The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-29
TEXTS WITH MEALS.
Chicago Man Runs a Restaurant on
Bible Principles.
Chicago Inter Ocean.)

tCnlcdSO inter ocean,
A restaurant conducted upon Bible
principles, ''as Christ would conduct
an eating-house." is in successful OPP
GRAFTON in Chicago. Although hidden
away in an obscure basement at No.
203 Clark street. the restaurant, called
The Christian" has grown il favor
since it's establishment a year ago, and
hundreds of persons patronize it every
day.
Paul Funck is the proprietor of The
Christian restaurant, and ne declares
that he is guided in every act by the
Bible. The restaurant occupies a room
forty feet by ninety feet, and it is fitted
out with lunch counter and dozen
tables. The walls are decorated with
quotations from the Scriptures. Gospel
meetings are held in the restaurant
every Saturday evening. and it is closed
on Sundays. Proprietor Funck says
that he follows our a Christian inspira-
ton in giving patrons large portions
of well-coOked food for the least money
possible.
Five years ago I was a hopeless
drunkard, tottering between the peni-
tertiary and the grave" Mr.. Funck
said yesterday, as he arranged a pile
of tracts on his cashiers desk. "One
day 1 went into Y. NJ. c. A meeting,
and there heard the voice of the Lord.
Since that time l have been a Christ
ian:
Goodbye, and God be with you,
Brother john" Mr.. Funck said, turn
ing to shake hands with an aged shoe
string peddler who moved at q, snaiPs
pace.
While Mr. Funcl1 was talking there
were frequent Interruptions as custom
ers stopped to pay their checks and
give the proprietor a greeting or a
blessing. Whenever a customer whose
appearance betokened extreme poverty
entered the restaurant Mr.. Funck babe
him to keep his money, and the check
went into the waste basket with
God bless YOU" or some similar bene-
diction. Continuing his story, Mr..
Funck said
Il worked for two and one-half years
after my conversion for the former
owner of this place. He was a good
man, but not a Christian, and 1 longed
for a chance to take this place and
conduct it as l believed Christ would
have conducted it. 1 prayed for the
chance, and my prayers were answered.
The owner one day agreed to turn
money as I could pay it. started in
without funds first removed the cigar
stand, and then had the cards with the
scriptural quotations printed.
zone of my strictest rules is to allow
no swearing" and Mr.. Funck pointed
to a large sign which read: please do
not swear Thou shalt not take the
name Of the Lord thy God in vain, for
the Lord will not hold him guiltless
tAat taketh his name in vain"
Success has attended my efforts
from the first" Mr.. F'unck said. Il
prayed and looked at the life of Christ
for guidance. 1 welcomed the halt, the
lame, and the blind, and those who
could not pay for food I served with
gladness of heart. I have succeeded in
earning a living for my family and
owe but S175 on the restaurant.
Il have an organ over there, and on
Saturday evenings 1 stop serving SUD-
per at I o'clock, and from till 1880
my walters remove the tables and
bring in 400 extra cha:-s. Then we have
a gospel meeting, with addresses by
ministers and students from the Moody
institute These meetings are well at
tended, and spiritual relief is extended
to many poor and homeless creatures
Of the Lord. 1 have four Christian men
who are my walters, and you can see
how they keep the place"
The floors and woodwork Of The
Christian" restaurant are clean. and
the cloths and dishes as white as snow.
Mr. Funck says that his customers
walk many blocks to eat their meals
in a Christian atmosphere.
The bill Of fare is as extensive as any
to be found in the average restaurant
and the prices are very low. The bill
of fare bears familiar texts. and the
patron sees beneath the words ''vermi-
celli soup the warning, Prepare to
meet :ily Cod Where win you spend
eternity?'' is the question that CON-
fronts all who study the list of twenty
cent meals, and the gospel meetings
are advertised beneath the ice cream
and custards