Days Gone By In Staunton

Thursday, Nov. 22, 1923 -- SCHOOL NOTES -- The art exhibition, held Nov. 14, 15 and 16 was well attended each night. On account of having such a evening was well attended and a large crowd Thursday evening, the program Friday was given in the afternoon, also at 7:30 and 8:30.

Several posts for swings, see-saws and other play ground equipment were put up at both the North and South schools.

Miss Picton's room will receive the picture for selling the most tickets for the art exhibition. The amount cleared by his room was $13.00.

"Not a minute more to wait,'' is the motto of the eighth grade while preparing for the spelling contest, which is to decide the champion class and speller of the county.

By a vote of 140 yes and 10 no, it was decided that the Staunton Public School would become the Staunton School City. The "City" was established for the purpose of teaching city government to the pupils. Elections of officers were held Tuesday.

RAID HOUSES OF ILL REPUTE AT BENLD SUNDAY -- Chief Deputy Sheriff Frank Fries and Deputy Sheriffs William Bloomfield and Frank Cramer raided the houses of ill repute at Benld Sunday evening and at two places–the Dew Drop Inn and John Ruffatos–arrested three women who were brought to Carlinville and placed in jail. They appeared in the county court Monday morning before Judge Frank G. Wood and plead guilty to the charge of being inmates of a house of ill repute and they were each fined $50 and costs which they paid and were released.

The women were Alma Bellmont, Maybelle Duncan and Dorothy Little and they gave their place of residence as St. Louis.

THE CALM DRIVER -- A few years ago, it was commonly said that almost anyone could drive an automobile. But as conditions are now in and near populous towns, with a flock of cars hurrying hither and thither, and in many places extreme congestion, the time has come when successful driving calls for a certain temperament.

The impatient man or woman, who has little self control and acts on ill considered impulses, has no place on the motor roads or streets of today. The right kind of driver has a calm and philosophical temperament. He takes the incidents of the roads good naturedly. He does not feel that it is a serious matter to lose a few seconds, and he is not worried or upset by delays. If the people who drive cars were all that type, there would not be many accidents.

TENDERED RESIGNATION -- Rev. E. J. Westerbeck, for the past 2 1/2 years pastor of the New Salem's Evangelical church at New Douglas, has tendered his resignation to the congregation there and shortly after the first of the year will move to Columbia, Ill., where he will assume charge of a congregation. Rev. Westerbeck is a man of great ability and during the brief period of his stay in New Douglas has been instrumental in increasing the membership of the congregation about 800 per cent. When the Reverend assumed charge there were seven members, and now there are fifty, which is indeed a record to be proud of. Rev. Westerbeck's successor at New Douglas has not been chosen, the congregation having invited several pastors to deliver trial sermons.

Thursday, Nov. 29, 1923 -- STAUNTON HIGH SHATTERS RECORD -- Scored 232 Points Against Gillespie High Saturday Afternoon -- The Staunton high school foot ball team on Saturday afternoon gave their score keeper a real work-out when they ran up a total of 232 points in a game with what the Gillespie high school calls a foot ball team. Gillespie went scoreless.

Staunton had about 30 men in the game, the coach desiring to give all of the boys a share in the fun and had the players been provided with speedometers, they would show that everyone of them traveled several miles in carrying the pigskin about the field. The Gillespie bunch, although overwhelmingly defeated were game and stayed until the final whistle blew and they presented a very sorry sight when play was finally stopped.

In hanging up this immense score the Staunton high school establishes a world's record in large scores, the biggest figures attained in previous massacres being 220. Sport writers in all of the metropolitan papers in this part of the country commented on the score rolled up by Staunton and the Chicago Tribune opined that it could not possibly have been a foot ball game, but must have been a marathon.

To-day the Staunton high team will wind up its season with the annual Thanksgiving game with Mt. Olive. The boys thus far have been undefeated and there is not much danger that they will be other than victorious in to-day's game, for if tradition counts for anything they will win. They always have in the past and there is no reason to feel that they will do otherwise to-day. The place for Mt. Olive's scalp is in readiness.

WILLIAMSON MEN IN ACCIDENT -- John Marenko, David Dzurus, Albert Bednar and James Wray, all of Williamson, on Saturday afternoon experienced an automobile accident on the hard road south of Mitchell. The men were driving to St. Louis and a short distance south of Mitchell, started to pass a truck. The driver got off the pavement on the other side of the road and as the wheels struck the dirt shoulders, the car turned a complete sommersalt, landing right side up. Marenko and Dzurus both suffered severe cuts and bruises about the head while their two companions escaped unhurt. The two injured men were rushed to the Granite City hospital and first reports were to the effect that Marengo had sustained a fractured skull and other severe injuries, but later reports are that the injuries are not as serious as had at first been thought. Dzurus was merely cut and bruised and will have completely recovered in a few more days. The men may well consider themselves fortunate in having escaped so luckily.

ARRESTED ON BOOZE CHARGE -- Chief Deputy Frank Friess from the sheriff's office on Monday afternoon visited the grocery store of Martin Airola in our city and found a small quantity of alleged white mule. The officer took Mr. Airola and the evidence to Carlinville, where the defendant gave bond for his appearance.