The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-12
ratsuyt 10 / I JOHN


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distances tgoa4 Aitehe!l cAn ste4se
materially from this intsgosl | have
In. and It's respect ! entertain for,
her citizenship ne city napesa AL
come 10 my desk Ia Chicago rreu.
laIly, and | take much comfort la
keeping tn touch With th.. city )
social affairs, sue as her comings
and goiugs, births, deaths. mar
rlases, divorces. etc. Md when
a recent issue OF the Mitehel VI Daily
Republican conveyed To me The sad
intelligence OF Rev. l.. I. Joln's
death, IL brought back very wildly
to NV mind the pioneer lays OF
Dakota, and | decided to ask, very
humbly, for a little space in a future
issue OF the paper in which TO say -
few kindly words for my dead friend,
whom l so greatly loved and aG.
mired.
Shakespeare says:
The evil that men do lives after
them;
The good is often inferred with
their hones.n
Reverend John had no evil to live
after him. To those who knew him
best his life was the Christians
ideal. His faith was perpetual; his
temperament, even; his disposition,
kind; and his heart was not bounded
by it's pericardium.
In the early days of Dakota when
her populace was as yet largely I'M
acquainted; when the bleaching
bones OF the buffalo still decorated
the old homestead. and when the cry
of the hungry wolf, from some near
by knoll, was the last echoing sound
that pervaded the little sod shanty
at night az its members passed into
| silent slumber, this pioneer servant
of God made his way, not unlike the
circult-rider of old, from farmhouse
to farmhouse and proclaimed the
word of his Master among those early
settlers. Very distinctly do [ re-
member his sermons in the old school
house with charcoal frescoes IN its
walls'', and the ''jack-knlved carved
initials" on its desks, located in
Beadle county, about six miles
northwest of Alpena, where he used
to call the community together, eX-
pound to them the gospel and invoke
upon them until his next return,
the blessings of an all-wise Provi-
dence. Since then, a quarter Of a
century has sped by in the cycle Of
time. This grand old preacher who
believed in, taught and practiced,
the "old-time religion'':.has passed
into eternity, where, today, let US
hope, his faith has found reward. To
let his death pass by with only
causual notice would be sa%crilegious
on the part of those who protited by
his life.
AS %a..preacher he vas logical and
emotional, and he possessed a rare
Gift OF the Holy Ghost. Not infre-
quently during his sermons people
would (f judged by the worldly be-
come hysterical and do the strangest
OF things. Neighborhood q%uarels
would be broken up and the envions
parties forgive each other, rush to-
gether and embrace as though the
world had come to an end and
Heaven we're at hana. (Judged as
a condition of the human mild. it
was.)
His days are ore. The good he
did was not entered with (llis)
bones." The lessons which he
Taught and the influence which be
shed will live through several pener
ations. Yet, after all Of his splendid
deeds, the church, as is customary
with it. let him die in very humble
circumstances. Last year, 1T gave
to him but 800. In these high
priced times how could any man
hope to live on such an income?
Today, the church is crying ont
everywhere for young men to enter
the ministry; yet n needs but to
look about him at the bent forms OF
aged ministers, scantily clad and
often going to bed hungry, to see
the reason for our young men seek.
ing other employment. Still, may
the good done nv those who have.
and will continue to. make such q
= sacrifice bear fruit upon the earth!
: 0. w. Coursey.
Chicago, July 6, 1907.
Modest Claims Often Carry the Mos
Conviction.
w.. %J. ~.