Miscellaneous Articles and Stories
Miscellaneous Newspaper and other Articles
Please send newspaper and other articles to Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society or to Marcia Cox for posting. Please include source and date if available.
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VIRGINIA STORM - The Cass County Historian, March 1997, source Ashland Sentinel (as taken from the Virginia Enquirer) Saturday, November 18, 1911). - Submitted by Marcia Cox
The 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year of the 20th century will go down in the history of this city as one to be remembered. After two days of extremely warm and sultry weather for this time of year and about 3:45 p.m. Saturday afternoon, heavy black clouds began to come from the south west and passing to a northeasterly direction over the city with slight rain falling when all of the sudden the clouds seemed to swoop down towards earth and the most terrible cyclone ever experienced in this city took place. The air was simply filled with broken parts of trees, boards, pieces of roofs and shingles and other debris. People began to hurry and run for shelter to protect themselves from the flying boards and timbers that were being hurled in every direction. In five minutes the storm had destroyed everything in its path. Telephone poles and telegraph wires were a tangled mass, trees uprooted and building scattered everywhere and the whole business portion of the city was a scene of destruction.
There is hardly a building from the court square that did not receive some damage. The southeast part of the city escaped with slight damage. In fact, some of the city were not aware that a severe storm had struck for hours afterwards. Fortunately there was no one killed outright. Among the severely injured was Otis MIDDLETON, right arm, leg and jaw broken, John SMITH, leg broken, Sod FRENCH, three ribs fractured, Henry CONOVER, face badly scratched by broken glass, Ed RYAN, hurt and bruised by falling timbers, Tobe BECK, arm broken, M.M. WOODWARD, arm fractured, Gus HAYES, back hurt and bruises, Earl WHITTACKER, cut about the head.
The damage to the Hotel MANN is such that an estimate can not be made. The rood of the CRAMER livery barn was lifted in such a manner as to penetrate the third story of the hotel on the south side and as a result six of the guest rooms were demolished. The wind stripped the roof off and it hangs over the north side of the building. The chimneys were blown away and the matter of supplying heat for the hotel was out of the question. Furniture in the entire hotel was damaged. The building is partly covered for $8000 by cyclone insurance.
The studio of R.H. MANN located on West Beardstown Street suffered heavy damage. The large window on the northend of the building which is the operating room of the study was blown in. A list of other damage follows:
Residence of late Mrs. S.H. Petefish and now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. George NISBET, out buildings destroyed, barn destroyed, chimney down and windows broken.
Holiness Church damaged to the amount of $100.
MORGANS livery barn badly damaged.
Mrs. Katherine COLDWELL home has roof smashed by large tree falling on same and many windows broken out.
George BOYD house has roof off and part of house destroyed.
Dr. MARKEL hoe has all chimneys off and badly damaged by large tree which fell on it.
Robert McFARLAND home has porch destroyed, roof off and chimneys down.
Herman H. CRAMER house entirely unroofed, automobile garage blown away and auto blown into the street, house otherwise badly damaged.
William HUDSON house lifted off foundation and otherwise badly damaged.
C.L. PERRIN home had all chimneys blown off and many windows broken.
Otis MIDDLETON home completely demolished and he suffered injuries which makes his recovery doubtful.
William MULLENS house unroofed and otherwise damaged.
The house of Frank LONG is almost a total wreck.
Henry ARTHOLONEY home is unroofed and a large tree fell on it which added damage.
Thomas HARE house is a complete wreck and his household furniture is a complete loss. The house is owned by Mrs. I.B. CROWTHER.
Another house owned by Mrs. CROWTHER and occupied by R.H. CREWs was badly damaged by windows being blown out and outbuilding destroyed. Mr. CREWS was just returning to his house when a falling limb struck him on the left shoulder inflicting serious injury.
James TURNER house was badly damaged by chimneys blown out and a large timber blown through the front of the house.
John STEILER home damaged by windows blown out and large tree uprooted.
B.E. GRIDLEY’s new residence damaged by chimney blown down, rear porch wrecked.
Residence of Miss Pattie GREEN damaged by tree falling on same.
Home of J.H. GRIDLEY damaged by windows broken out and out buildings destroyed. Most of shade and fruit trees uprooted.
