The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-11-04
Address BY n. c. HotaIing
To Episcopal Men
WHEN KAT0 WAS YOUNG
Remarks From George Miller
WI. Comstock, r. e. Brown,
w. n. Pay

WorS COupiou Win the early history OF,
ST, Johns Episcopal church. supple
mented with remarks on present CON
ditions were featured IN an address
delivered by Ii. &. Hotaling OF Mapls-
ton, held secretary or the National
Editorial association, before the Mems
club or the Episcopal church in the
dining haul of that edifice, last even
ing The address followed q handsome
supper served by the ladies OF Bishop
WhiDpie chapter.
Charles 70. Wise introduced Mr.. Ho-
falling, who spoke as follows:
When the invitation was received from
Judge w, l., Comstock TO attend and ad.
aress this gathering. 1t came like call
TO days of long age,
backward, turn backward.
oh, Time, in Your flight,
Make me- Il boy again
For as long as you might"
A call came back home to the scenes
of heyhood days, No matter how busy.
could not BIZ declined; IL would be a
pleasure to go back to the home town
and greet men of today who were but
TO be here and to speak to you for q
few moments, giving you some insight
into ether, days as they relate to this
This church and myself came into ex-
istence about the same time. We both
had humble start. judging from some
Historical Society, This church was or
ganized in 1866 the first rector was Rev.
SSphsus siPor who . gas paid the num-
Among the. first wardens or vestrymen
were Judge Franklin Waite, o, o. Pitcher
and p b, sparrOw. In 1ls7 the current
sessneHt on this parish for tho support
af the dieeem work OF $40, BY 1899
to ' jess and P't the number Of eornmun i@
eaFts 10 lsa.-forty families being re-
presented n The psrish In 1870 the pastor
hevr h, G, Ceolbaugh took up the work.
IL passed the one thousand mark,
1t has been my good fortune to have
has had charge of the work in Mankato,
among them being Mr.. Spor. whom have
Just Ss5 msptieGnsd; g W; Dunbar. L $.
William Richmond. Thomas Hudson and
Q, j. SHUT, They arc all good men. not
4, only interested in the building up OF the
the community in n moral and CONNER
Born Near rse CHURCH
Finn had any advantage in youthful
pranks oyer the boyhood days of yours
truly, and those boyhood days were WOW
tory OF this church. was born within
stones throw OF this very spot and the
frst steady job that came my way was
tho j1nitorship OF this edifice have been
sover this church and under II and on one
occasion II you will pardon the express
sion. had opportunity to take It's trus-
reach. for they were grand sSoa. men.
One cold December morning when the
hour for services arrived, the, building
was still as cold as barn and Of course
the Janitor received the blame. But, be-
fore being discharged for inattention to
duty. the trnsteesNwho. II memory serves
pi0nf A Grntfh
song and p. B. Sparrow, were invited
TO tho regions blow. The building at that
time was heated by two long box stoves
in tho so-called basement which was
nothing more than hole that had been
q, excavatcd underneath the floor. The
Z stoves were large enough and long
| cordwoodI length. The wood furnished
: was largely Eastwood and on the Satur-
day afternoon previous had split up. a
lot CT this that 10 would burn readily.
The stove pipes ran the entire length Of
the building in trenches which had been
dug for accommodation. There was a trap
corner with a bladder leading downI into
the small place. which had been dug out
for the stoves. by this opening the dea-
found not only the stoves red hot but
also the stove pipe for several lengths
reaching along toward the chimney. The
veracity., must have been. somewhere
around the 120 mark. In a few moments
the deacons were not only perspiring as
they would on a hot fourth of July day,
but were alarmed as to the safety OF the
qes The We're tRs9 taken 10 aft s and
pointed to the crevice which existed in in
the peak of the building between the
roof and the brick structure. II there had
ing, all the heat that might have been
generated could not have made the room
warm enough for services that cold De-
cember morning. AS a result of this per-
sonally conducted tour. ! continued to
hold my job even though not given a
raise in wages. But had my reward.
1t was a lot of satisfaction, to take these
"big ones" below and give them a dose
Of the sort of medicine had been taking
ever since three o'clock of that aforesaid
This old building is replete with happy
memories. 1t was here, or rather in the
old belfry that stood in the rear. that I
got my start in life and the vestrymen
Of sacred memory had much to do with
moulding my future. They had abundant
reason to censure me and censured me
efricient janitor that I should have been,
but they realized that was but boy
and that some things should be over
night members noticed a light in a room
which had been originally built for use as
a pastors study, but at the time of my
s9EeS ss %sa In It wsre to
found old song books. Christmas tree
decorations of other years, discarded
chairs, pieces of carpet, old lamps and a
hundred and one different articles that
had been left at one time or another in
the, church. Yours truly thought it was
too bad that this room was not in use
for more noble and glorious purposes. AS
q result of that thought some of my boy
hood friends were invited in for consul
=, tation with the result that the room was
pcleared up somewhat the lamps filed
and trimmed-as it was only the foolish
virgins in Bible lore who neglected to
supply lamps with oil an old table was
repaired. when 10, the game was gone.
Fortunately my early training by a
good Methodist father was such that
the poker game was tabood or the yes
trymen headed by Professor Gorrie. at
that time perintendent of the public
schools, would have caught us with a
regular deck instead of plain Authors.
And here again theer was no discharge
no rebuke, but fatherly admonition to
Ego and sin more"
The RobInsons Circus.
On another occasion Robinson's mag
nifcient and unparalleled road circus
with its glittering wagons of red and
gold and it's lone elephant chose a
Sunday morning to drive into town. II
came down Glenwood ravioe right past
the church and pitched It's "acres Nof
\ canvas over on Fourth street opposite
Nthe old Tom Warren place That was
too much for the youngster 10 with
stand. He could not resist the tempta-
n AZ