The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-04
SAM JoNEs's EARLY HOME.
His Ancestry and Some Points in His En-
vironment.

Southern Bivouac for January.
While the man is yet living, with his work in
complete it is, perhaps, premature to attempt
anything like thorough analysis of what he is or
what ia to be the outcome of his work. The man
and his work. however, challenge earnest
thought. One of the most cultured and thought
full men of Georgia gives this vivid picture of
his early life:
81 am quite familiar with some facts in his
biography. He was born in Chambers county,
Alabama, and have reasons to remember that
section of Alabama with peculiar vividness. Its
physical conformation, soil and climate early at
tracted attention. and the families that settled
In and around Oak Bowery and Lafayette
brought with them the interblended blood of
Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky. Thirty-fve
or forty years ago knew many Of the old popu
iation, and especially the Methodist families
The pioneers had even then become the patri-
archs, and finer race of people never saw
The pictures of their saintliness their tender
home life and kind neighborliness, the absence
of city conventionalisms and the freedom of
rural manliness were very beautiful to me in
those days, and more attractive now in the mel
lowing light of later years. How far these
homelike forms of loneliness and easy habits of
Christian intercourse affected the young Sam
cannot say, but can say that it was a fne and
tonic atmosphere for boy to breathe in his
early days. Purity. fervor and bouyancy
abounded in the atmosphere of those hills,
where the great oaks and hickories were symbols
of the health and vigor Of Mr.. Jones's ancestry;
more definite words may be written. No doubt
the roll and sweep of the uplands and their
wooded forests were felt in his heredity blood,
but the blood itself is unmistakable. The
grandmother, the mother, the father of Sam.
were people of marked character and we may
we'll believe that in such instances hereditary is
among the surest and best of providential laws.
have no doubt that Sam Jones is large debtor
to his ancestral blood Blood dies, but blood
manages somehow to get into character and
never quite dies.
"Sam Jones was reared in Georgia, where he
has been surrounded by loving and devoted
friends The death of his father led TO the cou-
version OF Sam. Such a scene as was witnessed
in that chamber of death is not often beheld.
The hour was tragic. Falling on the floor the
prodigal son cried out: I'll quit! III quit! God
be merciful to me, sinner!' The great change
came by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit;
and think you that an ordinary life would by
the laws of nature and grace, follow such con-
version. Miracles aside. l find room in Saul of
Tarsus, in Bunyan, in Ignatius Loyola and
Wesley, to trace both the physiological and
psychological effects of tragical circumstances
in developing intensity of religious character.
Beginning at once his ministry, Mr.. Jones was
received into the North Georgia Conference in
1872, but it was not until 1876, in Floyd county.
Georgia, that the dormant preacher began to
emerge into the specific forms of power since
characteristic of his genius So it was with
Wordsworth In poetry, with Lord Beaconsfeld
in craftsmanship. with James Watt in the art of
invention and with Chalmers in preaching
SIN approaching platform which Sam
Jones stands. surrounded by thousands of up
turned faces, what arrests attention is his utter
freedom from cleriealism in any of its character
istcs His attitudes his tones of voice, his
forms Of expression have all the natura1pess and
freshness of Kentucky or Tennessee popular
stump speaker. The feeling produced in the
hearer is mixed. You approve the naturalness,
but find yourself putting an Interrogation point
before the abandon in manner and expression.
1t is hard TO rid ones self of the conviction that
reverence is absent or there would be greater
constraint in manner While you are yet turn
ing this question over he bursts upon you with
witticism, slang phrase. or reckless abuse, such
as of1ends most deeply and makes you wish your
self safely out of the audience. Your politeness
holds you until his words of application come,
fierce with earnestness or Drumming over with
sympathy. You now want to hear more
His wit is his first great power with the
masses How much his Georgia training and
birth has to do with this it is difficult to say it
admits only of suggestion What Georgiais pre-
else relation to generation Of wit is may be an
open question: this much is true so far as pub
lshed wit in the South in concerned, we are sure
that Georgia has more than all the other States
combined We know of no Northern State, or
half dozen States. which compare with her. May
the reason not be that Georgia is one of four
States in the South which are old enough to be-
gin to give distinct type to their peoplea The
rest of them are too young. as yet, to develop
any particularly Distinguishing traits"