William EYRE home damaged by chimneys and windows broken and outbuildings destroyed.
Colonial Inn damaged by windows and chimney broken.
Arthur SMITH, chimneys down and trees uprooted
Benj. OWENS, chimneys down, roof damaged and trees all broken.
Gus HILLIG house damaged by tree falling against the front porch.
C.I. HASKELL house, owned by John KREBER was stripped of all chimneys, windows broken.
Henry MONROE house has many broken windows, chimneys all down and barn destroyed.
Clarence NOECKER house suffered the loss of the rear porch, chimneys down and a large timber thrown through the side of the house.
Rose HUFFMAN house partly unroofed.
William CHITTICK house is minus a porch and many windows broken.
William STAFFORD home is unroofed and windows broken out.
Aaron EVANS house was complete wreck and occupied by John FISHER. The wreckage fell on Mr. FISHER in such a way that he was able to crawl out and suffered slight bruises.
House of J. CLARK badly wrecked.
Charles KIKENDALL house badly damaged and outbuildings destroyed.
Houses occupied by Arthur HILL and Stephen CAYWOOD are almost a total wreck.
George WHITE home, broken windows and kitchen blown down.
George LEONARD home was completely unroofed and was dropped across the street. He was gong home from town when the storm struck and was hit be an evergreen, suffering a painful injury to his arm and hip.
All chimneys were blown from the homes of E.E. DALE and Samuel SUFFERN.
A large limb from a tree was deposited on the house occupied by Att. J.J. NEIGER and owned by R.H. MANN.
The house occupied by William HUNTER was demolished as well as that of Benj. McDOWELL, as was his barn and outbuildings.
The home of C.A. SIMMONS is practically a total wreck.
The John COLLINS home is totally destroyed with no storm insurance. Two other houses he owned were badly destroyed.
The SUMMERS home occupied by William TODD had one brick wall blown in etc.
The residence of Dr. Joseph FULTON suffered chimney loss and sidewalks to the street were blown away.
Alex ROBINSON house is unroofed and sections of the house are broken in and chimneys down.
J.E. KING home suffered all chimneys down and porch damaged.
TUREMAN Opera House, roof blown off, owned by Finis E. DOWNING, loss $4000.
High School unroofed and rooms damaged, loss about $12,000.
Methodist Church, total wreck, loss at $15,000.
William LANE home completely destroyed, loss $2,500.
S.S. YOUNG home destroyed, loss $1,500.
Ben PERRIN, barn and outbuildings destroyed, stock killed, loss $500.
Henry JACOBS, outbuildings and flues of house destroyed, loss $200.
J. TRIBEWASSER, outbuildings and barn destroyed, loss $300.
Charles WILSON, ice house destroyed, loss $1,500.
Joseph DUNBAR, roof off house, loss $200.
Ed MULLEN, outbuildings destroyed, loss $100.
Harold WILLIAMS, outbuildings destroyed, loss $100.
Matt NESTER, outbuildings destroyed, loss $100.
Richard WAY, rear of house damaged, loss $100.
Virginia Rolling Mills, smoke stack blown down, loss $100.
County Jail unroofed, loss $750.
Charles RUSSELL, farm house, barn and outbuildings damaged, $750.
George NEEDHAM, farm house destroyed, $1,200.
C.A. CAYWOOD, farm house damaged, barn destroyed, loss $300.
South portion of Miss Harmonia TATE house suffered considerable damage. Timber from Sod FRENCH house being blown through it.
House occupied by W.R. BLACKBURN was partly unroofed, windows and chimneys broken.
The windows of the City Hotel broken and west, all is being held with props.
WARNER and FINN BROS. clothing store, roof off, owned by Charles FISHER, loss $2,000.
St. LUKES CATHOLIC CHURCH, corner blown off and chimney wrecked, loss $1,000.
Orland VIRGIN home occupied by B.C. MADISON family, all chimneys destroyed and windows broken.
The rear of the house occupied by Fred DONOVAN totally destroyed.
All chimneys of Joseph TREADWAY home blown off and roof mostly gone.
The large house of L.A. ANGIER is practically a wreck. Roof off, walls broken in etc.
