This is the ocr text of an article from the Wednesday, July 5, 1882 issue of the Rockford Gazette titled "Mt Carroll".
MT, CARROLL,
Funeral of Congresaman Hawk—Incl dents, Etc
Mijor Hawk leaves beside hla widow, two boys, one aged sixteen, (he other six, and a Irl about twelve years of age.
Gen, John 0, Smith, republican candidate for State Treasurer, was at Mt, Cirroll on Sunday* Gen, S, was a wnrm personal friend of Mr. Ilawk, j The “favorite son” of Winnebago county has a number of relatives in Carroll county* Mr. Garvtr spent some time in visiting his "cousins and,liia aunts” on; Sunday, and has quite a number of friends there,
The finest church edifice in Mt. Oarroll is the M, E, church, and Key, Mr, Grail, the pastor, is justly esteemed the ablest clergyman in the village, Mr, 0, is a young man, but unfortunately Ims verylpoor health.
The Conklin House, In Mt* Cairoll, Is a very good hotel for a town of only eighteen hundred inhabitants. An excellent table was set on Sunday. But some of its arrange ments might be Improved—they are rather embarrassing to modest people,
Major Hawk was a member of the G. A, R,, and also of the Masonic Lodge and the Order of United Workmen ol Mt. Carroll. He leaven his family moderately well provided (or, The assets Include a fine home* stead In Mt* Carroll, a large farm a few miles out, and life insurance amounting to $7,000, The aged father of Major Hawk was in attendance at the luueral of his distinguished fon« He is a hale old gentleman of over eighty years, wl[h hair white as the "driven snow/1 Thtee brothers of the deceased Congressman were also present) one ot them is a commission merchant in Chicago, the olhets are well to do farmers.
Among many other visiting state.men at Mt, Carroll on Sunday last, was Col* B, Fi Sheets, of Oregon. Col. S, deservedly rnnks high throughout the district, but letter writing has (for a time at least) dimmed his chances for political preferment, as it did that of Henry Clay, Lewis Cass, Gen, Scott, and other gentlemen well-known to iame and fortune,
The county officers of Carroll county are nearly all veteran sold ers, and most of them have served successive terms, being re elect* ed withot^ opposition.. Tire county judge tSmlth), the county treasurer (Albertson), and the sheriff (Sutton), are each serving their third or fourth term, The county clerk (Becker) succeeded Major Hawk, who was serving his fourth term,
There was a good deal of caucusing at Mt, Carroll last Sunday, as was inavitable, But the lest said about that the better, There was no concerted actioh perftoted, however, Those gentlemen who worked the hardest that day, may, and probably will find that the people do not approve of their eflort*
to fill a dead man’s seat before his body ha| reached its Anal resting place,
Mujor Hawk was a member of the Chris tian (Campbellite) church of Lanark, anc the funeral sermon was preached by his owt paBtor, Rev. Mr, Howe, When unable t< drive the five miles between Mt* Carroll an< Lanark, Major Hawk’a family attend th< Baptist church at his home. When It Washington, the Major attended the sam< church as Gen, Garfield, and they were warm friends,
There were two companies from Mt, Car roll In the 93d Illinois regiment. H, M. A, Hawk started as lieutenant of Co, E», and was promoted to the captaincy, E, T. £< Bftcker, who succeeded Major Hawk in the county olerkship, and had charge of the fuX rural on Sunday, was captain of Co. F,| Aid, Scoville, of Rockford, was captain o| another company in the same regiment*
Don R, Frazer, editor of the Mt, Carrolll Herald (who was in Andei'ionvllle prison)! enjoyed the unenviable notoriety of beingl about the only member of the 93d Illinoli| who virulently opposed Major Hawk. Mr, F, is consec|uenly quite unpopular in Carroll couniy, especially since the suddenl decease of the Congressman, His support! of any politician is rather damaging, just| now*
The special train from Rockford toMt, Carroll, on Sunday last, started with only fifteen passengers; but before it reached Mt, Carroll both car# were crowded, Over fifty went from Lanark alone on that train to attend the last obs qulea of Major Hawk. Among the passengers 'from Rockford were Win, Lathrop, I. French, George S, Haskell, E, B. Sumner, George Forbes, Horace Scoville, P, Flynn, W, F* Woodruff, Sam’) Norton, Dr, Helm, and others, J, C, Gar-ver and C, A, Works started Saturday night, but returned on the special tialn,
The congressional delegation occupledl seats on the front porch ot Maj, Hawk’sl late residence during the funeral ob«qulef,| and were of course the observed of all observers, Senators Logan was suffering from I rheumatism, and hobbled along with a canejf his well known lectures were generally! recognized, But Senator George of MUsis-itppl, and McDlIl of Iowa, and U^prcscn-
atlves Davis, Cullen, Sherwln and Payton of this State, and Cabell oi Virginia, were not 50 well known, and were eagerly pointed out to friends by those who happened to recogniie them. Collectively, in their black suits and handsome white sashes, they presented a very dignified appcarance.
