The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-11-18
GEO. SHOEMAKER'S LETTER
Has Moved Back to Western Iowa. Likes
His New Home.
SOME VERY LARGE IOWA PEACHES.
Wishes the Readers of the News and Their
Families Pleasant homegathering
at Thanksgiving.
Eldora, Iowa, Nov. 8, 1903.

EDITOR News Since my last
letter TO you our conference has
been in session, and we find our.
selves in a new home, having
moved back within eighteen
miles of Iowa Falls, which place
we left one year ago. Some Of
our friends poke fun at US and
say we are the slowest people
they ever knew, for it took us a
whole year to move eighteen
miles.
1t is contrary to our custom to
move at the end of one year, and
while the people of Maquoketa
were very sorry TO have us go,
conditions were such that we
deemed it best to be changed to
another field, and the Bishop and
Cabinet concurrlng, it was so or
dered. We are fairly well settled
and are much pleased with our
new home. The weather has
been delightful all during the
month of October and thus far in
November. Sunshine and warm
weather predominant. The farm
ers are busy picking their corn,
and some of them wish the wealth
er had more "Snap" IN it, as 1t Is
almost too warm for comfort in
gathering corn. No doubt if Iowa
keeps up her record, 1t will be
"snappy" enough before spring.
We who have fuel to buy and no
corn to pick, are not complaining
about delay of cold weather.
During the late summer at Ma
quoketa | had a unique Iowa ex-
perlence. l picked ripe peaches
from the tree. They were beau
tiful peaches, too, measuring nine
and some of them ten inches in
circumference and weighing as
much as eight ounces each. Think
of it half pound peaches in Iowa !!
The trees were planted near the
house where they were sheltered
from the north and west, and of
course, exposed to the SOUTH
The trees came from seeds plant.
ed and are what would be called
seedlings. One tree yielded
enough fruit to make thirty
quarts of canned peaches. We
planted four peach trees in the
yard at Maquoketa and then went
off and left them, but the other
man will have fruit in case they
bear, and that will be worth some
thing.
This town of Eldora is the
county seat, and has about 5000
inhabitants. The court house is
fine structure, builded Of press
ed brick with stone trim mlngs.
1t is just one block from the
parsonage, and from my study
window | can see the time from
the great clock in the tower. The
Carnegie library is just one block
from the parsonage, directly
south of the court house. We
have good church and parson-
age unencumb bered, and a very
creditable mem bership for the
size of the town. There are three
other churches having pastors
Baptist, Congregational and Dis
ciple, and two buildings-Pres-
byterian and Universalist that
arc unused.
The Iowa State Industrial
School for boys, com monty called
Reform School Is situated here,
just one mile west of the town. -
There are five hundred boys iu
this institution now. OF this
school / will write more at large
later.
How | would like to see the
mountains with their beautiful
fall display, but shall have to be
satisfied with visions OF memo
ry,' at the present at least.
wish for the people who may read
this letter, in all their families q
very pleasant "home gathering
at the annual Thanksgiving Fes
. tival,"
Very truly,
GEO. B. SHOEMAKER.
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