Chimneys down and windows broken in the home occupied by Martin DYER. Joe WILSON home the same.
The house occupied by Al WAY family is a complete wreck. The walls were crushed in. The family was not home at the time.
The "Boston Brick" home owned by Finis E. DOWNING is a complete wreck.
The home of Mrs. E.M. ADAMS was badly damaged, portion of the roof is gone and windows broken.
The residence of Sod FRENCH is one of the most complete wrecks of the storm center. The house was dismembered from over the heads of the occupants, the debrie moved a distance of 40 feet and Mr. and Mrs. FRENCH was carried with the wreckage. They suffered serious cuts and bruises.
The John MENZIE house occupied by Mr. and Mrs. HARRIS is amount the worst damaged.
The house of Mrs. Mollie WEAVER was partially unroofed and entire building is damaged.
The new residence of Lawrence GAINS was slightly damaged. many windows broken.
The roof of the Walter KIKENDALL house was blown off and carried over to W.B. FINN yard.
Windows of W.L. BLACK home were broken and many trees down.
The house of Mrs. Lucinda HALL is a wreck, roof and walls being blown out.
The William HARRIS property was greatly damaged. Roof and part of the house were blown out.
MOUND LAKE - The Cass County Historian, source Virginia Enquirer, August 3, 1916 - Submitted by Marcia Cox
Kast Sunday a merry crowd to the number of fifty persons assembled at Mound Lake to enjoy a family reunion and social good time. The day was spent boating, fishing and other amusements. At the noon hour a bountiful dinner was served including a supply of fresh fish. The families in attendance were V.W. DAVIS, John W. THOMPSON, who is Supt. of the County Poor Farm, Edward DAVIS, Samuel OHRN, Henry BETZ, Charles DAVIS, Charles HILES all of this county and members of the CARVER family of Springfield.
FIRST SPEECH - The Cass County Historian, March 1997, source - Jacksonville Journal/Courier, 1996 - Submitted by Marcia Cox
Historians used a 19th century IOU from Abraham LINCOLN and a business partner to locate a hamlet where LINCOLN made his first known political speech.
The speech itself is often cited as an example of LINCOLN's straight forward, folksy campaign style, said Tom SCHWARTZ, Illinois State Historian.
A contemporary account indicates it was given at a store in Pappsville owned by Beardstown businessmen Augustus KNAPP and Thomas POGUE and operated by a man named SMITH.
"Fellow citizens" LINCOLN said in his first bid for public office-an unsuccessful 1832 campaign for a seat in the state legislature. "I presume you all know who I am. I am humble Abraham LINCOLN. I have been solicated by many friends to become a candidate for the legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance. I am in favor of a national bank. I am in favor of the internal improvement system and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected, I shall be thankful, if not it will be all the same".
The IOU from LINCOLN and William BERRY; partners in a store in New Salem, to KNAPP and POGUE was among documents recently donated by a private individual to the State Historical Library, SCHWARTZ said.
The note was transacted in a part of Sangamon County called "Richland", an ill defined rural area near Pleasant Plains. Checking the land records, SCHWARTZ found just one piece of property in the vicinity being sold to KNAPP and POGUE. The seller was David SMITH.
The remnants of Pappsville lie on a farm field about three quarters of a mile north of Illinois 125 and just east of Clayville.
We're not even sure it was a town, per se, it may have been just one or two buildings" SCHWARTS said. But even as such, he added, "it was a trade center".
SCHWARTZ and archaelogist Bob MAZRIM visited the site and found pottery shards and other material dating from the 1830's along with evidence of a limestone foundation. Between the physical and documentary evidence, SCHWARTZ said he is confident he found Pappsville.
"We're doing some regional road studies that date to frontier times. Even though it is not on the main highway at this time, it was then, so it makes sense" said MAZRIM.
A MYSTERY - The Cass County Historian, March 1997, source - Chandlerville Times, April 21, 1899 as taken from the Beardstown Enterprise
The people of this city were terribly shocked Saturday upon learning that James G. RICE, one of Beardstowns most prominent business men, had been found dead about a mile north of town in Schuyler County near the C.B. and Q. railroad track with his skull crushed in.
