The Ina, IL Observer - Thursday February 6, 1958

EXPRESSES VIEWS ON STATION CLOSING -

(Editor's Note: M. C. (Cephus) PAGE, editor and publisher of the Mentor-Democrat, Newton, Ill., expresses his views on the C. & E. I. station closing.)

A news story in the last week's Ina Observer my old home town newspaper, my alma mater, if you please --tells of the efforts of the good townspeople to keep the C. & E. I. Railroad officials from closing the station at Ina.

The citizenry was being mobilized to go in a body to Mt. Vernon and make protests at a meeting that had been called for the purpose of abandoning the Ina Station. Such a move on the part of the railroad would, to me, be one of the most cruel things that could happen to the community.

The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company owes much to Ina, Too much to let the matter of a few dollars expense stand in the way of keeping open the station that has meant so much to the company and the community.

Ina has furnished the C. & E. I. a lot of manpower. It has given the company such men as Frank BRUCE, Bill FITTS, Grover FOLSOM and Alsa KELLY, alll of whom became agents or telegraphers; "China" and "Liver" KIRK, who became conductors; Wesley HAYES and Clarence "Business" ROGERS, who became locomotive engineers; Harley "Jim Bottomley" KIRK and his brother Everett "Josh" KIRK, trainman and telegrapher, respectively, and a lot of others who have contributed materially to the operation of the railroad.

There were some of the boys of course, who "flunked" the course including Perry "Butch" HAYES and me. "Butch" gave up a career in railroading to become a barber. I lost out, after years of carrying switch lights at a dollar a month, when the local printer caught me off guard one afternoon and offered to furnish me Dukes cigarette makings for a year if I'd forsake the railroad and take up the printing trade.

I could go on and on for days telling of memories that the Ina Station brings to me. It recalls the day I missed my first train ride when Dad and I saw the northbound passenger pull out after we had walked six miles from the farm to catch the train and go to Mt. Vernon to bank the hundred dollars Pa had received for his apple crop.

Back in those days even the arrival of the southbound local was enough to draw a considerable crowd of merchants who came to see if their shipment of groceries or clothing arrived from St. Louis. And arrival of the northbound passenger in the evening never failed to bring out a majority of townspeople who wanted to see who was coming and going. These things, and even the literary gems that were written on the walls of the depot privy, are still fresh in my memory.

I realize that the loss of the old station would be a sad blow to the people of Ina. But to me -- a boy who could have been one of the best engineers the C. & E. I. ever had if that printer hadn't interferred -- it will be a much greater loss.

What was it Oliver GOLDSMITH said about the "Deserted Village"? "Ill fares the land to hasten ills a prey, where wealth accumulates and men decay....." or something like that.

The Ina IL Observer - Thursday, February 27, 1958

Mr. and Mrs. Elick KIRK, highly respected residents of Ina will observe their 65th wedding anniversary, March 1. They were married 65 years ago on the Jefferson-Franklin County line. Mrs. KIRK was the former Malissa WINGO. Although not as spry as they once were, Mr. and Mrs. KIRK are enjoying fairly good health. He is 87, Mrs. KIRK 89.

They have three sons, Glenn and Gordon of Ina, and Fritz of Chicago. A daughter, Gussie died in early childhood. Mr. KIRK before retiring some years ago, was a farmer and stock raiser. They have resided at their present home in Ina for the past 53 years.

The Observer joins the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. KIRK in wishing them a happy anniversary.

The Ina, IL Observer - Thursday, October 2, 1958
Submitted By: Mary Zinzilieta

COCKRUM REUNION HELD SUNDAY

The family of the late Floyd and Cora COCKRUM held their annual reunion at the New Hope Community House Sunday.

Those attending were:

Mrs. Ida DORRIS of Detroit, Mich; Mrs. Anna WIRTH and Mr. and Mrs. Alva NEWTON of West Frankfort; Mr. and Mrs. Dennis JOLLY of Marion; Mr. and Mrs. Alden HUGHEY, Alice, Anna Mae and Alan of Dewey; Mr. and Mrs. Harry WHITLATCH and Mr. and Mrs. Dean BAKER of Bonnie; Mr. and Mrs. Francis DARE, Mrs. Nancy WARNER and Steven, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin BAKER, Judith and Duane, and Miss Ruth Ann DAVIS of Mt. Vernon; Mr. and Mrs. Curtis COCKRUM, Jimmy and Roy, Mr. and Mrs. Fred FOWLER, Keith FOWLER, Miss Loretta CLINTON, Mr. and Mrs. A. V. STRICKLAND, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gale FOWLER and Stephen, and Mr. and Mrs. Curtis FOWLER of Ina.