Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1894-12-07
The Farmers leader
CHARLES CITY, IOWA.
Its Magnificent Hospitality as Exempli-
fed by Col. Shaw OF the Hildreth.
IT'S CHURCHES, PEOPLE, sc.

The editor skipped few days from
Office work and took a trip down to
Charles City last week to visit relatives
and renew old friendships In that charm
ing little city on the Cedar. Charles City
is 200 miles east Of Canton on the main
line Of the Milwaukee, but after few
days visit there one would think he had
located in fashionable suburb of the
arastocratic bean eating city hy the At
lantic, sometimes called Boston. Our
arrival was expected and therefore the
inmates of the handsome Campbell nan-
sion were not surprised. The Iowa
Thanksgiving turkey was very nice. but
it didn't seem any more toothsome than
one of our good lincoln county birds.
Thanksgiving day there. as elsewhere,
was observed in due and ancient form,
beginning with the family reunion down
to a grand reception by Father McGraw,
the brilliant and accomplished priest who
presides over one Of the largest congre-
cations in one of the largest and best ar
ranged churches in the state. Father
McGraw is one OF the most sch olary gen.
tlemen to be found between the Missouri
and Mississippi, and wears his recognized
priestly honors with becoming modesty.
He enjoys handsome new residence,
steam heated, with electric lights, plan
ned and constructed under the direction
Of his personal supervision and has
large school building under construction.
The Unitarlans are building a fine new
church, and, indeed. everything that will
give unto the Lord glory through con-
sstent christian effort on earth. is looked
after with resolute spirit. The old
Congregational, Baptist and Methodist
churches and the Campbellite stone
church still stand as monuments of the
christian spirit that prevailed away back
in 1867, when the writer used to 60 to
church, we may say, quite frequently,
when Charlie Merckle. Editor Wright,
Seth Hall, Warren and Yves Waller, VIM.
Balch, Judge Reineger and Captain
Humphrey were engaged in studying
Col. Hildreth's history of matrlmony.
Those were glorious old days, but the
boys and girls OF that period are nearly
all married.
The most imposing feature of that
town is the new Hildreth hotel
and opera house, now under the manage
men, of Col. Charles Shaw, the recogniz-
ed chief among the hotel princes of the
state. Many ambitious gentlemen run
hotels but few know how" and when
among the few Col. Shaw always pre-
sides at the head of the table. He wears
no display Of sparkling gems. because
mis- modest smile and charming presence
by facial mould that an
Apollo might envy. says to all, my
house is your castle, abide with me and
,hare the comforts of a home, and home
t is to all. AS an illustrations: On the
way down we met a gentleman named
Anderson of a boot and shoe house at
Janesville, Wis, who got on the train at
Garner, fifty miles west. He said: Yes,
am going down TO spend my Thanks
giving with Col. Shaw. l can afford to |,
ride 100 miles, there and back, in order
10 enjoy Thanksgiving at the Hildreth. "
This is a tribute that any man and any |
house can be proud of. But events of |
his nature are Of every day occurrence.
The Hid rel n and the ODpra hOuSp cost |
Col. Hildreth about SS2, 900, and in tire
erection of this grand monument he dis
played public spirit seldom equalled in
he state, and it was carried on during
he panic of '93.
Col. Shaw extended en- invitation to
he Dakota editor through Col. Hildreth,
o partake of the menu last sunday, and