The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-11

and from its congregation he demanded
in 1773 and 1774 the annual payment OF
the red rose
Baron Heinrich Wilhelm Stiegel was
born in Germany, presumably near
Mannheim, in Baden, evidently of a noble
and wealthy parentage, in A. D. 1870. At
the age OF twenty he became dissatis-
fled with the slowneSs of the good old
home and mother country and deter
mined to gather up his portion of this
earth's goods, which amounted to G40,-
GOO, and ventured forth into the new
world to prove the many stories scat
tered broadcast over the old concerning
the golden opportunities In the new, and
by so doing soon outstrip his European
friends, end especially his brothers, with
whom he could not agree because of his
ecentricities, in wealth and honor and
fame.
The baron prospered greatly In the new
land and married a daughter of
wealthy ironmaster near adaIphfa. On
the death of his fatherin-law he bought
the furnace and made fortune He
bought a tract of land and laid out the
town of Mannheim and deeded the land
for the church to the congregation for
the annual payment of one red rose an
eccentricity which he little dreamed
would bear fruit 100 years afterwards.
But misfortune overlook him as it does
so many men who reach out too far
he DdTOn great display or wealth
was not warranted by his income. Con-
sequently he became deeply involved in
debt and in August of 1774 he was COM
mitted to prison by his many creditors
while at the time he had decided the prop
erty to the church he had been consid-
cred one of the wealthiest men in Penn
sylvania. He had fallen behind In his
business and was forced to spend five
months in Jail, leaving it on Christmas
eve, 1774 The revolutionary war pre-
vented his retrieving his broken for
tune, and he died without ever again
demanding the payment of the rose.
When his fortunes were broken and his
wealth blasted by trouble and imprison-
ment Baron Stiegel removed in 1918 to
Brickerville, where he took up school
teaching. The old school houses where
he labored is still standing near Womeis-
dorf.
Years went by, the congregation OF
lions church worshiping on the ground
given by the doughty old baron, without
a thought of how it came into their pos
session In 1891 plans for a modern
church building were prepared, and it
was erected on the old site during the
years of 1891 and 1892
DISCOVERY OF THE DEED.
DR.. J. w. Selling, treasurer of the
church. in looking over the old docu-
ments, came across the deed. In reading
It he was impressed with the possibilities
of a most beautiful symbolical festival
upon the annual payment of the rose,
neglected for many years He made
his plans and announced them through
the newspapers. His idea was to have
simply feast of roses. the church to be
decked and offerings to be made He WAS
somewhat surprised to receive = letter
from ]. G. Stiegel, of Virginia, saying
that he was the great grandson of the
old baron, and expressing a wish to he
present at the festival. He was at once
invited and the first feast was success.
Each successive one las been largely at
tended, until now the feast is locked upon
as an event of Importance. not only IN
Mannheim, but to Lancaster county.