Health

December 1898

• By the accidental discharge of acetylene gas, Sunday evening Rev. O.T. Nichols, pastor of the Methodist church, was quite severely burned about the hands and face. He was not so seriously hurt as to prevent his conducting services we are glad to state.

January

• story about Mr. Lester Gransberry - at his flour mill - four fingers of his right hand chopped off in machinery
• Mr. G.W. Clark of Kickapoo Park returned the first of the week from Davenport, Iowa, where he has been receiving treatment for a cancer. Those who have seen Uncle Clark since his return vow that the cancer is taken off "smack-smooth-clean."
• several people sick with the "grip"

February

• Professor Fort was too ill to teach last Tuesday, and in consequence, the pupils of the High School had a vacation.
• Charley May's son Charles while riding a horse to church Sunday received a broken leg by the horse falling on him. This is the second of this kind in Greeley Township within a week.

March

• From all indications the small pox seems to be under control and no further anxiety need be entertained. The lapse of time has been sufficient for others to have taken the disease if there is to be any new cases. All persons supposedly to have been exposed have been released and the home of Bob Gransberry alone remains under quarantine. Of those in the same house it is quite improbable that any of them will fall victims to the disease. Mr. Gransberry and those shut in with him will not be permitted to be released until all danger is past.
• The members of the Thursday Club have decided that all danger of the small pox is past so they will open the libray to the public. Many who patronize the library and keep themselves constantly supplied with good wholesome reading books know the value of the library since they have been deprived of the opportunity of obtaining books during the past month. While many of the children are unknown to us personally but tell us what books they read and how they spend their evenings, then we will tell what kind of men and women they will be when they become matured. We are proud to think we have a library and judging from the members of the club that maintain and support the library, we can expect to see it go on growing and each year filling a place that no other organization can fill.
• We understand that Lou Schwenneker, the man who had his fingers mashed last week is now afflicted with lockjaw and grace fears are entertained for his recovery. (obituary in March 30 paper - he died at Fred Wahlert's)

April

• The Gransberry people have been released from quarantine and once more breathe the air of freedom and roam about at will.
• A young man who had smoked 1200 packages of cigarettes wrote to the manufacturers to know what they would give him for the 1200 pictures which were in the packages. The answer of the manufacturers was right to the point: "Smoke 1200 more packages and we will send you a coffin."

June

• The son of Frank Pfeiffer who was kicked in the face by a horse one day last week died Sunday evening and was buried in the Catholic Cemetery at this place Decoration morning. This is a hard blow to the family as he was just starting into manhood. The family have the sympathy of all.

July

• B.W. Shoesmith of the North Branch country was the proprietor of a runaway t'other day that, though serious enough, was happily without the loss of human life. They were coming from Adair and had proceeded some distance on the road and while Mr. Shoesmith was out of the vehicle, the team became frightened and began running at a breakneck speed, Mrs. Shoesmith and her baby being the sole occupants of the buggy. To remain in he buggy meant great bodily injury, perhaps death, so with rare presence of mind, the mother dropped the baby out of the hind end of the wagon and she herself climbed out over the endgate and received bit a sharp bump on the nose as a result of her adventure. The baby was uninjured, but that wagon was smashed to smithereens.
• J. Walter Conrardy dies of mountain fever he got out while out in the West (19 years old)
• W.E. Hensley, up in Greeley, has had a sick horse and while he was giving it medicine last Sunday morning, the animal closed its mouth on Mr. Hensley's hand and succeeded in biting one finger pretty bad, so much so his wife brought him to town Sunday forenoon so that Dr. Riley might dress it. While it is very sore it will soon heal and his hand be as sound as ever. Pretty close call to losing his whole hand.
• Last Sunday while Jake Bauer, wife and baby were visiting in the country, their baby, about 2 years old, was bitten in the face by a dog. It proved to be a very bad bite and will doubtless leave a bad scar. She was a handsome child and it seems a pity that her beauty must be marred in this way. Their many friends hope it may not prove as bad as feared and that she will soon recover.

August

• John Stager, the mender of boots and shoes, had a struggle with quinsy the past few days.

September

• We are sorry to say that George Harrison is lying at the home of his mother just south of the Journal office very ill of typhoid fever.
• Monday afternoon an accident occurred at West Exira that will, in all probability, leave one of our best young men a cripple for the rest of his life. Mr. Mike Martes had been at the Rothschild elevator in West town, with a load of corn and after unloading, had started to some back up town. For some cause the team started to run and when near the Hans P Hansen blacksmith shop, where the road turned east and where a number of teams were standing, and as Mike's team was heading straight for the bunch, he concluded to jump out, which he did, and must have struck upon some hard substance and the bystanders hearing him groan ran to his assistance and found his right ankle terribly shattered and the blood gushing forth in a stream. They picked up he unfortunate young man and brought him to the Will Hamler drug store where Doctor J.M. Rendleman, assisted by Doctor J,C. Newlon, dressed the wound and found the limb had sustained compound fracture of the right ankle, lacerating the tendons and integnments of the joint, causing a very serious injury. At present he is doing as well as could be expected, but it may require several weeks to repair the injury. Later in the evening, he was taken out to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. john Martens, a mile or two south of town, where he is lying on a couch of pain while his shattered limb is healing. The horses ran to the corner of the Park, near Ed. Cotton's store, where they were stopped. The wagon was a new one and aside from spilling the box on the bridge between East and West Town were not broken.

October

• Hon. William Walker has gone to Chicago where he will receive medical treatment from a noted specialist. We all hope Mr. Walker will soon return restored to perfect health.

Return to Map of Exira