Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-30
FLEEING FROM THE FLOOD,
The Story of Rev. a. N. Lewis, "Eor-
meriY of Kansas"

WOULD Dc hard to find a picture of dea
Tuition equal to the one Tn he aeon 81
NO. II Morgan street. in this CITY
Mhere Rev. a. NJ. Lewis and his fam
ny are CHARTERED. A Globe Democrat
reporter called there last evening and
was informed by kind-hearted Irish
woman that "Mr. Lewis lived Mkt
SOor, upstairs, and amoity decent man
ne was, too. Ochl sure, but they're
awful poor. God help 'eml him an
MS two daughters an thir two chill
dren. Never a bed did they have 70
lay themselves on till L give 'em me
ould sofa"
She then lighted the reporter through
narrow passage way to the foot of a
d1apidated stairway leading up out of
stable like room without flooring. To
the next floor. In answer to the guides
voice woman appeared at the top of
the stairs, with a lamp in her hand.
and on being informed of a desire to
see Mr.. Lewis she invited the reporter
to walk up.
The head Of the stairs terminated in
a room with low smoke blackened and
broken plastering Before a wretched
looking fireplace, in which a couple of
pine sticks were Pickering away, there
was lounge on which reclined gray
haired old man, the object of an in
tended interview. On pallet in one
corner beneath scanty covering of
old quilts a young woman with wan
features was lying with her 1-year-old
babe asleep beside her. Standing over
the dyinR-embers was haggard-faced,
stunted boy of years, who appeared
utterly lost to his surroundings while
contemplating the little handful Of fire
before him. 1t was his mother who
did the honors of the occasion. Papa"
said she, "there is a gentleman here
who wishes to see you" Then the
aged form assumed a sitting posture,
and
THE OLD GENTLEMAN
rendered seat beside him, which was
accepted. as there was no ItheI in the
|. room, which was more striking for its
leanliness than its poverty.
: 1t was plain to be seen the man was
possessed of more than ordinary intelli-
gence, and when asked to relate the
circumstances that placed him where
he was, readily consented.
He is a duly accredited Methodist
preacher, born in Champaign county.
Ohio, sixty-five years ago, and says he
has been a minister of the gospel fol
forty years. In Difference to the wish.
es of his wife he had refused to Join
the itinerancy, consequently he had
been local preacher all that time. and
in that long period had only received
$75 directly from the Methodist church.
For several years he had preached at
Indianapolis and in that vicinity. In
1855 he went out to Topeka, where he
pre- tempted piece Of land and began
farming, in the hope of concealing his
abilities as propounder of the gospel.
But one Sunday evening his brother-in.
law and himself went to church and
the brother revealed his vocation, from
which time on he had to preach every
Sunday. Then he organized church
about six miles from Topeka, which he
left in a prosperous condition. He
never asked them to pay him anything
for his services and they never offered
to pay salary. Satisfied that he could
not earn living in that way he de.
termined to go south after his wife
died, about five years ago, and boarded
the Inflated steamer Glencoe that sunk
at Delta with forty families on board.
He and his two daughters were among
tho saved. Finally home was made
at Lake Providence, where the neces-
sarles OF life were procured at the car
penter trade, for himself and daugh-
tiers, one Of whom in the meantime
had become widoT. Later the young
est daughter was married, and she, too.
became widow within few months.
by which time the minister found him.
self the grandfather OF two children
looking to him for support. Something
over year ago
ARKANSAS CITY.
on the Mississippi river, between Green
Vile and Memphis, was nearly swept
out Of existence by Ere, and at the suQ-
gestion OF friends the old preacher
went there about a month ago to ply
tho plane and saw in erecting a new
town. They arrived at the town ON
Thursday, and on the following Sun
day water was shoe deep all over the
place, and kept rising at the rate of
from three to Eve inches each day. In
this state Of affairs, no carpenter work
could be procured and sickness added
to the family troubles by prostrating
the whole family except the eldest
daughter. The water kept on rising
until the top of the Little Rock, Mis-.
sissippi and Texas railroad embank
ment was reached, when the greatest
alarm was felt that the banks would
give way and let the water in with
such velocity that it would wash away
houses and all before it. Backwater
had already driven most of the inhabi-
tants away from their stock and other
personal effects to high land about
Memphis or little Rock. Fortunately
Tor the town the pressure against the
levee was relieved by break at Catfish
Point, at which place the waters rush
ed through inundatinO a strofch %