Cleaning Chippiannock
An interview with John Hauberg, May 6, 1936 at the S. S. Davis Home
(typed and submitted by Mary Lou Schaechter)
Speaking of the cleaning up of Chippiannock Cemetery, Rock Island. It had gotten into a disgraceful situation. Privately owned and out of funds, weeds and brush had grown up badly. For many months Sam Davis could scarcely talk on any other subject. Always the cemetery. Today they mentioned how it all started: viz: (i.e.-the clean up of the cemetery).
“This is the way it started,” said Mrs. Davis, “The Cleaning up of Chippianock Cemetery.” “Sam and I went out to find Aunt Koch’s grave. You know, she was father’s sister. We couldn’t find it for weeds. There were weeds everywhere, lots of it higher than your head. Sam got Will Spencer and a helper and they worked three days to dig it out of the weeds and a space around it. That was the beginning of it — i.e. the cleaning of the cemetery. I can’t tell you how many loads of cinders Sam sent out there. He had to pay for them, though he got them from Rock Island Plow Co.
“Yes, Chippianock Cemetery funds were lost in the Plow Co. When we bought the Plow Company, we each put in cash. Mr. Phil Mitchell put in $20,000.00 in cemetery cash. It was a regular transaction – nothing wrong about it, but it was lost.
I should add to the Chippianock Cemetery story: Sam took firm hold of the subject and got the scattered stockholders to surrender their stock – it seemed worthless anyway – and this stock was re-sold to people who had money – at a stiff enough price to raise some $7,000.00. E. H. Guyer was the old Treasurer. He was pushed out – since he did not see fit to resign. It was done this way – after every kind of hint, bordering on real request had been done in vain, Bob Mitchell said, “Now, M. Guyer, since it is your desire to be relieved of the treasureship, I move that so and so be elected in your place,” to which Guyer replied, “Well, if that’s the way you want it.” John Huntoon was made president and was to use the money to really make he cemetery look like it should. Some folks actually had – so t’was said – removed their dead from here to cemeteries which keep things looking fine.RESULT: A cemetery of which we are all proud.