Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-05-23
A REMARKABLE TREE.
The Body of an Old Minister
GrOWslntO u Mulberry
Tree.
philadelpbia Press.

Philadelphia Press.
In the private cemetery adjoining
the Academy of Natural Sciences, al
most hidden by the tall, green grass
and covered with moss, there stands
the stump ofwhat was once flourish.
ing mulberry tree. If this stumI
could speak it would unfold a most
wonderful tale OF TRANSPORTATION, moi
Of the spiritual, but Of the physical
kind, the tree of which the stump
is a melancholy relic found its birth
in a human death, and hourished
and grew upon a diet of blood
and bones and coffin boards, like
the famous tree that sprang
from the grave of Roger Williams.
Linked with the history of this stump
there is another history, equally curl.
Gus, which concerns two churches, one
long since torn down and forgotten,
the other now standing in a fashion,
able quarter Of the city. Away back
10 the beginning Of the present GEN.
tury, before steamships were ever
thought of, Mrs. Agnes Duncan, a
good Scotch dame, of noble birth, set
sail in a stout ship for the infant
republic. When in midocean the
elements set up a terrible hub bub,
the rain came down in torrents, the
waves rolled mountain high, and the
superstitious Scotch dame, falling
upon her knees, prayed for delivery,
vOwing, in return for this boon from
nerciful Providence, to build and
endow a church when she should
reach dry land. She arrived in
Philadelphia, and, by her direction. a
frame church was built on Thirteenth
street, on the west side, half way be-
tween Market and Hilbert. The first
pastor was Rev. Isaac McInniss, also
Scotchnan. The church grew and
prospered, and number of the con-
gregation, for their own convenience,
established private cemetery-the
one now adjoining the Academy of
Natural Science. This was in 1924.
Mrs. Duncan removed TO Baltimore.
A branch church or chapel was estab.
lished at Twelfth and Walnut streets,
presided over, in spiritual sense, by
one Rev Blackwell, and afterward by
John Palmer. who WILDE remembered
by many. Blackwell gave his name
TO the little church on Thirteenth
street. In the meantime Rev. DR..
McInniss, who had grown to be stout
old gentleman, with white hair, fell
sick and died of typhus fever. He was
covered with winding sheet, laid in a
coffin of fine black walnut, and care
fully deposited ia his own plot Of
ground in the private cemetery. The
years went by and the memory Of Pas
tor McInniss faded from the memory OF
all but few. One fine day in spring
a mulberry sapling pushed its way up
through the grass near the head Of the
grave. Warm air and sunshine favored
its growth, and it soon developed into
healthy tree, bearing an abundance
Of blood red mulberries, which the
children of the neighborhood monopo.
lised as fruit created especially for
the delectation of their tender paiates.
Persons remarked that the position of
the mulberry tree was strange one,
but to this day the peculiar cause Of
its presence would probably hot be
known had it not been fsr a quarrel
which arose 10 the Blackwood church,
and which finally eliminated in the
trustees claiming as the property OF
the church the little graveyard, They
were ousted, aud In revenge ordered
the bones of their ancient pastor, Mo.
lnniss, to be dug up and removed.
Forthwith to the grave proceeded
the trustees. The grave digger
drove his spade in the ground and
scattered the damp dirt sEauud.
Deeper and deeper into the ground
went the spade. The pile of earth by
his side grew in size. Still there was
no sign Of the coin. Dismay was de-
picted in the cOuntenauce Of the trus
tees. The spade became entauglsd in
the roots Of the mulberry tree, When
more dirt was removed it was found
that the roots had completely filed
that portion Of the grave occupied BY
the coffin, of WHICH not "A much as {
fragment was leit-oply two Of the
metal mountings on the lid and a few
nails, Not Q boue could be found.
Tho mulberry tgee had absorbed
everything. Not even a trace of a
bone or Of the shrOud was there,
although long time was spent in the
search ...f ~