Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-13
A MAN WITH ENTHUSIASM IN THIS
NINETEENTH CENTURY.
Robert Mcintyre. q Brilliant Minister. Or
ator and Genius, of Chicago, Who Rev.
els in Bill Nye, James Whitcomb Riley,
Shakespeare, Milton and Carlyle.
Especial Correspondence.l

TO be immortal The lumber tTiers, Wheeler
said, might saw off their five boards in regu-
lar lengths, but they would still be sticks.
Keep Deep" was the better thing called po
etry, for which the human soul was ever in
hunger.
With this challenge 1 referred to "Knee
Deep" and restudied its lines. Noticed the
name of Robert Mcintyre, a Methodist
preacher at Urbana, Ills. Poor soil, that,
for the divine accanthus. Yet. with the aid
Of Wheeler's arrogance, sInelled of the poem
rather than read 1t, and perhaps the ailment
of the Geneva man came upon me, for my
eyes seemed opened, my ears were ready to
hear. The piece had thirty lines and began:
They are calling Knee deepl knee deepl" to-
night in the marsh below,
Down by the brook where the rank sword grass
and calamus grow;
Like army Of silversmiths forging bells for the
northern sprites,
And keeping time TO a rhyme, they work through
the summer nights.
Steadily up from the swampy forge the sparks of
the flrefies rise
The second ten lines began:
/ have known song TO lead falling elderly man
like me
Back through the gates Of the years. to the scenes
that used to be,
When the world was fenced from heaven by one
rose hedge, and thro'
And through this bourne the blessed angels
looked, G1he asphodel odors blew.
The third ten lines are here in full:
Knee deepI bend in the rppled creek, with but
tercup blooms o'erblown,
Like the gold on beauty billowy breast its color
half hid, half shown;
Knee deep In saffron marigold flowers that frank
the meadows fair
Like procession OF Saxon children, blue eyed
and with yellow hair;
Knee deep in the whortleberries, sunburned, in
the sun l stand
With my tom straw hat half filed, and quail's
nest In my hand;
Knee deep In the topaz chestnut leaves, I rustic
toward the place
Where the pert and upright rabbit sits, washing
her innocent face
Song of the quivering calmus and osiersi I am
wading again, in truth.
Knee deep In the stream Of memory that flows
from tho land Of youth.
/ have since 1885 looked for the coming of
E line Of American poetry SO agreeable to
my senses as is the possession of Saxon chill
dren with blue eyes and yellow hair, and it is
certain that my affection for the failing,
elderly man" began with that study of his
Knee Deep" In the summer of 1856 there
came to Chicago a little young person,
Jesuidcal In type of face, but honest in eye
the opposite Of a soft man-nothing grass
fed-the hopefulest man have seen. 1t was
Robert Mcintyre. He told me life was Joy.
He told me Riley, Nye, Burdette and all
the Mississippi valley children of real men
were prophesying great things for him, and
lie hoped it was the win of tho Lord He
went before the Pilates of my circle, and
they put many questions to him-vainly as
to why Dr. Thomas had been heresy hunted
out Of the Methodist church, and the gentle
force which Mcintyre exhibited in defending
his hierarchy caused much favorable COM
ment. John" said the preacher, and hehad
known me an hour in person, Il am coming
up here to be with your people. Here is my
place. But shall be happyin the country
five years yet"
trespasS thus on the readers attention be-
cause Mcintyre addressed 1000 hearers at
Chautauqua last summer and carried Off the
oratorical honors; because the gaudy chaplet
of success among the common people is al
ready on his brow. Let me tell in what
wonderful manner the chaplet befel him.
When the fire burned Chicago Mcintyre
was q skilled briclayer at Philadelphia.
Philadelphia pressed brick were to enter very
largely into the superficial construction of
buildings, and not native craftsman in Chi
cago could lay them. On, then, Robert Nc
lntyre, TO Chicago, at So a day-too much
money for an artisan, unless he be under
heavy expense | can see bis life as it was
A suit of living clothes singing trowel,
talks of strikes, deaths from falling derricks,
to make the bosses growl that precious time
should be lost in the reducings Joy at
o'clock to get out of the dust and stencil of
the district. A boarding house in Clinton
street at s. a week, with sixteen men in the
front room, at old sledge, with the car rush
Ing toward Madison street. Mcintyre on the
Palmer house, on q west side store, and at
last on the Revere house, just on the north
side Of the bridge, his pockets filed with
money, pride and adventure growing at every
yell of "Mort" Finally a challenge to
knock of, no sooner offered than taken, with
Mcintyre bidding good-by to Chicago nue.
chanic going out Of Babylon, as millions have
gone, as water rises to heaven out of our
lake
He had been a drummer boy in the war
Curiosity led him south. He took to COM
nlercial drumming, and fell upon a camp
meeting, where belief in Jesus of Nazareth as
the Saviour Of man took hold of a strong
nature. A religious education followed
When Mcintyre went to Charleston, Ills, to
preach there was no church structure. He
bought a trowel and built house Of worship
The act made him locally great. When he
was 70 so to Urbana the churches at Charles
ton united to hear him preach on the four
last Sundays he soon became orator as well
rs preacher. The 4th of July beheld his
name In red letters on the street posters At
Urbana he was within sight Of Chicago-not
the Chicago be left, but silk cushioned, low
voiced, hat lifting Chicago Not long z 20 his
Chicago called. A stone church at La Sale
and Locust had gone half empty for many
years. The best obtainable preacher and his
janitor had kept the dust Off the lower floor,
but the gallery was terra incognita- 4 cob
web portiere was woven at every pew. The
skllful preacher, too, must move along,
as his time was up A still richer and
emptier church yawned before him. To
Grace church, therefore, Mcintyre came a
trim looking figure, scared expression. a
tremulous voice see him behind his pulpit,
praying God 10 help him out Of his latest !
perplexity | see him tell the big congrega-
ton 10 sing Dennis l see the gallery
totally empty. | hear his quavering begin
ning-sorry am for Mcintyre, for all genius
genius forever afraid it must fail. l drink |
OF his growing eloquence, and for the first |
time fee less the death Of my yellow haired |
little boy. hear the preacher say he stood /
on Calvary and saw the spot where his dear
Lord was nailed upon the cross l listen TO
his description Of the cyucifixion-marvel- /
ouS!-l forget my woes The audience cranes /
and listens The scene passes
Mcintyre talks on, not sensible to time or |
rhythm-as in Knee DeepTn The sermon Is