New Year's Trip to Mt. Carmel, 1882

KRAUSE, KRANSA, HEIRES, BERGER, MEIS

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 11/22/2008 at 13:00:40

I translated the following article from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on Friday, 6 January 1882. Any information in brackets or notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

It was a winter landscape and a biting-cold north wind was blowing over it on Saturday, the last day of the year 1881, when Mr. Prof. Heires from Kniest Township appeared in our offices with the cry, “Now or never!” to take us out to the fields of that township. And because we had promised, despite the goose bumps, we had to submit to the inevitable. We were soon underway, and the wheels of the wagon crunched and cut through the snow while the icy wind whistled around our ears. But what harm could there be? Our hospitable friends and acquaintances were waiting for me, the old, incorrigible bachelor, to brighten my New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, a task at which they succeeded in every respect. Just before the sun in the southwest signaled its final goodbye, the slender tower of the new church popped up before us, and just before night fell completely, we were in Mt. Carmel, the origin and center of German culture and the Democratic Party in Carroll County. During a short stop we thawed out our almost frozen limbs again, much assisted by some “warming” beverages provided by the bespectacled and friendly inn-keeper Mr. Kranse [perhaps Krause]. Then the journey continued on, and very soon we were received under the roof of our companion and his dear wife, who amiably placed a festive supper before us. After the inner man was restored and cared for, we betook ourselves to the residence of the former county official, Mr. P. Berger, where, with beer and friendly conversation, we closed out the old year and began the new. As the first rooster crowed, the company happily parted, calling to each other a happy new year. On Sunday morning we met with our old friends in Mt. Carmel, among others Mr. C. Meis, the builder of the new church. Although it won’t be finished for some time, one can already perceive that the interior will be magnificent when finished. The exterior is striking. Three bells are to hang in the tower, which are to be procured if there is enough money. Along with the bells, a tower clock is also to be obtained. For the interior furnishings, a high altar valued at $1000 will grace the church, along with two side altars valued at $500. The style will be purely Gothic. Without doubt the Mt. Carmel church will be one of the finest in the State of Iowa. And as we hear, when the final work is done, it should stand debt free. We hope that this occurs in the not-too-distant future.