The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-13

The History of Sam Jones, Who Is Waking
UP the Georgia Churches.

up the Georgia Church0s.
Macon Correspondence of Philadelphia Times
Ii is not uncommon thing for man not
worth thousand dollars who lives in smap
country town in plain house not fully paia. for
to refuse the gift Of q $40, 900 house IN large
city, ard yet that is what Sam Jones did the
other day in Nashville And Tho is Sam Jonesg
Written on the conference minutes it reads:
Samuel Parkes Jone~. agent Oruhanss Home
but nobody writes sm reverend and everybody
calls him SAM. He is thirtysix years DID, was
oorn IN Alabama was brought I'D IN Georgia
His father was lawyer and his mother sensl-
BILE, intelligent and excellent woman Sam was
a precocious boy. He was always ready for
lively time dog fight a fsticuif, tishlng froic
or speech. When he was five 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 in what
he learned by absorption. Nobody saw him
study, bat he knew more than any of his fel
lows TIE 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 vagabond, never
gambler, thief or coward, but he would get
on sprees much to the grief Ct his good mother
and father.
His father took him into his Office, and Sam
soon was IS. p Jones, Esq, attorney tlaw.
he had no practice and no money but be met a
an engine and drove dray to make a living.
One day Sam. who was employed ia running an
engine which was connected with an ore erusher
at furnace, was much annoyed by those who
FED the crusher putting pieces of rock into the
copper and throwing the whole of the machin
erv out OF gear Sam declared very emphatic
aliy b,s intention to knock the head off the next
man who lid it. 1t was done directly, and by
Durlv Irishn. an. Sam seized a hammer and
knocked the Iris imam down. Next day Sam was
coming from his cain, and, In an open space
some distance from every one, stoou MS antag-
onist Of the preceding day.
''Ye struck me yesterday, said Pat mo mon
ever strikes me onct who does not strike me
again.
Now, Pat, said Sam. eve are about even.
you as said would; don't bear malice; let's
drop the matter"
But the Irshman declared his determination
to have a fight then and there. The Irishman
had only one eye. Sam looked at him with per-
feet GOODNESS.
"Pat,' he said II don't want to fight you,
can't; you could whip me in a minute: but
tell you what l will do You've got but one eye
and if you lay your hand on me. sure as you are
living, will gouge your eye out. and you VIII be
as blind as bat"
That settled it. Pat knew his man, and NUT
terine, "The mon. that will gouge is coward"
left Sam alone
One day Captain Jones fell SICK and in a little
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 tine--a sallow, thin faced, sloucny little
fellow, with a keen black eye; he came to the
conference for a circuit He got one He went
to it. He did not know much about theology
then, in truth he dosen't know much now, but
he knew men and ne knew their needs, and he
began to preach 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 came
very near whipping blacksmith who angered
him. He was rather unmerciful to men whose
religion was all mouth or all tears.
In twoyears we took Sam into the confer
ence, and settled it that he would Go. Since
then he has won his way. He can draw larger
audience in Atlanta to-day than Cough could,
or Edwin Booth did. He went to Memphis, to
Huntsville, to Knoxville, to Brooklyn, and at
last to Nashville. They built him a great tent
there. They abused him, placarded him, threat
ened him, and rallied round him. The result
Of three weeks meetings was 1000 new mem
bers to the churches and 1000 conversions.
Sam Jones's sayings have become common
property. They are his own. They are gath
cred from all sources and they always have
point. Brother Jones, said nervous brother,
what makes you chew tobacco2" ''To get the
juice out" said Sam. Sam Jones is like no one,
and no one is like him. He is simply Sam Jones,
who loves the good, scorns the mean, and helps
tho weak