The cause of death is a mystery that will probably never be solved. Mr. RICE came down town as usual Saturday morning and after attending to duties in the store left his place of business about 10 a.m. and went to City Hall to deposit his ballot in the school election. He then went to a meat market, made a purchase and took it home. Before leaving the house, he told his wife that some friends were camping across the river and that he promised to meet them there. He walked across the wagon bridge over the Illinois river about 1:30 a.m., remarking to the bridge tender that he would pay his fare when he returned and followed the river road to the railroad about a quarter of a mile where he climbed upon the railroad and went north up the track. This was the last seen of him so far as known until he was discovered a mile up the track by the fireman on the 12:25 passenger train going south. He was lying on the north side of the track with his head within twelve inches of the rail. As soon as the train arrived at the depot a special force was sent out after the dead man and he was found lying in the same position as above stated. His clothing was in perfect order and there was no sign of a struggle. His watch and other valuables were on his person and he held an unlighted cigar in his left hand. He was cold in death when picked up. His false teeth were found about ten feet from his body and his hat about thirty feet away. There were no trains passing in or out of the city over this road between the time he crossed the bridge and the time he was found and the railroad men say that it was impossible for any part of the passenger train to have struck the body while lying in the position described by the fireman.
A great many theories have been advanced as to how he received the injuries which caused his death. Some claim that he was murdered, others say he was killed by the train, while others believe it was suicide.
The above facts as brought out at the coroners inquest and the cause of death is merely conjecture as no one seems to know the exact cause.
MURDER? - The Cass County Historian, December 1995, source - Central Illinoian, Beardstown, January 4, 1872 - Alexander HUFFAKER formely of here but lately of Virginia, died suddenly Sunday under circumstances that lead to suspicion of foul play. The attending physician asked the wife of the deceased what medicine she had given her husband. She replied "salts" but when asked for the medication, she stated that it had been thrown out. She was arrested and police were sent to arrest another party supposed to be connected with the affair.
The Jeffersonian, Virginia, January 17, 1872 - The HUFFAKER case came up for trial Monday the 15th. Circumstances are that Mr. Huffaker deceased was an esteemed citizen with a wife and twelve year old son at home. Cononers jury deliberated for ten days without a verdict. Two of the jury swore out a State warrant for the arrest of the wife and Mr. BERDINE an accessary. Berdine was sent to jail and Mrs. Huffaker guarded at home. By some means Berdine was released within a few days and entered suit against J.A. PETEFISH and Mr. PASCAL, he then returned to teaching in Fulton County. LeRoy CARPENTER, States Attorney was assisted at the trial by Cyrus Epler and Richard MILLS. KETCHUM and GRIDLEY were for the defense. Physicians were called as to the effects of poison in the body. Dr. ADAMS of Jacksonville stated strychnine caused the death. A letter from the accused was found on Berdine and read at the trial but its contents will not be published. The accused was set free although there is talk of re-arrest.
The Jeffersonian, April 26, 1872 - Mrs. HUFFAKER was given a verdict of "not guilty" at the court yesterday.
COAL STRIKE - The Cass County Historian, March 1997, source - Ashland Sentinel, December 3, 1904 - It is reported that prospectors struck a six foot vein of coal on the William MATHEWS farm near Newmansville and it will prove a rich one for land owners there. A mine near the MATHEWS place has been operated for some time and has yielded a great amount of coal of good quality. The vein is 100 feet below the surface. Newmansville is isolated from the railroad.
FOLK MEDICINE - The Cass County Historian, December 1997, source unknown -
Folk medicine reaches far back in time. It has been applied for the prevention and cure of disease but also for the maintenance of good health. We might say that nature opened the first drugstore. Pioneering demanded hardihood and these settlers met their lives in a new harsh land with commendable fortitude. Because man and animals were always on the move, nature's drugstore had branches everywhere. Wherever one was sick, one could find in the fields its medicine to cure them, its materials for curative herbal teas and ointments.
As a result of the scarcity of doctors in the early days, folk remedies played a very important role. Every home kept on the medicine shelves, castor oil, Epsom salts, soda, sulphur, linseed oil, sweet oil, almu [alum?], gunpowder, lard, mutton tallow, apple cider, vinegar, sorghum molasses, honey, butter, fat and lean meat. In the garden: sage, cabbage, horse radish, red pepper, in the nearby fields, and woods were all kinds of trees and plants to use.
