Evening journal., 1893-04-12
TALKS WITH A BRUSH
AN ECCENTRIC OLD EVANGELIST OF
WEsTcHEsTER, N. Y.

WINTER ana summer re hhuehH HAohb
the Roads Painting Scripture Texts on
Misunderstanding Deters Him-Pas-
sive 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 Westchester
for mile after mile his work can be
seen. The wayfarer cannot escape 1t.
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 a mile from
the little village of White Plains, would
think he was surely on the rocky road
70 the New Jerusalem.
Up in Westchester they call the mys-
terious evangelist the Scripture Sling
err" and they say che slings it powerful
thick" SO he does, and with discrimi-
nation rare, in paint Of the hue Of heay-
ems own blue, mixed in oil.
All along those rocky roads the fences
are made Of huge powders, out Of
which rough walls are made, separat-
ing the pastures and bounding the road
sides. Besides there are still other
powders jutting out Of the soil along
the roadway. On these, and on the
stone fences, the mysterious evangelist
unfolds 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 he speaks. His only name is George" "
He marches, Salvation Army of one
man, carrying a bugle to announce his
coming. His sandy mustache bristles,
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 is a broad ribbon, bearing the
legend, "Jesus is mighty to save" A
cane, carved with innumerablG'inscrip-
tions. helps him over the hills as he
marches on, carrying the battered hand
bag in which repose his restless brush,
his pot Of paint, his Bible and other little
things, such as a comb and cake Of soap.
through the use Of which he keeps him
self only a seminomad. They say there
is no vanity in him, nor any glass with
a quicksilver back in that battered bag
As he marches he spies a rock, bis
and brown, half hidden behind a clump
of weeds, and on which he left no mes-
sage when last along that way. In a
moment the weeds are uprooted, ana
kneeling by the rock he paints, letter by
letter, "O-b-e-y the Lord" Then he
marches on reading the Bible. On a
smooth worn bowlder in the stone fence,
he prints, "Repent Believed And sin no
more" Across the road he leaves the
warning, "You must repent or go to
hell" A little farther on he kneels
again, and under his brush grow the
words, The wages for sinners is hell
FIRE"
There are painted words, though
along the roads more worldly than tLt
ones he leave there. One Of them says
"Spend your Sundays at Manhattan
beach" On finding this it is said h.
bowed his head a moment. Then in
deeper shade of blue than usual, nike,
on the spot, he painted right alongside
the words, "Where will you spen,
eternityy'
Many of the farmers up in Westcheste
take summer boarders, and on a big tre
in the front yard each of them nails NJ
a sign which reads: pleasant summe
home. Board by the day or week
Across the road from such rs these tn
paint brush says, "Think Of that beaut
full home above"
SO the strange evangelist goes on
fighting the world with blue paint, mea.
ure for measure, and covering the sun
plus space with admonition, exhortaho
and advice.
To hinr all things are Of the worl
worldly, and therefore he knows naugh
Of politics.
This strange man sleeps by the road
side, ia q stable or where he may, an
for months eats only what is give
him. Money is nothing to him. Fc
little while each year he works O
the Sound View stock farm, owned b
William A. Sammis, and it is then
pulls the hair from the necks Of oxe
and makes his stock of brushes. II
paint is given him and he mixes it hin
self.
He has been told TO stop the tasl,
covering the rocks of Westchester wit
blue paint, but he keeps ON. BY his a
ton he says. "Shall a man not make h
fellow man rehectr
Township trustees threaten and 7
solve in vain. The notices mlltipl
Assaults do not terrify him. Once
was met by two men near the We.
chester fair grounds and commando
to stop painting a sentence he had begu
He turned his back 10 .hem and kept
without reply. When he had finish
he began a new sentence. Then {
men rushed at kim and struck him doy
senseless with clubs. The unfnish
sentence read:
"Forgive thine
New York Adverise
what Widow Is.