The Green Forest tribune., 1894-11-22
COWBOY EVANGELIST.
THE LITTLE ROCK DEMOCRAT GIVES
SKETCH OF ONE OF THE MOST
Unique Characters In the Religious History of
America at Little Rock.

Many people were attracted at 7:30
yesterday evening to the corner of
Main aud Third streets, where
Justice Rice, the famous cowboy evan
geist, and his wife were holding re-
ligious services in the open air. The
crowd was composed of men, who
| listened respectfully to what was said.
After prayer and singing, in which
colored attendent assisted, Mrs. Rice
proceeded to preach the gospel in an
eloquent, yet simple and effective man.
| ner Mr.. Rice made few remarks
but his wife did most of the talking,
They will probably remain about
week, if interest is good, holding meet
ings every afternoon and evening at
Third and Main. They will go to Hot
| Springs when they conclude here.
brief sketch of these remarkable
people will be interesting Mr. Rice is
% years of age, rather slight built,
with piercing, reltless eye, and
wealth of black hair falling below his
ro, and looks the typical Westerner
His cowboy life began at the early
age of seven years in Clousa county,
California, end he followed it without
intermission until he was !. Since the
age of he has been entirely self de-
pendent, for lie then ran away from
home, thinking as boys do at that age,
that he knew it all. He did not attend
school, although he had the privilege
He fell in with bad company, and grad
ually grew dissipated. At 10 he was
a drunkard, at II an opium fend. He
became slave to the cigerette habit,
and associated with the most degraded
element, where he could know nothing
of religion.
When IA years old he was sent to
Michigan to prepare in the public
school to enter Hillsdale College, as it
was thought best to seperate him from
old associates and save him while
young In a month, however, he had
trouble with the teacher, ran away
and again began to roam. At Cincin-
natl he learned the trade of spring
maker in three months, quicker than
any other apprentice had ever done.
He then had a varied experience as
candy butcher with T Fourpaugh's s circus.
Cincinnati, when he again drifted to
Montana, where he resolved to reform.
He did, but it did not last. He became
reckless, and from an ordinary copper
graduated as an expert gambler, wol k
ing in Oregon, Washington and Mon
,tana. 1t was wild life he had led for
months. until he struch Deer Lod.e,
Mont, where he was converted Feb.
II, 1889, by 7. Reese, pupil Of Henry
Ward Beecher, who afterwards ga ed
much notoriety on the stage as Bill
Kennedy. The change was a radical
one. He started out to preach, espous
ing no sect or creed. AT Oakland his
sincerity attracted thousands to hear
him. He was prosecuted, stabbed,
spat upon, sent to Jail, but he bore it
all without murmur and this has
been very much his story since.
November 3, 1891, he married Miss
Marguerite Isabella Shields, at Rich
'nond, Ky, after a three weeks ac-
quaintance, having met her in Cinciu-
natl engaged in mission work. She
was only Is years old, but had been
preaching since the age of eleven, hav-
ing commenced in one Of Sam Jones'
revivals. She is daughter of Hon.
/. w. Shields, once prominent poll
tician of Toronto, Gambia, and 4 grand
daughter of Lady Watson of London.
They hold to no sect, and think that
it is mans life and not his denomina-
tion God looks upon. They believe in
toe apostolic creed and personal
savior, and in ministration to the mid
die classes, mure neglected than any
other MIR Rice says he does not be-
lieve in a preacher getting salary
and preaching to saved people. it is
the unsaved people he wants to reach.
At jacksonville, Fla, he had 454 con-
verts in five weeks; 100 in Chicago
last year when both he and his wife
were arrested on numerous occasions
during their six months stay for
blockading the streets; 1000 III Hot
springs. and many thousands at other
points, Thev depend on collections
for their expenses Mr.. Rice has been
II every state but twelve. He was in
Little Rock three years ago. Above
an they Mr.. sincere AM. honestly irving