Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-04
EPISCOPAL BISHOPS
Their Labors, Trials and Triumphs in
Pioneer TINES in Nebraska,
PREPARING THE GROUND FOR TIL: SEEDING
struggles and Privntions of Church
workers Thirty Years Ago
The Harvest Time of
Later Years.

The iabors. ,rials and ]triumphs OF the
pioneer bisf Is Of the Episcopal church IN
Nebraska are approximately, though briefly
aEetched by Henry w. Yates In the January
number OF the Crozier. The pioneer period
begins with the coming Of Bishop Talbot In
1850. aud the work taken UP by Bishop
Cltrkson six years later. Mr. Yates says ID
part:
The first establishment Of the church here
was accomplished by laymen without the
connection or aid OF any episcopal function.
This was the case both at Nebraska city ana
Omaha. in which the Oldest parishes exist.
The first church movement occurred in
Omaha. A few laymen met together in 1906
End decided that they wanted the church
and sent an urgent request to Bishop Lee
OF Iowa 10 visit them with reference to or
Lanizing a parish. He responded by sending
to them Rev. Edward w Peet of Des Moines,
who met with them and under his advice
and direction the parish Of Trinity church
now Trinity cathedral, was organized.
II, was after this that Bishop Kemper, in
whose jurisdiction Nebraska then was, LEFT
his home in Wisconsin TO visit this distant
station. He was joined at Des Monies by
Bishop Lee, and on July 10. 1856, those two
bishops held services in Omaha in the ter
ritorial government building, which we're at
tended by crowded congregations
This was the first and only visit ever maze
to Nebraska by Bishop kemper. shorIIS
afterwards he resigned his missionary
turisdictiop and Nebraska was then placed
under the especial charge OF Bishop Lee,
which continued until 1857, when the gen
eral convention of that year elected Blshop
Talbot over a widely extended jurisdiction
which included Nebraska.
Early PriVntions.
! can find no record of any other visit from
Bishop Lee than the one referred to, except
when the cornerstone was laid, when Is
mentioned in the quotations which follow
A begging circular, dated June !, 1893 was
issued by the vestry OF Trinity church ana
circulated among the eastern chufcnes'
which says:
Dprsvious to the financial en-
harrassment of 1867 we were fortunate
to secure a lot for a churcn
building . . = We proceeded SO far as tt
Law the corner stone when the panic before
mentioned coming upon us, fofceu US u
suspend all operations we nave
heen .compelled to move about from place ic
place. and occupy rooms entlreIy unsuiteu
for church purposes. CThere are no public
halls berel . = We wish to build q
good. cheap chapel to cost $l,5OO to SZ'ooo
and thus have a permanent place 10 Wo''
shin. in WDlcl we can dlNhSS "
A paper entitled AN Account of Bishop
Talbots Mission of Trinity Church pre-
scented in 1862 continues the story.
"In the spring of 1857 it was determined
to huild a church. The vestry almost alone
bought a lot and paid $1,000 for it and sub
scribed the sum of $1,000 towards buildinl
n church to cost 500, 900. In the summe'
Bishop Lee laid the corner stone Shorll!
afterwards the financial reverses came
sweeping away at a breath much OIL I'M
supposed wealth of those on whom reliance
for aid had been placed In th'
summer Of 1857 a neat brick building VIII
200 sittings was built. The lot belonging u
the church was believed too far removed
from the town, and a lease for ten year,
was obtained of two lots advantageously 10
cated without expense. The building wa
huilt of brick because persons interested II
the enterprise owned the material whicl
they offered to give while they were unabl
TO give the necessary money 10 puy lum
Der"
Doubtless manual labor was contribute
IN the same manner as the brick, and al
this explains the erection OF the first churc
in Nebraska upon leased ground This lttl
church erected in this manner and uneonse
Grated by any Episcopal function shoul
vet ever remain a consecrated memory !
the MINDS anu Ftd4lS VI 'AhoHH
even If subsequently, its walls resounded wit
ribald songs and indecorous dancing an
ended its existence in its more reputab
use as a stable.
BishOp Talbot.
Bishop Talbot was consecrated Fehruaf
10. 1860, and took up his work soon aftel
wards. At this time there were three par
ishes and three clergymen in Nebraska
His services were brief and it has been sal
that the most important part of his wor
that remains is Brownell hall. In the es
adjustment OF Brownell hall a service wa
rendered TO the church and people OF Nc
braska equal in Importance to the buildin
of a dozen churches. But those familia
with the circumstances know well that tn
school. located in a large barn-like buildin
in a mail hamlet, then three miles fro
Omaha and without any means 10 suppo
It. would have soon gone into oblivion If
had not been for the fostering care of Bishc
GARRISON.
1t is hardly fair TO pass any judgmel