The most Imposing public building in Mt.l Carroll is a striking monument to thel energy and ability of woman, Mt* Carrolll Seminary is indeed one of the greatobtl marvels of executive genius in Northern| Illinois, Twenty five y»*ars ago Miss Fran* ces A, Wood, (now Mis, F, A, W,|
Shlmrr,) started a small school, with nlne| pupils, in a little building in Mt, Carroll, Now, unaided by public or private donatlomJ without soliciting or receiving help (financial or otherwise) from any quarter, the Semi, nary grounds comprise several acres as beautiful ai any to be found anywhere, The building , fitted up with all the modern conveniences, contain accommodations for over two hundred scholars, with as able
faculty of teachers as Is to be found any* where, Mn, Shimer has shown herself tol be a Napoleon among women, and certainly) deserves credit as mong the most successful educators of the west, Mrs. S, is stlll| in vigorous health, and each year new im-provemenls are made at the Seminary, cschl year the number of students unde* herl charge increabes, and each year her bank| account grows larger, A trip to Mt, Carroll Is Incomplete without a visit to I • Seminary,| As rUewhere in Northern Illinois, a terrible storm raged In Mt. Carroll throughout Thursday night last, The wind blew “great guns,*1 lightning flashed, and thunder roared, Hon, Jas, Shaw, eX-Speaker of the Illinois Legislature, and perhaps the ablest member of the bar of Mt. Carroll, finding his family excited with the storm I got up about 1 o>ck>«k Friday morning, to look to the windows of his house. While so doing, fce was astonished to hear heavy knocking at fils front door. Mr, Shaw start id to secure his revolver, meanwhile his wife ran to a window, and by the Hashing lightning, saw it was the telegraph operator at the door. Informing her hus-baud, Mr, S, inquired what was wanted, The operator replied MI have a death message \* Inasmuch as at last accounts Mr, | Shaw’s aged mother wis quite low, he at once supposed it referred to her, Opening the door, he was astonished to be told “Major Hawk is dead I" The operator] showed Mr. S, two dispatches to the postmaster from Senator Logan at Washington, one announcing the serious Illness of Mr, Hawk, another dated a half an hour later, | stating his death. As quick as possible Mr. Shaw put on his clothing, and started on the I melancholy errand of informing Mrs, Hawk | that her husband, who left her only tour days previously in the enjoyment of his usual | health, was a corpse, and that she was a widow. Naturally enough Mr,Shaw dread* ed to carry the distressing news, and stopped | on the way at the house ot Capt, Becker, the dead man’s intimate friend. Mrs, B, was aroused, and after consultation,In company with her husband and Mr, -S. started | for the residence of Mrs, Hawk, Arriving there they found Mrs, II. up, and feeling very nervous because of the storm, On seeing them that lady asked ‘‘Is anyone hurt ?” They Informed her no, Mrs, Hawk then asked “Is Wrllle (her son who was out on the farm) sick ?” Again they told her no, Then her thpughts reverted to her husband, when she asked ' Is It hubby They told her yes, The agonUed wife then cried "b, whftt Is the matter with him ?M Mr*, Becker replied, "O, my dear, he is dead,” With a shriek, Mrs, Hawk fell Into the arms 6f‘her friend, Soon afterward, however, she rallied, and asked for the particulars, and showed herself the same cour. ageous lady she did when the gallant Major lay at the point of death seventeen years ago, There is no lady, in Mt. Carroll who is more highly regarded than Mrs* Hawk.