Grundy County, IL Phoenix Advertiser "Minooka News" June 25, 1903 Vol. 28, No. 26 Markets - Corn 45; oats 36; eggs 13; butter 17. Letters for Mr. J. H. Erley and Mrs. W. A. Noland remain unclaimed at the Minooka post office. Card of Thanks - We desire through the columns of the Phoenix Advertiser to thank the kind friends and neighbors who assisted us during our late bereavement. Mrs. B. McEvilly and family. Arthur Howard sustained severe injuries in a runaway last Monday afternoon. When the team started to run he was beside the wagon and jumped in. In the vehicle was a cultivator and he was thrown down on this and the point of a shovel entered his hand at the base of the thumb. The hand was fearfully cut and it will be some time before the victim can use the hand again. The closing of the public school was observed Thursday with a grand picnic which eclipsed any similar event ever held here. Nearly all of the business places in town closed in order that everyone might have a chance to enjoy the fun and there were few who missed the opportunity. The picnic grounds were on the Dupage river, down where the Marten gas well failed to respond to the driller's toil. Thursday's yield of gas, of course, might be mentioned and it was altogether natural too, but it didn't come from the well. The picnickers enjoyed all kinds of fun and when the day was done it was declared to have been one of the happiest in the lives of all. One of the events of the day was a baseball game between the home team and the Plainfields. The elevator of the Minooka Grain Co. on the E. J. & E. was completely destroyed by fire last Friday shortly after noon. The fire was first discovered by Manager Hennebry and seemed to have originated near the top of the building probably from the heating of a shaft bearing. Mr. Hennebry started to climb up the building but before he could proceed for a draft sent the smoke down the narrow tunnel and almost suffocated him. He was glad to escape with his life and no further efforts even could be made to save the burned building. The grain dust carried the fire throughout the structure and destruction was rapid. Hard work alone saved surrounding buildings. The burned building was erected about two years ago and the proprietors were Mssrs. D. A. Hennebry and N. J. Comerford. Mr. Hennebry, alone, however, for some time has conducted the grain buying business. The elevator contained about 8000 bushels of corn and 2000 bushels of oats which were all destroyed. The loss on the grain is fully covered by insurance. The building was worth in the neighborhood of _____ and was insured for _____ (the rest of this paragraph is unreadable). Mrs. Mary McEvilly, widow of the late Patrick McEvilly, died at the home of her daughter, Mr. Hugh McEvilly in this place, Friday June 19, 1903 at the advanced age of 91 years. The decedent sustained a fall last week and had her hip fractured. The shock combined with the infirmities of age, sufficed to produce death a few days later. Mrs. McEvilly was born Knight in county Mayo, Ireland, in 1809. She came with her husband to this country about 1830 and since that time the family has been well known here. The husband died seven years ago at the age of 85 years. The surviving children are James McEvilly and Mrs. Hugh McEvilly, of Minooka; Mrs. John McEvilly of Morris and Miss Nellie McEvilly of Chicago. Another daughter, Mrs. Joseph Kavanaugh died in Joliet last September. There are about thirty grandchildren including James, Edward, John, William, Anna, Katie, Agnes, Tessie, Charles, Mamie, Emma, Esther, Mattie, Thomas and William McEvilly of this place. There are also nine great-grandchildren. The funeral took place Monday morning from St. Mary's church in this place, conducted by Rev. Father Joseph McMahon. The obsequies were very largely attended. All of the children and grandchildren and nearly all of the great grand- children were present. The interment was in Dresden cemetery. Several from Joliet, Chicago and Morris attended the funeral and from the latter Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. McDermott, Mrs. Kearney and Mrs. Feehan, representing the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters, acted as an escort to the remains. Transcribed 11/14/98 by Deb Haines