate family.

RARITAN REPORTS: Dale Ross has gone to Smithshire where he has employment.  With Mrs. Spencer Corzatt as leader, the Women’s Community Club of Raritan gave a program at the club rooms.  The topic of the day being “A Favorite Hero from History.” By invitation from the chairmen of the entertainment committee of the Methodist Church of Smithshire, the Kitchen Band of the South Country Birthday Club were invited to play at the carnival given at that place on Saturday night.  The ladies in the band were the Mesdames Geo. Brokaw, Maurice Lee, Jamess Lindberg, Ernest Negley, Algert Nolen, Will Reedy, Arthur Roche, Jack Ross, Glen Schenck, Harold Simonson, Pery Veech, Earl Wiskles, A. Worthington and Miss Lena C. Ahlers with Miss Jessie Veech as piano accompanist.  A varied program, consisting of several numbers were given on the various kitchen utensils.

MINSTREL REVUE: (Many times small towns with local talent presented these shows to the community as money raisers. The question of Race was not an issue.)  The “Minstrel Revue,” a Frederick B. Ingram production given under the auspices of the Stronghurst Band and under the directorship of Harold Lukens at the High School Auditorium on Friday and Saturday evening was a great success.  The attendance was splendid on both evenings and the Band wishes to express is appreciation of the liberal patronage given them.  The proceeds will be used by the band for uniforms.  The Minstrel Revue netted a profit of $57 ($1,875+ in today’s values) and about $22 ($72) was realized by the sale of candy, popcorn and lemonade which was donated.

 The show was divided into two parts.  Part one, the Revue, was divided into four scenes.  Three of these were little playlets which proved very entertaining and one was a song number, “I Love to Call You My Sweetheart,” presented by a Dutch boy and girl in costume with chorus accompaniment.  This scene was beautiful and received much applause from the audience.  The Misses Lena Morey and Doris Dixson took the part of the Dutch girl and boy respectively.  The chorus was composed of the Misses Florence May Findley, Faye McMillan, June Smith and Kathryn Anderson.  A notable feature of the other scenes was that all of the ladies in the casts were gentlemen.  All of the characters in these plays deserve much credit for their commendable performance.

Part two, the Minstrel, was peppy and “colorful.” From the very first it “went over.”  Harold Lukens was the Interlocutor.  Douglas Presctt, Edward Beardsley, Harold Smith, Malcolm Smith, Elzie Gilliland and Bob Chandler were the end men.  The members of the circle were Charles Burg, Max Veech, Estel Mudd, Harry Painter, Vincent Upton, Ralph Knutstrom, Harold Bainter, Earnest Walker, Robert Mathers, Loren Pearson, Paul Bell, Harry Graham William Butler, George Breeze and Robert Burns. One of the numbers was “How I Love You” by Lena Morey and her chorus composed of Dayle Grandey, Madaline Timmer, Eloise McMillan, Kathryn Anderson, Lois Marshall and Blanche Beardsley.  Others participating in the program are Herbert Brook in scenes one and two and Lester McKeown, Kenneth Sanderson William Lukens, Ralph Daves, Oscar Dowell and Kenneth Veech who acted as chorus girls in the first scene.  Miss Winibeth Rankin was the pianist.

BEACH PARTY: Mrs. F.V. Doak, Miss Alice Finch, Mrs. W.W. Ross of Stronghurst, Miss Bessie Grahm of Kirkwood, Mrs. Plone Petrie of Aledo and Mrs. Mary S. Folmer of Cortland, N.Y. enjoyed an outing at the Oquawka Beach occupying the Cowden Cottage.  They report a delightful time.  All are old friends of Mrs. Folmer and Mrs. Fred Bowen of Monmouth who occupied the adjoining cottage.  This is an annul event with these ladies and is looked forward to with great pleasure.

BIGGSVILLE BRIEFS: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Whiteman motored to Little York on Sabbath afternoon and visited their son Ray and family who left on Monday for motor and camping trip to Delavan Lakes.  Mrs. C.F. Anderson was called to the beside of her mother, Mrs. E.G. Miller who had taken suddenly ill at her home in Burlington.  William Sloan of West Palm Beach, Florida was calling on relatives and friends.

