The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-24
An ANIENICNN LDuNnHs.


| Old. Fashioned shrtHs an u Cane. shaped
mn In Enstcrn WisConsIn-It Has Ii, O0C
Ptlgrim,,
Holy Hill, in the diminutive town OF
Erin, Wis, IL regarded by many CAtho,
lies OF this country in much tho samo
light az Lourlaa is by the deyoHl Cath.
olicS OF southwestern Europe, Year BY
year the increase in tho number OF pill
grims grows, and this year 1t Is esli.
mated that moro than 1900 will Wait
the place before the season Gl worship
closes next month. Sjmo mIrGculnuN
cures have been reported from the
place 80 the past, though nothing mar
velOus has taken place thsro THUS tar
this year. The alleged miraculous prop.
critics Of tho hill were discovered by nc.
cIdent over thirty or forty vOHrs Hgo by
dlsGracel priest, Francois Soubiro,
who, having read OF MarQuotts's jour.
neyings through the state IN 1873, FOL.
lowed in tho explorers footsteps nearly
200 years later
SoRbiro lived on tina hill Tor years,
and was long known hs tho Hermit Of
Holy Hill. While journeying TO the
place from monastery in OuobsC
Soubiro became partially payaIyZed
Not daunted By this. he kept on, and at
last reached the hill, where no found
the remains of mn altar erected by Mar.
Quettc Making hi, homo in cave
near BIZ, lie made daily ascentA to the
summit Of the hill, where ha tasted and
PRAYED. On ono occasion no spent tho
entiFe night in prayer, When he arose
from his knees in the morning no found
that his paralvsis was gone and that he
was rs strong a. eYsL For yeara he
lived this way. Then at the outbreak
OF the civil war no disappeared ant
never returned.
The fame OF the place had, however,
become kuowu, aud pllgrlmRgas To Il
began. At first q chapel was erected in
1861, on tho summit OF the cone.shaped
hill. As the crowds OF pilgrims in.
creased, the chapel was made larger.
Finally, in lSS2, commodiOus church
ediico was erected. Tho various build.
ings were erected with money contr..
buted BY thankful pilgrim' who had
been benefited by their visit to the
shrine. The cOns.shaped peak OF the
hill can be seen fer miles III all dircc-
tons, and upon tho very summit is the
chapel. So pointed was tho knob OF
the hill that there was not sufficient
level space upon 1t ior tho foundations
OF the church, aud tho builders found
Il necessary 10 cut away the earth. As
it Is. there is tract OF level ground
about tho church barely wide enough
to form n walk. With such location
the church is u prominent feature OF
the landscape, and tho gildod surface Of
tho huge cross uUon the spirO reflects
the rays OF the sun rs does the huiio.
graph. Ihe altar IL the only place Of
its kind upon the continent, aud from
tho time Of its dedication by Father
Marquette, over 700 years ago, Il has re-
manned devoted to the same purposes.
No paroChla duties were ever pcr.
formed IN it; never has there been
marriage there, aud never q funeral.
Erin IL tho highest land IN Eastern
Wisconsin. Though only forty m,ios
from Milwaukee, it IL one Of the most
primitive townShipsin the state. !: is
occupied solely by farmers, aud claims
neither factory, village nor hamlet.
Tho government census shows that in
the twuniy years, from 1870 to 1890 tho
population Of the township increased
Just thirty.fyc. Many Of tho residents
still occupy the log houses their fathers
built when they secured the land from
tho government, while many n tho
newer houses arc built Of roughly hcwn
Iors. Nearly oil tho residents Of tho
place are Roman Catholics. Tho lrst
settlers were cmigrant' from Ireland,
who gave the name OF their island birth.
place 10 the township, which tho Unit
ed States gave them.