Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-18

HuoSl every mSHt. All or tHeSe
churches were erected on short no.
tice, but most remarkable is the story
of the Catholic church erected by
Father O'Hare. This worthy priest
arrived at Hopewell during the roar
ing boom days with determination to
establish church and very little else.
He got an option on a dozen lots and
was soon able to sell few Of them
for enough to pay for all. He then
leased the rest of them for term OF
years, built a $4,000 church, and still
enjoys an income Of $500 a month
from his property. Talk about the
early Jesuits in the far west! They
may have had as much courage rs
Father O'Hare, but they certainly did
not have 1.-THE of his acumen. l
1t is curious fact that when Hope
we'll burned the flames spared a
couple of hospitals and church. go
ing around them as though guided py
an unseen power. There was immedi-
ate use for the hospitals. Pneumonia
ravaged the homeless people = and
there were no adequate facilities to
care for them. With the exception
of that one disaster. however, Hope
wells record in the matter Of health
has been miraculous. One would ex-
pect,all sorts Of dire results from the
lack of proper sanitary facilities; yet
there were only two deaths from
natural causes before the great fire.
An undertaken can scarcely make
La living in Hopewell. so young and
healthy is it's population; but 1t has
nc vertheless proved good place for
the few doctors who came here. A
couple of M. DIS, just of college,
heard about the place and determined
to abridge the long wait which usu-
ally precedes a professional career
by setting up shop in Hopewell. They
found that the town had no drug
store, no hospital and no trained
nurses; but they were not daunted.
With 500, which they managed to
borrow, they founded very sketcay
drug store, and still more sketchy
hospital. Now the drug store carries
a heavy stock and the hospital boasts
eight rooms and several nurses. The
drug ARCHAEOLOGICAL company has a
capital Of about $4,000 and it's prac.
tice brings in about $50 day. IS"
The enterprise and success of these
young men is typical. Lawyers, en-
gineers and newspaper men have had
equal success provided they had the
ingenuity to create the machinery Of
their professions out of the raw ma
terials, and the courage to practice
them among lawless people. One
of Hopewelrs newspapers gained
$500 daily circulation in two months
The editor-in-chief sleeps on the floor
Of the ONCE and sends his copy to
Petersburg to be printed.
Another young chap opened news
stand and pool room. He enjoyed an
income Of 500 day from one pool
table-until the table wore out. He
had to keep crap shooters of the
porch of his establishment with
gun; and suppressing disorderlles
was a regular part Of his daily rou-
tine.
Hopewell long had no postoffice,
but there was one at the village of
City Point, half mile away. This
lad agreed to carry letters deposited
with him to City Point for cent
apiece. This added $40 day to his
income. f....
Hopewell is distinctly the place for
the man of courage and resource. In
Petersburg and Richmond and Hope.
we'll itself there are always numbers
cause they heard big money was to he
made, and who are going back sick
and Disguised and beaten because
they lacked the physical and mora!
sinew to cope with primitive condi-
lions. Those who have made good
have shown not only sand" but in.
'ventive power. They have made their
own opportunities.