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: A shower was held Tuesday afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Shafer in honor of their daughter, Miss Eva, whose marriage will be in the near future. In order that everyone has a chance to attend the baseball game between the Henderson County and Marshall-Putnam County Farm Bureau, businesses will close on Saturday, July 30th from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.  The convention of District Four was held last Sunday at the M.E Church.    Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ingerson and Mrs. Maud Dodds attended the Smithshire Ladies Aid Mid-Summer Festival on Saturday night.  The roads are fairly smooth now and the motorist have to rely upon the dust for complaint.  Miss Ethel Hartquist of Chicago came Saturday to help her mother, Mrs. Wm Hartquist, celebrate her birthday on Sunday.  Mr. and Mrs. Bert Moore, daughter Dorothy and son Joie left by auto for Canada where they will spend two weeks’ vacation visiting relatives at Winnipeg and Elkhart, Man.  They have made the trip and before report it a nice drive of about 1,000 miles.    

A number of Stronghurst and Media friends attended the funeral of Mrs. Bertha Polson at Macomb.  Mrs. Polson was formerly Miss Bertha Blackledge, a former resident of Stronghurst.  Her husband preceded her in death about a year ago.  She is survived by three daughters, her mother and a step son, Charles Davis, Jr. of Stronghurst. Harold Lukens left for Rock Island, Illinois where he will attend a two weeks’ school training for his duties as one of the directors for the Frederick B. Ingram Production Co.  George Breeze, who is employed as engine watchman at the local yards spent Sunday and Monday with relatives at Fort Madison.  Mr. Dowdell’s illustrate lecture of Ani-Saloon League work given at the U.P. Church last Sunday evening was very interesting and well attended.  A barn and its contents owned by Elder Catlin near Old Bedford was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning.  The origin of the fire was unknown.  Miss Ethel Hartquist and friends who are touring the West writes from San Franciso that they are having a wonderful trip and after stopping at Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon, they will return home.

ILLINOIS FACTS:  Regular religious services were held in Illinois in 1787 at New Design in what is now Randolph County. Chicago has the busiest street in the world-Michigan Avenue between Jackson Boulevard and Chicago Avenue where 68,011 automobiles pass in 24.

REUNION CLASS OF ’26: The graduating class on 1926 Stronghurst Community High School enjoyed a reunion at Crapo Park, Burlington, Iowa on July 27th.  Eighteen of the twenty-three members were present to review “High School Days” All of the members had been quite active during the past year: Sarah Brook, Max Veech, Frances Mahaffey, Sheron Gregory, Florence Mae Findley and Lois Marshall had attended college or university.  Lorraine Anderson and Frances Sweasey and Pauline Marsden had taken nurse’s training.  Alma Mills, Irene Kershaw, Alfred Shallenberger, Chester Brokaw, Elise, Ahlers and Lucille Burler had taken special training at business colleges or normal schools.  Gladys Mudd and Alice Powell taught school.  Robert Pence and Joe Howell have employment on the railroad.  Gladys Lant has been at home.  Bessie Curd has been at home in Chicago.  Richard Howell has been employed at home and in Chicago.  Paul Bell has been Ye Scribe (ran the paper). Much regret was expressed that all of the classmates could not be present: Joseph Howelll of Carman and Robert Pence of Rock Island.

MEDIA BROADCASTER, part of the Stronghurst Graphic: SOCIAL NEWS: E. A. Cavins and family attended the funeral of his cousin, Mrs. Bertha Polin at Macomb. B. H. White, Cleve Hickman, Ernest Beresford and their families attended the Lefler union at Crapo Park Sunday. Clyde Warren returned to his home in Rockport, Mo. after an extended visit with Mr. and Mrs. George Wax. Wm. Bricker shipped a car of cattle and some hogs to Chicago. Mildred Lawyer left for Wheatland, Wyoming where she intends to visit a few weeks.  Mrs. Eleanor Garrett, Mrs. Fred Cannon and daughter Bessie from Jackson Corners were Sunday visitors at the J. B. Heap home.