The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-12
st. Louis Optical Co.,
1870 n. Main ST., Wichita, Kas.

far advanced in years. was stationed at
Aloon-old Bull City. One day railroad
contractor saw him on the street rs
that Old Elder Platt?' he aueried Of an
Atomic On bsing assured that II was
he calculated: "weE. I'll bs BANKED!
Every time 1 get away of from any
where else on earth. doing railroad work.
1 run across tina. old man spreading re-
ligion."
The Old Elder came to Topeka shortly
after being mustered out of the army.
. and while living here his son Dwight was
born. in 1861 He was N Eureka when II
was the most outhwestern potOffice IN
the state; was in Finney county when
/ there were but four buildings in the ooun-
". and was engaged in thu work OF saw
ing souls In Dodge City at the same time
that the notorious Bat Masterson was
sheriff there.
The oad mans life work Is done now.
He died several years ago up in north
western Kansas. respected and Bestowed by
all who knew him; and in the various
fields where he labored so earnestly fo-
! his Master there can be found no enc 20
say harsh word OF Old Elder Plat.
whihc the oad gentleman was fond Of re-
ferring 70 was the time when he delivered
the first sermon ever heard in Wichita.
and in his article IN the Pioneer his son
tells the story as follows:
The first sermon in Wichita was
preached under the following circum-
stances, as have heard the story from
the lips OF my father: The superintendent
OF home missions asked him 10 visit
Wichita and vicinity and ascertain what
were the religious advantages OF that
region In the town OF Wichita he found
only one person who was at all interested
I III religious things, and he was young
school teacher. In company with This
young man he went TO the postofiice.
/ which was in a saloon. The postmaster
/ and saloonkeepeT was not IN for the very
good reason that he was locked I'd IN
( jail aaiting trial Cor murder. During the
/ po,stmaster's necessary absence Uncle
b Sans business was attended 10 By the
bartende-. As the preacher and school
: master entered the postofiice tho bar
+ tender was standing behind thu bar WIN
/ a violin This De laid across th> bar
while he went around to hand the school
I
/ the violin and Craving the boSv across -
/ discovered that - was a fine instrument
/ Then he p,aysd an instrumental piece Of
} music. This he followed by a secular
/ song. accompanied by his own playing
/ He had not been singing long before men
/ began ID get up from ne gaming tables
I and gather about HIM. delighted TO Ind
a fellow who could both fiddle and
sing" He soon changed the tune and
sang and played "YVu Must be Lover
o. he Lord. Il You Want % Go 20 Heav-
I en- When You Die" When the crowd %
I desseradoss for san they wee. heard
that took OK ss,onashulent and pero. OK
/ itv came over the4r faces. They Cd not
l know what 20 make ~ thsetr "nct-s- and
singer" Then ne sang and paved a love
song. ard then hs sang and played God
Is ca The Waters - Wei a. on ths
I Land" and. laying ths violin across tie
bar. ne b>gan 70 preach the goss5el % the
! son OF God - that crowd OF roeEsh rrLen
Z and cSose1 by inv .frg them - th@ s-r-'-
/ ices Which ne would bod n IA "clagout'
| sehn-olhos.s4 across the way the nezt
morning More man twenty years .aos7
\ father con6 lsrtef a s4Tvice r. Alma A.
/ that tine a gsr.;lszTAa caus 70 MIN and
said ''Yoa. % not remember ~. but
rsrnershe- you. The last tus IsssT you
was - a saloon - Wicoits- Tr.T-1 a@
/ -scsr.sd ne i-csse7s f'ss, r~>a,<d and add
! ID. I -gas n r-z-t crowd. t-$v> never
/ forxo-tsa yo1- words They ES7s a
/ chznxed nan q rls-'