The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-07-13
Jim" HILL's CATHOLIC WIFE.
How the Empire Builder Met and
Married Mary Meagher,
an Irish Girl,


In the April number of Everybody's
Magazine, under the title. "Romances
Of Success" is told in graphic style
the story of the career. of James ].
Hill. Mr.. Hill was born at lockwood.
Can, about fort ymiles west of To-
ronto. His father, James HILL and his
mother. Ann Dunbar, emigrated to this
place from Ireland with their parents.
Mr. Hill is therefore of pure Irish blood.
Early in life Mr.. Hill went to ST. Paul.
where he became a steamboat, rail-
road and commissioner agent. The
story Of his Catholic wife is thus told;
With all this labor and business.
young Hill managed also about this
time to push to a happy conclusion
the one great love affair of his life as
pretty romance as ever graced a story
hook. With q number Of other young
men, he boarded at the Merchants ho-
tel St Paul. Mimi, hotel that is
still in existence. This company all
ways sat together at one large table
and as they were most profitable
guests, they received the services of
the best waitress in the house, Mistress
Can, about forty miles west of To-
daughter Of a jolly. whole-souled Irish
man. Mistress Mary was as sensible
and modest and wholesome as she was
pretty, and had the respectful admira-
ton Of every one in the house.
After three years services, Mary Me-
hogan one day disappeared. The guests
at the bachelors round table" were
tremendously disturbed, and fell almost
in body on the manager.
II don't know where she's gone"
declared that functionary; "she sim
ply sent notice that she was going to
quit"
Nor did any one else know where
the young lady had gone, nor why.
Later the rumor spread that she was
TO be married, and had gone away to
n convent in Milwaukee for year or
two TO prepare herself for her duties
as a wife. This proved to be true.
But whom was she going to marry?
The bachelors at the round table con-
cerned themselves seriously over the
question, and eyed one another in grim
suspicion. The answer to this came on
August 20. 1867, when there appeared in
the st. Paul Daily Press the following
simple notice:
MARRIED,
Yesterday morning in this city, by
Rev. Father Oster, Mr.. James j.
Hill to Miss Mary Theresa Mehe-
gan.
Mary Michigan has fulfilled the prom
ise Of her youth. From the day she en-
tered the modest little frame cottage
in which the Hills began their married
life. at "a Canada street, until today,
when she Is mistress of the great house
in ST. Paul, she has always been the
same sweet, gentle, refined woman.
Unaffected, she has gone through the
greatest test to which character can
be put-the passage from extreme pow
erty to extreme wealth. She has proved
herself a true gentlewonan, modest
and full Of warm hearted charity. NO
details Of her benehcence ever get
abroad. except now and then when
those who profit by her kindness break
silence in spite OF her. With the dne
common sense that always character
izer her she has never attempted TO
HIDE the story Of her origin, and the
lowliest of her relations are always
given q hearty welcome in her great /
house. Even Mr.. Hills enemies in the
northwest-and he has q great many
coGcede without exception the beauty
Of his wife's character, and the sharp
tongues Of the most bitter society gos-
sips speak only pleasant words about
her
She has reared nine children, six
girls and three boys, and al nave
grown UP to do her credit, ana TO pay
tribute to her character Tnere mas
been no faint Of scandal In the fam-
lily, no angling for society, no seek.
ing after titles, nothing Whatever OF
the un-American snobbishness or tuIt-