Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-12-08

deaconry at Pocatello. and church, rec
tory and parish house at Twin Falls.
New church or parish halls have been
erected at the following pdaces; Idaho
Falls, American Falls, st. Anthony
Bull Dubois, Rupert Burnley, Goodng,
Jerome, Wendell, Bruneau, Glenns
Ferry, Nampa, Mackay, Lava Hot
Springs. Montpelier, Moscow, Wallace,
New Meadows, Mccall, Spirit Lake,
Occur d'Alene, Kellogg, Mullan, Sand
point and many other places
SOME OF HIS DIFFICULTIES
"A missionary bishops life is not a
bed of roses: more often 1t is a thorny
path. Bishop Funston was greatly
andicapped through lack of men to
the pioneer work fell upon his own
shoulders. I. who have been with him
mere than 16 years. know something
of the great difficulties he experienced
liz this direction. We have always had
many more missions than men to fill
them. People have been pouring into
Idaho, and it has been our ambition
to give to them the gospel of Christ as
soon as possible. The bishop often ov-
ertaxed his strength by long and ar
ouous journeys to preach to them the
Word of Life and feed them with the
food of heaven. He was naturally
strong and robust and spurned phys
ical difficulties.
"He was a born soldier and consid-
cred the call of duty the first obliga-
ton of his life. These duties required
long journeys OF thousands of miles
by rail and stage through the sage
brush plains of Idaho, and especially
Wyoming. Through heat and cold,
Eindst6rm and duststorm, rain and
sleet and snow he Travelled without a
nnrmur. Long dreary waits for the
trains at little ou-of-the way places by
day and By night, at poorly lighted and
heated stations Sometimes there
were no stations ct al, and through the
cold night hours he would pace up and
down the tract; awaiting the signal of
the coming headlight. we have stop
| ped together at rcor shacks of hotels
| in forsaken mining towns of central
Idaho in weather far below zero. but
without a murmur on the bishops part.
Resides this, there were the irregular
meals, poorly cooked and indigestble.
But greater than any administrative
| difficulty, greater than the physical
difficulties. were the spiritual discour-
agements and disappointments. These
were the hardest of all to bear. He
would travel for miles, endure hard
| ship and loss of sleep, only to find the
people Indifferent to his coming Many
a time he has had to round up his
i CONGREGATION, open the cnurcn and
| build the fire himself
What, let me ask you, enabled him
| tn do these things? The love of Christ
| in his heart. And was his effort a
failure? ] think not. Bishop Funston
left an influence upon that community
oven though they did not come to the
| church to hear his message. Mems
hearts were touched and lifted up a
little nearer to that Christ which the
bishop came to preach Yes, he left
en- influence all over this great state
that can never die. The church in
Idaho today is better because of the
lives of great men like Bishop futile
Ess.op Talbot and Bishop Funston.
He spared not himself. AT salary
of $500 he gave his life for his people
Nh. Hartman, the great president OF
the Union Pacific system, said to him
| ir New York on one occasion: Bishop
as lawyer and AN organizer you
could command a salary of fifty TO a
hundred thousand dollars year in
this city Yet, he gave his life to Idaho
for $500, and every cent of that was
contributed by the mission board In
/ New York rhe bishop knew all thi,
when he entered the ministry, but III
counted ii gain to serve the Lord rath,
! thar, tho xyor1d