The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-12
HALT FUNERAL AT
SALOON FOR LUNCH
Baptist Ministers Tell OF Strange
Incidents of the EARLY
Pioneer Days.
is SILVER ANNIVERSARY
Twenty Fifth Annual Convention of
South Dakota Baptists Being Held
This Week at Brookinss-
Officers Elected.

Brookings, S. D., Oct. S.-The silver
anniversary convention of South Da-
kota Baptists was called to order in
the First Baptist church in this city
yesterday afternoon at o'clock by
the president, Hon. j. f. Schrader, of
Rapid City, with already over 100 dele
gates present.
The first session of the convention
was given over to the anniversary fea-
ture of the gathering, at which time
Rev. II. M. Shanafelt, d. D.. of Huron.
the venerable Baptist bishop of South
Dakota" gave an entertaining history
of the development of the Baptist
churches in the state during the past
thirty-two years from a group of 9
churches with 230 members to 104
churches at the present time with g.
200 members, and with church prop
erty to the value of s2S7,477 and a rec
ord for beEevolence of over s1,000,00O.
"reminiscences Of Pioneers.
Not the least interesting part Of the
program was that assigned to reml-
niscences of pioneers. OF the seven
surviving ministers who were present
at the organization Of the convention
twenty five years ago, four are in at
tendance at this anniversary-Rev. e.
NJ. Epstein, of Chicago; Rev. j. P.
Coffman, of Kansas City; Rev. v. B.
Conlllin. of Canton, and Rev. Nils
Tyschen, of Los Angeles. Each one
of these pioneers made the trip to
Brookings with the expectation of be-
ing the only one present who was a
witness of that first convention.
DR.. Epstein was the Baptist pastor
at Yankton until 1882, when he re-
signed his charge to become the first
president of the state university at
Vermillion, and on October 12 of that
year he assembled in the old Clay
county court house the first classes of
that institution. DR.. Epstein is a ma
tive of Russia and is a linguist of no
mean ability and an enthusiast in all
matters pertaining to education.
Though nearly so years of age, the
doctors mental powers are still un-
impaired, as was evidenced in the
ministers conference yesterday by his
masterful discussion of theological
paper.
Mourners Drink on Way to Cemetery.
church at Elk Point in the fall of 1878
when the only railroad in the state
was from Sioux City to Yankton and
the fare was 6 cents a mile. One Of
his first experiences in his new work
was the conducting of a funeral in a
was stopped for half an hour for re-
freshments. That was not a Baptist
funeral, he hastened to explain.
Rev. Mr.. Conllin was a pioneer of
Lincoln county where he preached from
1873 to 1890. While holding his pastor
ate he conducted the first school in
Elk Point and was county superintend-
ent several terms. Rev. Mr.. Tyschen
spent his working years among the
| Danish settlements in Clay and Turner
counties. beginning in 1876. Rev. Jacob
Olson. another pioneer, related that his
pay for the first nine months of his
ministry in the early days was SO cents
and his living was bread and milk and
milk and bread" The second year of
his pastorate he received 500 for his
labors.
officers of the convention elected for
the ensuing year are: President, Hon.
]. H. Schrader Rapid City; first vice
president, Rev. Geo. e. Morphy, Brook
ings; second vice president, ]. j. Allen,
Sioux Falls; corresponding secretary,
Rev. w. c. King, Deadwood; recording
secretary. Rev. t. M. Shanafelt, D. D..
Huron.