The morning call., 1891-07-28
FATHER" ELPHICK.
A Well.Known Figure Realizes
His Own Predictions.
II Do Not Fear Death; Expect to Wither
Like Plant, and to Die Without Ache
Pain, as Calmly as Going to Sic p"

A Geographic dispatch brings the lntelli-
gence that Levy S. Elphick, well known to
every resident of this city as Father"
Elphck. the headed old man who
sold papers at Lotta's fountain, had died
suddenly while engaged in picking
fruit somewhere in the southern part
of the State, but the place is not mentioned.
There was no more conspicuous figure in
San Francisco than Father Elphck. about
whom so little in general way is known.
The old bent white-haired and bare heade
man who sold papers was a familiar sight,
but where he lived or the whereabouts Of
his family is not known. A short time ago
he concluded TO give up the sale Of papers
while the fruit-picking season lasted and
become fruit-picker, and with that object
In view he quietly left the city. The next
heard Of him was the announcement of his
death.
Levy S. Elphick was born in Hull, York
shire, England. in 1906, and it is evident that
he must have lived in or near Brighton, for
In 1850 he became member of the Brighton
Temperance Society, at the time when
Father Mathew was conducting his great
temperance crusade. Mr. Elphick had been
teetotaler twenty years in advance of that
time. While young man he learned to be
a bricklayer, and followed that trade until
the early fifties, when he packed up his kit
and came over TO this side, setting In Can
AGA. In 1000 lie came 10 IllS SIdtb anu ulU
well, saving money. He was a vegetarian,
lived abstemiousDy. did not drink, chew or
smoke, and had no bad habits. When asked
as TO his nativity and religion he would
answer: Il am native OF England, and
my religion is to do good. The globe is my
home, and every man and woman on 1t Is
my brother and sister,"
After remaining in California for awhile
he went away, but where he did not say.
He returned in 1884, after an absence of
several years, and went to pay visit to his
daughter who has vineyard in Napa Val
ley, about mile from Soda Springs. His
hatred of everything in the shape OF intoXi-
cants cannot b6 more graphically described
than 10 use his own language with reference
to that visit. He told of a gentleman who
was driving along the road in his carriage
on his way to his home, who told him to get in
and ride. The gentleman said he was driving
to his home, the Soda Springs, about a mile
from which lies my daughters farm. with
the vineyard on the right, VINE cellar on
the left, and on the south Of that running
brook or creek. If the creek or the spring
would wash away the wine cellar, put out
the 'fire-water' of he'll. thought could be
happy"
81 rode forward to the springs and very
soon arrived at Mount Pleasant Oh, how
delightful! The place was veritable para
disc. The ground WAS covered with flowers
of every hue. and the air scented with most
delightful perfume. Here, | thought, are
the FIRST elements of life-living air, living
water. living sun and everything nature re-
quires to build up our living locomotives.
Truly this was the garden of Edenl But as
/ wandered about that beautiful mountain
once more l stumbled across the same old
devii-a rum-shop, bar. A bar indeed,
to heaven aud an open gap to hell, where
every day many OF my fellow-workingmen
have no more sense than to tumble right
in"
In little pamphlet written by, or for him,
in April, 1887, he gives expressions to his
views as to how men should live in the fol-
lowing language
1t is now more than fifty years since saw that
the consumption OF fresh meats had brutallZing
tendency. On the principle that Lord Byron said,
Whenever l eat hog l become hoggsh," so
when ate animal l became full OF anmasm,
full OF animal desires, and suffered the penalties
that follow, which came in the forms of discon-
tent and disease. And II is my opinion that the
worid VIII never be truly happy until 1t rises out
OF the animal into the human, so as 10 be free
from its desires and penaltes-gout. rheumatism
disease and death. The Edenc diet Is the nat
ural diet OF man. that which was given to the
first pair in tho Garden of Eden God said: 81
give you for meat every herb bearing seed which is
upon the face Of the earth and every in which
inc nli OF tree yielding seed" All true reform
must begin first at the table. We cannot with
IMMUNITY load ourselves with poisous, whether In
the form OF decaying bodies OF animals. alcohol,
tobacco or drugs Nor can we stuff ourselves
with animal flesh ana he holy, whether prlesI or
peasant The Immortal Milton said:
For swinish gluttony
Meier looks to heaven amidst her gorgeous feast
But with besotted. base ingratitude
Grams. and blasphemes her feeder
All true foods as grains and fruits, exert a uuI.
eting and cooling Influence upon the bodv and
scientific research has proved that every ele-
ment, whether mineral or organic, which is re-
ouired for nutrition is found in the vegetable
Kingdom.
He based his philosophy upon the saying
of Cuvier, that "Ihe natural food of man.
judging from his structure. appears to con-
sist of fruits, roots and escuent parts of
vegetables" In conversation he was hIuo nj
and straightforward, or. as the old man has
1t, "he called spade spade.' He said:
1 eat to live. and not live to eat, as some men
DO. swine and chickens are the scayengers of
the earth, but man Is a greater scaveuger than
these. for he eats swine, chicks ana ALL
For drink he used pure water, nothing
else. he held in utter abomination cigar
cite smoker, and, in fact, the use of tobacco
In any form. lie breakfasted on milk meal
ground oats. apples, celery, lettuce, or any
kind OF fruit or vegetables that was most
convenient. lie put no hot food into his
stomach, and drank neither tea nor coffee
A wealthy gentleman, fat and sleek, but
who suffered from ill-health, stopped his
carriage to ask the old man the secret of his
healthy and happy look. After telling him
to throw away his cigar, lie told him that
he eat and drank too much.
" You should follow Daniel" said he. "wben
the steward asked him to partake of food from
the Kings table, he said: 1 do not want to
defla the temple OF God with the unrighteous
food and drink from the Kings table, but give
me pulse aud water aud try your servants ten
days only And how do you think the slaves
or servants came out? II Is said tuey came out
farer, handsomer. wiser and stronger. The
quotation have made may not be in the exact
language. out that was 1t In effect. My religion