Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-10-08
TALKS WITH A BRUSH
AN EcCENTRlc OLD EVANGELIST OF
WEsTcHEsTER, N. Y.

Misunderstanding Detcrs IIim-Pas-
sivc When violence Is Used.
Who is the mysterious paint brush
evangelist of WeStchester county? Up
and down the beautiful hills and along
the rugged, rocky roads of Wcstchcster
for mile after mile his work can be
seen. The wayfarer cannot escape it.
At every fresh turn in the road the
painted words of warning confront him.
Even the most ungodly sinner in all
New York, after walking mile from
the little village of White Plains, would
think he was surely on the rocky road
TO the New Jerusalem.
Up in Wcstchester they call the mys-
tcrious evangelist the Scripture Sling
cr." and they say she slings it powerful
thick" So he does, and with disci'imi-
nation rare, III paint of the hue of heav-
ems own blue, mixed in oil.
All along those reeky roads the fences
are made of huge bowlders, out of
which rough walls are made, separat-
ing the pastures and bounding the road
sides Besides there are still other
bowllers jutting out Of the soil along
the roadway. On these, and on the
stone fences, the mysterious evangelist
unrolds his warnings. He is little
man, but energetic. He is silent man,
except with his brush, made out of hairs
plucked from the necks of oxen. With
it lie speaks. His only name is George"
lie marches, Salvation Army of one
man, carrying bugle to announce his
TTs., I,
and the lines of his face show sixty
years. There hangs upon his head an
old straw hat, summer and winter, and
on the hat il Il broad ribbon, bearing he
legend, Jesus is mighty to save" 8
cane, carved with inliGIEerallc iusclip-
TORS, helps him over the hills ~ he
marches on. carrying t!ie battered hand
bag in which repose his restless brush
his pot of paint, his Bible and other llllc
things, such us Il comb and cake of soap
through the use of which he keeps HIM
! self only IL seminomad. They say there
is 10 vanity III him, nor any glass with
II quicksilver back in that battered bag
As lie marches he spies Il rock. his
srd brown, half hidden behind clump
Of weeds, and on which he left no mes,
sage when last along that way In IL
mrlnent the weeds are uprootod, ami
| kncelins by the rock he paints, letter by
letter. "O-b-e-y the Lord" Then lie
marches on reading the Bible. On !,
smooth worn bowldcr in the stone fence.
hc prints. "Rcpent! Believe! And sin no
more" Across the road he leaves tie
warning, lyon must repent or 80 t.
! hell" \ lirtle farther on he kncels
| ;%aia. and under his brush grow the
| words "The wages for sinners is hell
| ire
There arc painted words, .liough
al'n% the roads more worldly than lie
oncs he leave there. One of them says
Spend your Sundays at NIanhattan
beach" On finding this it is said H..
bowed his head Il moment. Then in /,
deeper shade of blue than usual, mixed
ca The spot, he painted right alongside
the words, "Where will you spend
eternity
Many of the farmers mp in Westchester
take summer boarders, and OIL big tree
III the front yard each of them nails NJ
sign which reads: PLEASANT summer
nome. Board by the day or week
! Across the road from such as these tn.
paint brush says, Think of that beauti
ful home above"
So the strange evangelist goes on
fighting the world with blue paint. mra-.
u;'e for measure, and covering the snr
plus snnce with admonition, exhortatiol
and advice.
To him all things are of the world
worldly, and therefore he knows naugh.
of l.o,itics.
This strange man sleeps by tho road
side, in IL stable or where he may, and
for months eats only what is givel
him. Money is nothing to him. Foi
little while each year he works OF
the Sound View stoci: farm, owned by
William A. ,5ammis, and it is then Ii.
pulls tho hair from the necks of oxeI
cid makes his stock of brushes. Hi.
r.,:::1t is given him and he mikes it him
self.
He his been told to stop the tasl; oi
covering the rocks of Westchcster Will
blue paint, Int he Keeps on. By his ac
ton he says, "Shall man not make hi,
fellow man rehect:'
township trustees threaten anu re
solve in vain. The mottoes multiply
Assaults do not terrify him. Once III
WAS met by two men near the West
chester fair grounds and commanded
TO stop paintinga sentence he had begun
He TUNED LII back to them and kept OF
without reply. When he lad finished
he began II new sentence. Then th
men rushed mt him and struck him dow
senseless with clubs. The unfinished
sentence read:
Forgive thine
New York Advertiser.