The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
In Bozeman.

q Bozeman, March A farewell re-
.reption was accorded Rev. and Mrs.
George Comfort at the Methodist
church on Thursday evening. Rev.
Comfort has been in Montana num-
Der Of years, and was the fourth mis-
4sionary of the Methodist faith, and so
was one of the pioneer missionaries,
rOutside of the Roman Catholic priests.
to carry on missionary work in Mon
'tana. He came to Montana in response
to call by the bishop who had this
part of America under his care in the
spring of 1868, and continued in the
work up to about 1894. During these
years Rev. Comfort has seen many
changes in Montana and has held sew
eral offices in the church. He served
%one term as presiding elder of the Boze-
man district, which then included Hell
ena and 5Great Falls He was also sec--
rotary Of the Montana conference of
the Methodist church for a period of
six years, which is the longest term
ever held by any one, and he began his
duties as secretary in 1880 and was pre-
siding elder before he was secretary.
He preached the first sermon in LiV-
ingston, and also baptized the first con-
vert, married the first couple and read
the service for the dead at the first
the first sermon in Dillon, in the Ruby
valley and in the Jefferson valley. He
has probably married more couples.
preached more sermons and buried
more people than any other preacher in
the Gallatin valley, and is known from
one end of Montana to the other. In
the spring of 1858 or 1869, while Butte
was yet small village, he prophesied
to a number of his congregation that
that city would be large city inside of
ten years. He had noticed on his trip
from Helena to Butte a lot of blossom
quartz, and from that formed his opin-
ion of the future of the country. His
audience did not believe him, but the
city of Butte to-day shows that his be-
lief and judgment were of the best In
1894 Rev. and Mrs. Comfort We're APP
pointed to take charge of the Orphans
home at Twin Bridges. and were very
successful in their work. In 1898 the
pioneer preacher was selected by the
republican party to represent them in
the legislature of Montana, but he went
down with many other republicans at
the election in November. He has
spent about forty years in the ministry
and Is now about 6S years of age, and
is about to leave Montana for a trip
through the southern states, and then
will settle in his old state, Pennsylva-
mia. 1t was for the purpose of bidding
this old worker for the souls of men
farewell and Gods speed that the re-
ception of Thursday evening was ac-
corded him. There was a good au-
dience and the remarks of those who
took part in the programme and the
music rendered were very interesting,
the former being of especial interest to
the old timers and their children, many
of whom were present and for whom
the programme had a fitting beginning,
with the following quotation from Bob
bic Burns:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should aud acquaintance be forgot,
And days O. lang syne?'
The several events on the programme
were as follows:
Song, My Country It's of Thee"
song, He Leadeth Me-" prayer. Rev
o. F. McHargue; address, by chair
man; address, Back in the COS" Rev
Davis Wilson; song, Rock of Ages"
"reminiscences" General L. S. Will
son, Mrs. w, H. Tracy, F. L. ,Benepe,
Rev. W. Nutting; song, Come Thou
Fount;" address, Between the Old