Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-05
Children Cry for
Pitchers CastorIa.
REMARKS AT FUNERAL OF MR.. ZlNsZEF

There are some occasions of this kind
| when pastor would fain be silent; but
| there are others when both piety and
| justice forbid silence and call loudly for
utterance believe the present occasion
| - be one of the latter class. 1t argues
an Ill state of affairs when the righteous
| Gle and no man layeth 1t to heart" 1t
| is becoming, therefore, that we take the
time 10 give expression to the thoughts
Whlch MI SO many minds as we gather
around the bier Of our lamented brother
IL Is not necessary that l sketch the
events of his short but useful life this
having already been excellently done by
potn our daily papers / therefore SIM
ply pay tribute to his character leav-
ing 1t to his former pastor and good
friend, who shall follow me, to add what
ever his wider and more actual knowledge
of our brother may suggest.
IL was my privilege to know him. but
only during the last year of his life. I
speak, therefore, from a knowledge aris-
ing in part from very frequent waitings
at MS bedside and from many friends on
whose lips his name has frequently been
heard.
1t is seldom. we hear one so universally
well spoken of as was Brother Peter
Zinszer. Hundreds of his fellow men
have only good to say of him. was
early impressed with this fact Among
the traits of character which won for
him this universal esteem l note the fol-
lowing:
|. His Untiring Energy-The scriptural
injunction, Whatsoever thy hand findeth
to do, do 1t with all thy might" found
signal fulfillment in him. One evidence
Oh THIS was the building up of a large,
successful business from smaller begin
n1ngs. Not only his business, but every
enterprise undertaken by him-secular
social or religfous-was prosecuted with
mr. thr,-e
which knew no failure
q; coupled with this was high sense
OF honor, love of the right an inyalua-
pie integrity which made him scorn to
DO the wrong or dishonorable act.
8. Another characteristic of the man
was his noble aspirations The tastes
and desires of some men are ever down
ward. beneath themselves, and their
course is ever toward lower plane of
life and action. The tastes and desires
OF others are upward above themselves
and their course Isl leading toward higher
and better things. Our brother belonged
to the latter class. His aspirations were
pure and lofty. He loved good men
good companionship, good and pure as
sociates, and this drew out in himself
the best qualities of mind and heart and
made him a progressive man in the best
sense.
a. Another marked characteristic was
his genial dispositiotl-no reserve no
moroseness or exclusiveness, but open,
frank, bright, CHEEKY even in the midst of
heavy business cares and responsibilities
Who of his friends will ever forget his
sunny smile, which was almost habitual
with him. and his cordial greeting? This
smile his last form of greeting
5. Kindness of heart. We would natu-
rally expect such man to have large.
kind heart, sympathetic with the sorrows
and troubles of his fellowmen, and such,
indeed, was he. His business brought him
in contact often with the unsuccessful
and the unfortunate. To these he was
uniformly lenient and forbearing. The
widow and the orphan, the poor and the
suffering found In him true friend and
generous helper. No worthy applicant
for aid was ever knowingly turned away
by him empty.
6. A sketch of the character of Peter
Zinszer would be incomplete without
mention of his liberality In the use of his
means. In an age too prone to selfish
ness he gave with a free and willing
hand. With most men the accumulation
of money hardens the heart and narrows
the sympathies, and darkens the true
spirit of benevolence But it was not so
with our departed friend. He gave be-
cause he loved to give and believed that
the more he gave to Gods poor and God s
cause the more God gave to him. With
this belief he gave constantly, freely
cheerfully, and thus his liberality became
an Indictment to others. This spirit of
liberality never forsook him. This Is
Illustrated by touching incident. In
his sick room were the orphans money
box, to which he made daily contribu-
ton, and box containing household
change. Long after his malady had laid
| its weakening hand upon him he was dis
covered one day transferring all the
household change to the orphans box
and he would not allow it altered. 1t
was his ruling passion strong in death. :"
n nj fHy yhn Irp III
well, was asking in a union meeting
contributions for the synodical orphan
age. The larger contributions were not
as numerous as he hoped for. and he said
to me afterward II felt like saying to
the, congregation: There Is q man in this
town. lying on his back, in the throes
of disease. who, If he were here would
give to this cause IL he had to sell his
coat off his back to do It," And doubt
less he was right, for that man was Peter
own church received his principal bene-
factions, they were by no means the
limit of them, for his liberality was as
broad as 1t was deep. Sister churches,
churches of other denominations, Young
Mems Christian association Every cause
which had for it's aim the betterment of
mankind appealed to his liberal spirit
and drew forth his generous gifts. Can
we not therefore claim for him the
| promise of our Lord: "Give and It shall
De given unto you, good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running
| over. shall be given into your bosom.
| For with the same measure that We mete
! withal 1t shall be measured to you
| again."-Luke, vi, 38.
| Finally wescame to that quality which
was at once the source and crown of all
| his other virtues. viz: His piety, his faith
| in God. his love for the Christ, in whom
| his life was hid with God. This faith.
| this love was predominant In all the acts
| of his life, and gave tone and color to
| them. In early manhood he gave his
| heart to God in solemn covenant and
entered the makers service with his char
| acteristic energy and enthusiasm. For a
number of years End till death he filed
most ACCENT bly,. the imnnrfant office of