institution Mr. Hildreth was a stockholder, and at the first meeting of its board of directors he was elected its president. This institution was quite popular for a number of years, but owing to the bad management and defalcation of F. A. Roziene, its treasurer and general manager, in 1887 the Savings Bank was closed. Its affairs were placed in the hands of a receiver who wound up the institution at a serious loss to the stockholders.

For many years Mr. Hildreth was a member of the School Board of Charles City and much of the time its President. His well-known educational tastes and proclivities, as well as business tact, admirably fitted him for that position. He was never an office seeker, and it is said that he was never known to ask a man for his vote. His idea of propriety in such matters was, that the office should seek the man and not the man the office. As a business man he had the confidence of all who knew him, and no one could gainsay his integrity.

The published "History and Catalogue" of the Charles City Free Public Library show that Mr. Hildreth took an active interest in the work of placing useful and instructive reading in the hands of the citizens, both old and young. Besides liberal donations of money, he at different times contributed a large number of books for the library. When, under the law of the State, the city corpor ation took charge of the institution, Mr. Hildreth was elected as one of the directors and was con

tinued in that office several years. The library is now a prosperous and permanent institution, and is largely patronized by the people of Charles City. In 1876 Mr. Hildreth and his "better half" made a journey Eastward, a description of which he subsequently wrote out and sent to his brother in Massachusetts. It may be found in the next chap

ter.

CHAPTER XXXV.

B

A CENTENNIAL JOURNEY.

ROTHER ALBERT:-On the first of Septem

ber, 1876, wife and I left our pleasant home in Charles City, Iowa, on a journey to the New England States. We took passage at Charles City over the Illinois Central Railroad to Dubuque. where we stopped over night, and the next day proceeded on our journey as far as Rockford, Illinois. Here we spent two days in visiting relatives and friends and then went to Chicago. In Chicago we received a cordial welcome from friends whom we visited a day or two. There we took passage on board the train of the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne and Pennsylvania Central Railroads for Philadelphia via Washington City. The car we occupied was the hotel palace car Marlborough, the easiest, smoothest running car we ever rode in. Soon after taking our seats in this car with the other passengers, a gentleman came in to take his seat, with his company. apparently under some excitement. Owing to the great rush of travel he had found it difficult to procure his passage tickets, get his baggage checked and make other needed arrangements for the journey for himself and party. "Why." said he, "I have traveled all over the world and I never found so much trouble to get started on a journey as I have had here in Chicago. It is the worst place I ever saw. I have had more trouble here than it takes to raise a family."

This talk raised a laugh among the passengers, broke the reserve and put us all in good humor with each other. Our journey was a delightful one. Not only was the car exceedingly comfortable, but the meals served on board were superb. The quality of the food and the cooking were equal to that of the very best hotels, while the attendance was all that could be desired. The general appearance of the country in northern Ohio, through which we passed, was very fine and far superior that of the southern portion of the State where we had previously been.

The early settlers of northern Ohio were from New England and New York. We everywhere along our route remarked the thrifty condition of the people-the neat and tidy buildings-fine orchards of fruit, and well cultivated fields. Approaching Pittsburg these attractions increased in beauty.

Pittsburg has a romantic and pleasant location; and as to coal smoke and dust. it can hardly be said to equal Cincinnati. The surrounding country produces some of the finest fruit to be found in the United States. Our train stopped here nearly an hour for dinner; but as we had already finished our repast on board the hotel car, we improved the time in strolling about the city, and supplying ourselves with some of the excellent fruit which the Pittsburg market afforded, such as grapes. pears, peaches, plums, &c., which we took along with us.

Our train from Chicago consisted of seven palace cars, all well filled with passengers, and five common passenger cars equally well filled. Directly behind us was another train of ten passenger cars running on the same time- So great was the travel during this Centennial season. Pittsburg being a great railroad centre, a great many trains met there for dinner, and of course considerable time was consumed before their departure. Still, the accommodations were ample for all.

During the afternoon we made the journey from Pittsburg to Altoona, passing up the Conemaugh valley and crossing the Alleghany mountains. The beauty and sublimity of the scenery along this route were beyond our powers of description. We passed through several tunnels on the way and finally reached Cresson Springs on the summit of the Alleghanys, a delightful resort for invalids and summer tourists.

Oh! what a glorious panorama of natural scenery was here spread out before us! Soon we began to descend the eastern slope of the mountains. Turning the famous "horse shoe bend," passengers in the forward cars could almost converse with those in the rear cars of the same train!

At Altoona we left the train and put up at the great railway hotel there for the night. In every respect this may be called a first-class house. Altoona is romantically situated on the eastern declivity of the Alleghany mountains, and has been built up and sustained by the great enterprise and enormous business of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Here the Company have their great iron founderies, machine shops, car factories, &c., &c. The rails for their roads are here manufactured from the ore dug from their own mines, and here are manufactured all their engines and other rolling stock. Thus they give employment to thousands of workingmen, laborers, artisans, &c., in all their various departments of manufacture.

After a refreshing sleep and a breakfast that should tickle the palate of the daintiest epicure. we left Altoona on the train for Harrisburg and Washington. Our route lay along the valley of the lovely Juniata and still more lovely Susquehanna rivers.

Harrisburg, the capital of the great State of Pennsylvania, has a delightful location, being built upon both sides of the Susquehanna and surrounded with rich and well cultivated farms. It