The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-11
a SOUTHERN PREACHER.
The History Of Sam Jones, Who Is Waking
Up the Georgia Churches.

The History OF Sam Jones, Who Is Waking
Up the Georgia Churches.
1t is not an uncommon thing, writes
Macon, Ga. correspondent TO The
PHILADELPHIA Times, for man not
worth a thousand dollars, who lives in
a small country town in a plain house
not fully paid for, to refuse the gift of
q $4,000 house in a large city, and
yet that is what Sam Jones did the
other day in Nashville. And who is
Sam Jones?
Written on the conference minutes
1T reads: Samuel Parkes Jones, agent
Orphans home," but nobody writes
HIM reverend and everybody calls him
Sam. He is Sc years old, was born in
Alabama, was brought up in Georgia.
His father was a lawyer, and his moth
er a sensible, intelligent, and excellent
woman. Sam was precocious boy.
He was always ready for lively time.
dog-fight, fisticuff, a fishing frolic,
or speech. When he was 5 years
old he was booked for a speech at a
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
In what he learned by absorption. No
body saw HIM study, but he knew
more than any of his fellows. The
teachers loved him, laughed at him,
and lathered him. He was full of
mischief, and was about 16 years old
when he began to fall into bad ways.
He was no vagabond, never a gambler,
thief, or coward, but lie would get
on sprees, much to the grief of his
good mother and father.
His father took him into his office
and Sam soon was IS. p. Jones, ESQ.,,
attorney-at-law." He had no practice
and no money, but he net bright
Kentucky girl and married her. He
ran an engine and drove dray to make
living. One day Sam, who was en-
ployed in running an engine which
was connected with an ore-crusher at
furnace, was much annoyed by those
who fed the crusher putting pieces of
rock into the hopper and throwing the
whole of the machinery out of gear.
Sam declared very emphatically his
intention to knock the head off the
next man who did it. 1t was done di-
rectiy, and by burly Irishman. Sam
seized a hammer and knocked the
Irishman down. Next Gay Sam was
coming from his 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 0nct who
does not strike me again
'.Now, pat" said Sam, 1--we are
about even. You did what told you
not to do, and / knocked you, as said
/ would; don't bear malice; let's drop
the matter"
But the irishman declared his deter
mination to have a fightthen and there.
The Irishman had only one eye. Sam
looked at him with perfect GOODNESS.
''Pat," he said, 81 don't want to
fight you; L can't; you could whip me
IN a minute; bat tell you what will
do, you've got but one eye, and if you
lay your hand on me, sure as you are
living, L will gouge your eye out, and
you will be as blind as u bat"
That settled it. Pat knew his man,
and muttering, 1.-The mon that will
gouge is COWARD left Sam alone.
One day Capt, Jones fell sick, and
in a little while the prodigal Sam stood
by dying father. He was broken
with remorse. The father died and
great change came over Sam. He
gave up his bad habits, and in two
weeks he was getting ready to preach.
That fall saw him for the first time
"a sallow, thin-taced, ,slouchv little
fellow, with keen black eye; he came
to conference for a circuit. He got
one. He went to it. He did not know
much about theology then,-ih truth,
he doesn't know much .now,-but lie
knew mem and he knew their needs,
and he began to epreach what he knew.
He made men laugh and he made men
cry and he made men angry, and one
day he lost his temper and cameNery
near whipping blacksmith who
angered him. He was rather unmerci-
full to men whose religion was all
mouth or all tears.
In two years we took Sam into lthe
conference, and settled it that he
would do. SINCE then he has won his
way He cam draw a larger audience
in Atlanta to-day than Cough could,
or Edwin Booth did. He went to
Memphis, to Huntsville, to MnoMville,
to Brooklyn, and at last to Nashville.
They built hi@ "a great tent there.
They abused him, placarded him,
threatened him, and rallied around
hiN. The result of three weeks meet
ings was one thousand new members
to the churches and two thousand con-
versions.
Sam Jones' sayings have become
rommon property-- They are his own.
They are gathered from all sources,
they always have point. brother
JONES'" said nervous brother, '&twhat
makes you chew tobacco?" Ito get
the Juice out" said Sam. Savn bones
is like 40 one and mo- one is like him.
He is simply Sam Jones, who loves
the good, scorns the mean, and helps
the weak
RafOr;spr