Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-06-25
Died.

~ years u D months.
Frank o. Burton was born in Shelby,
Cleveland county, North Carolina, on
March 22nd, 1851. He came to the
Black Hills in 1878 from Texas, where
he went when a young man. On
February l4th, 1888, he was married to
Bessie G. Sanders in Custer City, South
Dakota. He leaves a wife and an
adopted son to mourn his death. A
mother and brother of the deceased are
at present living in Hartford, Connect.
cut. He was q member in good stand
ing in the Masonic lodge of this city at
the time Of his death, and received at
the hand Of his brethren the solemn
honors of a Masonic burial or Wednes-
day. June 22nd, 1898, at the Custer
cemetery.
In speaking of the departed it is per-
haps we'll TO say that he was not a
member Of any religious denomination,
as he could not conscientiously
accept the creeds and dogmas Of the
church. Yet, he was not a %scoffer, but
recognized the tendency of the church
for good IN the community, and in the
days of his prosperity he contributed to
1t with a free and lavish hand. Frank
was no hypocrite, and he didlnot set
himself up as a saint. He loyed the
truth and despised every species Of
Eumbug He was a man and not a
parody on the human race. He was
true to his friends. and strong in his
likes and dislikes, still he was not
%revengeful but generous at all times
As a man amongst men he possessed
those qualities that drew around him
many friends and his falthfulness held
them fast. He was genial and kind and
inclined to be coDviyial. He had many
virtues, and if he had vices they injured
none but himself lie realized the fact
that in his youth he had been too fast,
and the discretion that came in later
years served to mitigate but could not
altogether repair the injurious effects of
early excess. His constitution and
superb physique which earring acct
dents) shonld have carried him in com
fort to the age OF four score, was weak
ened and his natural strong vitality was
drained TO such an extent that even at
the age OF 40, he found nothing in his
cup but the bitterest of dregs. There
is not a soul who knew Frank
Burton in his palmy DAYS, whose heart
has not been wrung with sympathy, as
he moved among them during the last
years of his life.
In writing these lines We know that
We have departed somewh hat from the
rut and groove Of those who think they
must always follow the beaten track.
But without regard TO what others may
say, we are writing just as he would
have MS write If his hand were on our
shoulder, and his eyes on our manu-
script, We know he would say use no
false colors but paint me as / am"
The question which now arises in the
minds of those who knew him so well
and long while here IL, Frank, old boy,
how fare ye now In reply to this
question his lips are silent, but we give
it as our opinion that the change, al
though great, is not SO great as some
suppose. In trying 10 take a rational
view of the situation, and basing our
views upon investigation and expert
ences of our own, we believe that, re-
iieved OF the clog Of matcria!ity over
which he no doubt smiles TO see us
make so. much fuss, that Burton still
lives, and that be opens his books ESQ to
speak just where he closed them here.
We believe that he is mingling with his
friends and returning their greetings / n
joy and gladness. Sorrow is left with
those who say farewell, but there are
none of us but what at the day Of our
departure from earthly scenes go to
meet more friends than we leaye be-
hind, because "the dead are the many
and the living are the few"
In c~onsigning our brother to the
earth what have We buried simply mis-
worn out overcoat. If Immortality is a
fact, If the spirit Of man survives the
shutting of of this mortal coil, then is
IL not natural to believe that he has
taken with him all that made him what
he was while on the earth, and still re-
tains every faculty which characterized
him while moving among us. His loves,
his hates, his reason, his memory of all
that is past. in fact all that Individuals.
ed him and formed his character. These
all survive. or else all the teachings OF
the church. aInout &c. nothing, and death
indeed ends all. II,
1t Is our firm conviction that death
ends nothing, and that it is a fact that
nothing ever dies: Change is marked
on everything. but nothing is lost.
Everything animate and inanimate re-
tains all that it ever was before and
carries Its history stamped in its nature,
and those who understand its laws may
read its history at sight. The church,
bound by it's creeds and dogma's has
not kept pace in its requirements or in
Its teaching with that knowledge of
spiritual things which has come to
others who are not thus bound. The
devotees Of the church, while they re-
cognize the progress that has been made
in the sciences and arts, in fact in every
department of human research, still
cling to what was known 1900 years ago,
and will not admit Of any new things
learned in all that length of time. They