Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-09-16
SOUTHERN PREACHER.

1t is an uncommon thing for man
not worth thousand dollars, who
lives in small country town in
plain house not fully paid for, to re-
fuse the gift of a $4,000 house in
large city. and vet that is what Sam
Jones did the other day in Nashville.
And who is Sam Jonesg
Written on the conference minutes
il reads: Samuel Parkes Jones,
agent Orphans Home, = but nobody
writes him reverend and everybody
call him Sam. He is thirty-six years
old, was born in Alabama, was
brought up in Georgia. His father
was a lawyer, and his mother sensi.
bic, intelligent and excellent woman.
Sam was precious boy. He was
always ready for lively time, dog
fight, isticuff, fishing frolic or a
speech. When he was Eve years old
he was booked for a speech at school
exhibition He ended his speech
with the prophecy:
Some day you'll hear in thunder tones
The famous name Of Sammy Jones.
He went to the best schools and
took 10 what he learned by absorp-
ton. Nobody saw him study. but.
be knew moro than any of bis fellows.
The teachers loved him, laughed at
him and lathered him. He was full
OF mischief, and was about sixteen
years old when he began to fall into
bad ways. He was no vagaboud.
never gambler, thief or coward,
but be would get on sprees, much to
the grief of bis good mother and faith
er.
His father took him into his Office
and Sam soon was rs. L. Jones, ESQ.
attorney-at-law.n lie had no prac-
tice and no money, but he met
bright Kentucky girl and married
ber. He ran an engine and drove a
dray to make o living. One day Sam.
who was employed in running an en-
CINE which was connected with an
ore-crusber at furnace, was much
annoyed by those who fed the crush
er putting pieces ofrock into the hop
per and throwing the whole of the
machinery out of gear. Sam declar-
ed very emphatically his intention to
knock the bead off the next man who
did it. 1t was done directly. and by
a burly Irishman. Sam seized a
hammer and knocked the Irishman
down. Next day Sam was coming
from bis cabin, and in an open space
some distance from everyone, stood
his antagonist of the preceding day.
"Ye struck me yesterday said
Pat; mo mon ever strikes me onct
VITO does not strike me again.
Now, Pat" said Sam, I'VE are
about even You did what told
you not to do. and l knocked you, as
| said would; l don't bear malice;
let's drop the NATTER
!. But the Irsihman declared his de-
termination to have fight then and
there. The Irishman had only one
eye. Sam looked at him with perfect
GOODNESS.
Pat" he said; II don't want TO
fight you; can't; you could whip
me in minute; but | tell you what
! will do, you've got but one eve. and
if you lay your hand on me, sure as
you are living, / will gougc your eye
out, and you will be as blind as a
bat.v
That settled it. Pat knew his man
and muttering, "The mon that will
gouge is cowOrd," left Sam alone.
One day Captain Jones fell sick,
and in little while the prodigal Sam
stood by dying father. He was
broken with remorse. The father
died and a great change came over
Sam. He gave up bis bad habits,
and in two weeks be was. getting
ready to preach That fall saw him
for the first time sallow, thinfaced,
slOuchy little fellow, with keen
black eye /; be came to the conference
for circuit. He got one He went
to 1t. He did not know much about
theology then-in truth, be don't
know much now-but he knew men
and he knew their needs, and he be-
gan to preach what he knew. He
made men laugh and be made men
CRY and be made men angry, and one
day be lost bis temper aud came very
near whipping blacksmith who an
gered him. He was rather unmerci-
ful TO men whose religion was all
mouth or all knars
In two years we took Sam into the
conference, and settled It that he
would do Since then be has won
bis way. He can draw larger an
dience in Atlanta to-day than Cough
could, or Edwin Booth did. He went
to Memphis. to Huntsville, to Knox
vile, ID Brook Iyn and ct last to Nashss
vile. They built him . great tent
there. They abused him, placarded