As “Illinois Valley News” observes its 70th anniversary this year, excerpts of articles, including spelling and punctuation, from the first year are offered:

(From the May 20, 1937 issue):

Loyd Lewis Starts New Truck on Route

Loyd Lewis of the Illinois Valley Meat company, this week started his meat truck, which has just had installed a new refrigeration box, covering the entire valley. Charlie Ham is the obliging driver of the truck.

From France to Oregon Is A Long Way

L.E. Athey of the Illinois Valley News was one of the most surprised men in the valley when he heard his name spoken by an apparent stranger.

The stranger was none other than E.B. Pearsoll, who lives a couple of miles out of Cave City, and he had received a copy of the News.

He decided that the L.E. Athey mentioned therein was the same one he had soldiered with in the 20th Engineers at the Eclorin camp in France.

Hen and Cat Fight Over Kittens Brood

Clara McGill, proprietress of the Log Cabin Lunch, set a hen and thought no more about it. The same day her cat became the mother of kittens.

Somehow the hen saw those little kittens and decided she would rather raise them than sit on a nest and hatch out her own brood.

The hen after reasoning things over, deliberately got off her nest and walking over to the mamma cat engaged the feline in battle for the possession of the kittens.

Taken by surprise, the cat was bested and driven away from her little ones. Immediately the new mother gathered the kittens under her wings and proceeded to keep them there.

Mrs. Magill takes the hen away occasionaly and the mother cat immediately rushes over to her kittens who proceed to nurse.

The thing that worries Mrs. Magill is what to call the kittens when grown. Will they be Rhode Island Reds or Persian Plymouth Rocks?

Pupils of High School Graduate

About 300 people viewed a stage all banked with green foliage and beautiful flowers at the Kerby Union high school on Monday, May 18th. On the platform sat the 11 seniors.

They were, Alice Hogue, Frances Allen, Martelle Maurer, Cleo Haberman, Ardys Ramsey, Ray Frost, Cordon Leonard, Norman Wilson, Jim Brooks, Harry Smith and Phil Sawyer.