Perhaps the one remembered best is asafetida. One could not forget its odor. A small ball of the smelly gum was tied in a bag and worn around the neck to ward off diseases, measles, mumps, whooping cough, diptheria and scarlet fever. Perhaps the odor kept one from getting too close to a person to catch his germ.
A moles foot tied around the neck of a baby would ease its agonies of teething.
Teas were best known as an internal medicine. Yellow root was a cure for a sore mouth.
Polkweed in many forms was used to cure chills and rheumatism. Poke berries, poke sallet and poke root tea were all used.
To reduce fever they drank cornhusk tea. To relieve spasmodic cough, they drank broomsage tea. To make measels break out, they drank warm sheep manure tea. This was made from the droppings of sheep, steeped in boiling water. Dyspepsia was helped by a tea made from the dried lining of chicken gizzards and eating raisins helped to prevent boils.
For a cold they took a teaspoonful of sugar, wet with coal oil or turpentine or both and let to dissolve slowly in the mouth and trickle down the throat. Jimseed weed for worms and poultice made of cabbage leaves to relieve sorness and swellings. Slippery elm for sore gums. Chew dynamite for a tooth ache and dry up poison ivy with gunpowder and sweet milk.
It is a miracle that so many survived these early folk medicines!
ORPHANS - Beardstown Morning Enterprise, Beardstown, Illinois, June 12, 1913, reprinted in The Cass County Historian, June 2000
Albert, LeRoy and Marie MOULTON who were made orphans the past spring by the death of their mother, were taken to the Addison Lutheran Orphans Home, Wednesday morning by their aunt, Mrs. Elmer WHITE and grandfather, Henry HALBLAUB, Sr.
EXCITEMENT - Chandlerville Times, Chandlerville, Illinois, June 21, 1918, reprinted in The Cass County Historian, June 2000
Sunday evening about ten o'clock the citizens of Chandlerville were thrown into considerable excitement when the report was telephoned here that a band of Indians and Mexicans were headed this way in autos robbing, burning and killing people and for us to look out for them.
City Marshall, Samuel MULLEN received a telephone call from the operator at Petersburg to look out for these men. Later another call came from Oakford that they were doing considerable damage over there and still later our citizens were thrown into a regular turmoil when one of our farmers drove into town from the east telling of the great damage and that they were coming this way. Every man in town that had a gun was loaded to the teeth and was on the lookout for these raiders. Nobody was allowed to come into town without being halted and given a good account for themselves. Chief of police, FARRAR of Beardstown and deputies were sent for as was also Sheriff James SLIGH and his deputies and when they arrived in town was in an upheaval over the different stories that had circulated and it is a wonder that some of our own people were not injured by the reckless way in which some of the firearms were handled. Sheriff SLIGH in company with a number of other men drove to where they were camped in Oakford and after questioning them closely advised them to break camp and move on. There were only three cars in the camp, the balance of travelers having gone across the bridge at Oakford into Mason County. Reports given out state that there were ten cars in this band of rovers and about sixty people.
Later reports stated that these gypsies were arrested at Pekin after robbing a post office at Natrona in Mason County of $104 in paper money and $4 in stamp money.
They were about as dirty a looking aggregation as had been seen in these parts in many years.
ACCIDENT - Journal-Courier, Jacksonville, Illinois, December 1860, reprinted in The Cass County Historian, June 2000
Mr. Stephen GWINN who has been engaged as a miller at the mill located at that the town of Prentice, on the Tonica and Petersburg railroad, on Tuesday accidentally suffered his coat skirts to be caught by some of the machinery of the mill and was carried around a revolving shaft at the rate of some forty revolutions per minute. He wa soon rendered insensible in which condition he was fortunately soon discovered by an assistant and the machinery stopped. He suffered dislocations of the right hip, the right arm broken in two places and his other limbs severely bruised from coming in contact with a post while revolving the shaft. It is supposed that he will recover.
Miscellaneous Articles and Stories, p.3
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