The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-21
SHOULD BE BISHOP
REV. Won HERRLICR'S FRIENDS
URGE HIM FOR THE FLACE

i've Him 10 be Thoroughly Fitted TO
: the Bishopric of Kansas, Lately Mad,
! Vacant by the Death of Bishop Thoma
Troubles That ST. Johns Church Ha
Passed Through.
A few mornings ago the Eagle men
toned Rev. Won Herlich for bishop o
, Kansas. The members of his parish
; in Wichita are very much taken witt
the idea. They believe Mr.. Won Her
Itch TO be without peer in his church
in the state. They remember how hC
came to the aid of the st. Johns church
in this city in 1893 and how untireingly
he has worked for its prosperity and
how much he has succeeded and they
are all eager to see him gain a
promotion which he certainly deserves
The first church in Wichita was St
Johns Episcopal church of which Rev.
Won Herlich is now pastor. Ii was the
first of this denOmina ton organized in
/ Kansas south and west of Topeka or
possibly Emporia. The moving spirit
In the organization OF this church and
the erection of the church edifice was
John Price Hilton. who was deacon
! or lay reader of the Episcopal church
the first vestrymen were the Hon. J.
h Mead, w. b. Hutchinson. Charles
Schattener, George Richards and John
Edwin Martin. The church services in
absence of an ordained rector We're con-
Quoted by Mr.. Hilton. The church
edlhce was built on the east side of
! Main street between Third street and
! Central avenue, about a block south
! or where the magnificent court house
OF Sedgwick county stands. The struc-
/ ture was most primitive in architec-
| ture and design-a stockade-in size
II was about 1Sx30 feet; forked logs or
| posts were set into the ground for cor
iers, at intervals along the sides. ends
ana through the center. and in these
| forks logs or poles were placed as
! beams and ridge poles To support the
roof ana sides, logs, poles. slabs from a
! saw mill close by and punchen were
iald on these logs and poles. raised
! somewhat in the center for the roof.
and these were covered with dirt and
SOD; the ends and sides We're of slabs
! ana logs set on end, some of which
reached 10 the top and some only half
way, and the opening left where the
SiabS or poles only went part way to
the roof, We're utilized for light and
ventilation. On the inside at one end
; were erected chancel, alter and pulpit
they were rudely but artisticaIlv ia sh-
a
alter cloth nicely embroidered. and the
buiidinS was rudely but comfortIy
seated, and at each end of the strrIc-
ture was placed a cross TO proclaim
the sacred purpose for which the build
ing was designed and used IT had no
corner stone laid with imposing cere-
monies and never consecrated excent
by cornon consent. An enlarged photo
graph of this first church in Wichita
mas been framed and hung in the YES
try room of the new church. where
many go to look at ii, and wonder If
IN TACT it ever had an actual sXistance.
rms structure was built by Mr.. Hilton
alone ana by his own labor, and he was
IL Is said, proud of his work and took
pains to explain to those who went IN
see 1t when he was present that it was
The work of his hands alone.
ENGLISHMAN FOUNDED 1T.
AS much interest is usually taken in
the history of the pioneers of all good
work, 1t may be of interest to the
reader To know something of the pro-
motors of Gods work in the early davs
OF Wichita. John Price Hilton was a
well educated but somewhat eccentric
EnSilShman of good family, large sta
tue ana of fine presence, a jealous
Christian, licensed deacon. but never
ordained; he had wife and six chill /
dren. four daughters and two sons He
lest his wife in 1875. and he died a few
months since in Hot prings. Ark. !
FRANK, one of the boys, lives in Colo |
fado, ana Harry, the other, in Califor- /
ma; his daughters, Mabel married a
Mr.. Reynolds and liveS in Topeka; |
Alice married II. c. Day. at one time a !
wealthy and prominent citizen of Wich- :
lta, but she and her husband now live :
IN Arizona; the other two: Nina and /
iflenor, still reside in Wichita, and are
among the best known and most re- 1
spected young ladies in this CITY, OF
the vestrymen, the Hon, James r. /
Mead still lives in Wichita, an active /
and highly respected citizen: W. f. !
Hutchinson was a printer and editor |
ana edited the first paper published in /
Wichita. he was bright and eccentric. /
ana his ambition blighted by poor
health he died about year ago leav-
ing widow, highly respected: Charles
Schattener resides and is in business
in Kansas City. What has become OF T.
Mr.. Richards and MIR. Martin is moi
known.
In a year or two after il was built the
ola church was torn down and its site
used Tor business purposes. and the
organlza ton had no place OF its own
IN which to worship and a death like
torpon came over the little band: its
members fell away, some of them going
10 other churches which in the mean
time had been organized, and some fell
in withe the throng of the unGodIy.
the church had no leader and all was
dark and 1t came nigh lapsing into
oblivion and remained paralfZed for
SeVral years, and the Episcopal church
OF Wichita had almost come to be a
thing OF the past. like a fugitive il had
no fixed place of worship or rector.
hut it held services when best it could
when minister would come from some
other point occasionally to preach and
all that seemed TO be visible of il was
two town lost decided To il, one on the
corner of Market street and Central
avenue by William Grieffenstein. and
the other on Emporia avenue by James
+. Mead
REVIVING THE CHURCH.
In lS76 there met by chance two ladies
of Wichita who had not before the
meeting known each other. at this meet
ing and 10 their surprise and cratifca-
ton they learned that each were
stauncr EpisCopalians. and they al
once entered upon the work Of reviVing
the church and its work in Wichita. /
These two ladies are well known 10 all
me Christian people of the city. and 10
their earnest and untireing work AMI
zeal the church is largely indebted for
its being rescued from oblivion and
placed in working condition. They
upon the work and pursued il I
from sense of duty and love for the
cause. and look rot for their reward IN
having their names constantly paraded
teiore the public and in print: with
ture womanhod they shrink from such
notoriety and prefer rather 10 look for
reward in results accomplished and
n sense OF duty well done and out OF
profound respect FOR them their pure
sense OF wOmanly reserve their names
are withheld. but heir work and for