Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-01-26
A LETTER FROM IOWA.

"A LETTER FROM low a.
A Chatty Letter to- The Star for Mrs.
Hedge, from the Capital of the
Hawkeye State.
My DEAR Mrs. HEDGE:
l thought you might be interested in
few lines from your old home, so here
goes. / did not know just how home
sick was after an absence of sixteen
months in the Black Hills until got
here, and have now concluded to re-
main until the close of school June LIST,
when we will all return to the restful
quiet of "'The Cabin" and delicious
quaff of bracing Hot Springs air,
washed down with the most appetizing
of Hot Springs mineral waters. have
been delighted with the familiar hustle
and hustle of the city and the familiar
faces of friends for twenty years, but
you don't know how "nasty" the mud
and coal smoke seem to me, for am
completely spoiled and have to renew
the acquaintance OF these two old
friends (?) with great reluctance. The
weather here is too funny for this time
of year-almost as warm as April with
a heavy rain few nights ago. 1t is
anything but healthy, l think, as yes
terday three of our friends were laid
to rest in Greenwood, namely, Mrs.
Judge Bishop, VIM. Musson and old
MIR. Bonbright. find am out of the
way of funerals, too, as we have SO few
of them in the Hills, that yesterday
was quite depressing to me on account
of the hacks that streamed in front of
my residence all afternoon to and from
the cemetery. l am occupying the up
stairs of my own residence at 1119
Center street, SO we are quite at home,
and the children are in their own
school, the "Franklin.' My first even
ing at home, Dec. 9th, l attended the
reception at the Savery of the Iowa
State Teachers Association, held in
new Auditorium, which is SO ample
that the thousand teachers in attend
ance had plenty of room. The lectures
of Prof. Thwing, of Cleveland, and
Murat IIalstead the two evenings fol-
lowing the reception were disappoint-
ment as to Halstead, as is just as prosy
e speaker as he is fluent writer, and
one enjoys him on paper much the
best. (Now please don't run off and
tell Murat just what said.
New Years Day the delightful old
custom of "open house. was resutrected
throughout the city. attended "Open
House" at the Guild Rooms of my
church-St. Paurs-for the rector, the
Rev. Cathell, also at the Y. NJ. c. A.,
the Y. w. G. A., and Mrs. Hubbell's at
Terrace Hill, the forty two room house
on the Avenue This most spacious
home in the city was blaze of splen-
dor, with it's beautiful lights, fair
women, brave men, tropical plants,
brio a-brac from many foreign lands.
delicious refreshments, elegrant dress
es, and all that goes to make recep-
ton realization of 81 dreamt dwelt
in marble halls
BY Wednesday, the Sd. the Hotel
Savery hummed like bee hive with
busy politicians, for the Senatorial con-
test was indeed on in earnest. AS
looked down in the lobby from the cor.
ridor | thought how funny it would
sound to any other ''heathen'' / mean
.r1,< Il lDr
language. Des Moines was sure that
their ''pet'-Cummins- would win, es.
pecially ''swelldom" from the Avenue
his near neighbors, while old-time
friends in Des Moines and seemingly
most of the out-of town people were
ready to bet on dear old "John Henry
Gear all the time, and SO by Saturday
night the war had waged to white heat
some of the moneyed men betting as
high as five hundred dollars on his fa
vorite. 1 stayed in the political mob
for three days at the hotel standing
like "Zekle"-"Fust on one foot, then
on t'other," talking for Gear,a and show
ing Black Hills views on the side, the,
vice versa every few minutes, and III
tell you by Saturday night when the
choice of Bowen for Speaker of tn,
House practically meant Gear for tn,
U. S. Senate, was completely tiret
out, but sopleased that felt we'll psie
for all 1 had tried to help do. knew
E of course, had not felled the tai
stately. handsomey young tree. .Cummins
with my little hatchet, but l ha'
! helped. and the sturdy old Live oak.
"Old Business, was still standing,goot
for eight years moro of service, an,
then ready for a higher seat than tn
U. S. Senate can ever afford, wheneve
he is called. My dresser in front O
me is covered with the petals of
gorgeous American Beauty Rose. giver
me to wear by the Senator during tn,