Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-12-20
A Rare Entertainment.

i "a xkhkO GutCIydlUMcut.
The 18th of December was the 25
anniversary of the Very Rev. M. A.
Mccarthy as the resident pastor OF the.
Catholic church in Cresco, in honor of
which event his Sacredotal Silver
Jubilee was celebrated by the School
of the Assumption AMI it's numerous
friends and of the friends of Father
McCartey. At 1880 a. M, hi. h mass
was celebrated in the church, Rev.
Father Garland, now stationed at
Eagle Grove, formerly located in this
county, taking the laboring oar, as
sisted by a Je ut Father from
Prairie du CHEN AMI Father Boed
ing of Old Mission. At the morning
service the church was filled to it's
utmost capacity by a deeply interested
people embracing not only the men,
bers of the church but of leading citi-
zens of other denominations and the
public generally.
church of Cresco was without a place
OF worship. Its church edifice had
been projected and a portion of the
foundation laid with imposing cere-
monies in laying it's corner stone.
Father Harding who had been his i'm
mediate predecessor, though good
and worthy man, lacked the quality of
system, organization and aggressive
force, requisite to accomplish what
has been brought forth. The society
now has place of worship second to
none in the north half OF the state,
outside of Dubuque. In connection
Herewith is the School OF the Assump-
ton, organized and rendered a success
and a credit to the town through the
interchangeable labors of Father McCar-
tey, its regular daily attendance of
pupils in the various branches aver
aging in all its departments 1l2.
In the evening, commencing at 1880
the pupils of the school gave an enter
tainment in honor of the Anniversary
to an audience which filled the spac.
ious school room to overlooking by a
deeply interested people. The pro-
gram OF the evening opened with a
fine musical selection, and was fol-
lowed with beautiful, expressive and
well delivered address by Miss Berna-
deua Flood. Then came sta ray of
sunshine broad enough and bright
enough to cheer the audience with
etfulgent rays as scattered by the
Misses Nellie Roche, Bernadena Flood,
Maggie Mullen and Maggie Siddall.
The Waits Christmas was charming
presentation, followed by Mendelsohn's
wedding march exquisitly rendered by
Misses Nettie Siddall, Mary Lyons,
Mary Coyle, and Lizzie Ryan.
The ''Co-operative workmen" was
a full and fair representation OF all the
trades, industries and professions and
was greeted with much applause.
'.The Smile"sby Alice Gossman, Raph-
cal Glass and Ruth Connolly was fol-
lowed by the boys chorus 'Silver
Years.. touching, expressive and fine.
The dumb bells exercise by the junior
girls was in exact time and very beau
tiful. The Fricasse dance by Berna-
delta and Geneveive Glass, two little
tots, was pretty. Georgia Morse,
Ruth and Willie Connolly sang very
pretty .When papa comes home TO
night" Tamborine drill by the boys,
Jubilee song by the young ladies So
dality and the beautiful and express
sive presentation by Miss Mary Lyons
was followed by violin solo by Mrs.
DIR. Ahern, then came the Minims song
and the presentation of beautiful
vase of flowers.
| A scene from the life cf Napoleon,
accompanied by martial music was
well rendered and very expressive of
what is often the fate of war. Jubilee
bells, the girls chorus was beautiful
and expressive. The young mems
presentation was made by Charles
O'Malley. Miss Grace Owen gave LIE
Dernier Sourire, which was followed
by the beautiful tableaux of the Ten
Virgins, beautiful beyond description,
after which came the serenadc by
Lottie Barnes, Angie Lyons, Maggie
OfMalley and Agnes Glass, and a
Pantomime by the senior girls, closing
with an impressive address from
Father MCCARTHY, expressive of his
gratitude for the manifestation of the
friendship and esteem of his church
and of the Cresco people in general.
He paid high complement to the
School of the Assumption and to the
public school system of Iowa and to
the public schools of Cresco. Hh said
that reading, writing, spelling, mathe-
MATES and OF the sciences did not COM
tain all there is of an education, but
that the public schools made up of
pupils from all the sects very properly
excludes all religious instruction.
That Catholics believing such instruc-
ton an essential element in their in
struction had its parochial schools,
for the children of the church.