The Seward gateway., 1922-01-21
FORMER RESIDENT
 SEWARD WRITES

OuC Ol lIC lcLSb uOito ilCli H. II. iiAi ureth who is now living in Los Ange- les. Mr Hildreth is former resident of Seward who left here to enter the service of the Y. M. c. A. in France during the war
 The many Seward friends of MT. \ Hildreths will be glad to read of his experiences in the following:
 1907 Hall of Records. Los Angeles, |
 December 29, 1921 | MT. George Sexton, Seward Alaska.
 Dear Friend: When the holiday sea son comes around each year we gen erally think of all our old friends and wish for them all the happiness and goodwill that they are able to contain, or as the good book says, "Heaped up, pressed down and running over" Soi this is my wish you you all this holi- day season.
 However I have often thought of you during the year and have wondered how you all are and how you are get ting along. I haven't seen any Seward papers for several months and. know very little of what is going on in the | old town. Several weeks ago, I met | Leon Urbach, mother and family at an l Alaska picnic. Of course got some news from him. Also met Brown Of 1 Caldwell & Brown. I got their ad- | dresses and put them down in my | little memo. book and lost the book, so have been unable to see them again. | Brown had a store in some Los An l r mt in 1 thing at that time. I hope to meet them again will go to the next Alas ka meeting and will probably see some of the Seward people then.
 Well, the past year has not been very prosperous for me. I have been down here for the past five months and have not been able to do anything much I have never gotten over my trip overseas. For six months l was in the Y. Nj. c. A. in SaG Francisco and was up in the mountains for three months, but the poison in my system, contracted up at the front in Austria certainly put me on the bum, as it did many others, but in many cases not showing it's effect until months after returning home. My physical health is fairly good and I am gaining in weight, and expect to be all right soOn For the past month have been help ing build a house and my headaches ord depression are disappearing and I am commencing to feel like myself, | for which I am certainly happy shall continue to do outside work and I thing that will make. nc all rioht Next week I am going to the hosnitnl for two Oparatiors and that will holp me. I am sure. I do not think thev will be serious, but I will be laid up two or three weeks. Thon when I get out am going to trv and go up in the mountains for a time.
 The folks are all quite well. Mother 1 is very well for her age, and is Sprv as many women half her age She visits around among the relatives, and go0s 10 church aud is happy. Mrs, Jetar is well and in the same position. Beth and the kiddies are all well. She a's0 ~-Nrks in the court house She has three beautiful children. Tom is here ond working part of the time. He has had a couple of bad spells with his back and was laid up with the grip a part of the time I think he will go back to Anchorage in the spring.
 California, and especially Los An geles, is very prosperous They have had more building here the past year than in any other city in the United States or in the world It is wonder ful the amount of building going on and the number of people coming here from all over the world
 Hope you are all well, happy and prosperous. The folks all join me in best wishes for the new year.
 H. H. HILDRETH.
 MT. Hildreth served as Field Secre- tary of the I'M C. A. and while in the service in Austria was gassed and came near losing his life. He was sent to Italy to recuperate. Some friends of his gave him personal letter of introduction to the Pope which Mr. Hildreth presented on his arrival in Rome. It was necessary that he live out doors and tent was erected for him (through the kindness of the Pope who took liking to him) in the beautiful grounds of the historic home l of Nero.
 l During MT. Hildreth's stay in Rome he became quite intimate with Pope Benedict and received a personal invi- I tation to attend the Pope's Annual Mass. So far as known he is the only Protestant to attend such a function I by special invitation of the Pope