The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-12
BISHOP GAINES HERE.
To Attend the Annual Confer
ence of the 4. N. +. Church.
A TYPICAL SOUTHERN NEGRO.
Born . Slave. Now . Bishop IN . Great
Church Numbering Seven Hun.
dred Thousand Members.

4 a
numbering 20 Or members and bears the
title o. doctor % divinity. s2ca man is
Bishop W. J. Gaines. o. the African
Methodist church. who arrived IN Seattle
yesterday. He is here 20 pre<4e a. the
session OF the P9ga, sound annual con
Eersncs OF the African Methodist Episcopal
caurch. which meets IL this city next
Wednesday.
Bishop Gaines Il typical Southern
negro. Born on plantation near Wash
iHgton. Wilkes county. Ga, Hfty-six years
ago. ne became By birth the property %
Gabriel Toombs. brother O. the noted
BOD Toonbs. who for more than quar-
ter OF century SHARED the political
dictatorship and divided the political
non0rs or Georgia with Alexander r.
stephens The bishops frs, name. Nes-
ley, tells OF the Methodist Influences ~
Wnicn his childhood was surrounded lie
Was converted az ina early age OF years.
and through the kindness 0. his master,
whom he describes as q iaTge-hearted
man. he learned 10 read and write.
Even this much OF an eaGca ton for
slave" says the bishop. In modestly tell
Ing the story Of his life. was contrary 10
Inc laws OF the state. But Mr.. T0ombs
was liberal man. and he made provision
for The instruction OF his slaves. I was
devoted 70 my books and eagerly searched
out the first paths OF learning thus opened
nocse searching Tor arms / knew that II
would never do 10 let him find ny books:
and 20 took them cut and hid them in an
Old ash barrel that stood near the house.
They were safe enough from the vigilance
OF the patrol. but IL CHANGED that another
foe eneountered them. 4 heavy rain set
In that night The asa barrel
was unprotected. The strong lye
formed from the ashes by the
rain got into ny beloved books ara
simply ate them up. In the morning was
oereft o. my choicest treasure. ] knew
not what 70 do. Ny father had s. He
gave me every cent Of Il. and invested Il
IN an English grammar. Peter Parley's
history and biae-back spelling book.
Then I wanted a Bible. / went % Mr.
Ioombs 10 ask aim for some money. !
asked him for a dollar.
What do you want with . dollar he
asked.
Then my heart failed me. and told
MIN wanted an umbrella He laughed
at me. telling me had no need 81 an
umbrella. Then / timidly whispered 10
him that I really wanted a Bible. and he
pulled out So and gave IL 10 me-.
W hile the echoes Of the great civil war
In which the question OF hts own freedom
vas involved, were resounding about him.
the young man. then 2 years old decided
that IL sas his daty to preach. and he
was duly licensed by a quarterly confer
ence presided over by Rev. j. l. Davies
OF the NJ +. church South. and for thir-
iy-one years he has been an itlnerant
preacher. Two years later. In Iss1, he
Joined the A. NJ E. church. He was in
turn appointed TO the most prominent pas
toral charges Of that denomination. serv-
Ing eight years as pastor at Atlanta. seven
years az Macon, one year at Athens and
four years as presiding elder
StSN higher hoGors were in store for
him. and in ISIS AT the general confer
ence which met in Indianapolis. he was
elected bishop on the first ballot. out OF
forty-seven names that we're voted for
The eleven bishops OF his church ara as
signed every four years 10 the various dis
trtets into which he territory Of The
church Is divided In iis first quadren-
Mum. 1852 Bishop Gaines was assigned
- The Sixth Episcopal district cornprisin.
Tire states Of Alabama and Georgia His
second qua1renuiim, isa2-9s. was spent in
charge Of the conferences in the Second
district. comprising North Carolina. Viz
ginla- Maryland and Kentucky For the
present qlladrennigna he has the oversight
Of his church IN che Eleventh district
which includes California. Oregon. Wash
iagton, Indian territory and Oklahoma
Bishop Gaines il also president - the
financial board OF his church. which has
So headquarters IN Washington CIV.
q
seminary a. Wiloerforce college. HIS
home - IN Atlanta. Ca. Just across the
street from the handsome Morris Brown
college, as Institution founded and buflt
by him. the property of whteh = now
valued az t7sp" and The student body -
which mum hers 9So.
BISHOP Gaines - a pleasant conversa-
'ionaiis'- fIH IS large and por'ly of frame
and hiss rotInf face - covered vxtfh a
Thick beard which H. jus: showing thA
FIRST frost % the winter ~ ne lie
Fixes 20 AK over the oh tines Re ha~
known rany prominent Georctarx ara
~ san ten story after story ~ Stenhers
TpomAF 14ti, EroRn Pierce. Colqgitt a~s
Gordon. lie told yesterday with tne @ksl
- An accom- H'ishe'7 r"-onfeur this anec-
dote y EliU and stephens
Stephens as ts wen known. vas
dimiuativN mar. Weighing not mora than
r.neiy-aFe pounds ON ora OCCASION
when 7-el.irsl excitement waa --3nf,i-r
figh AM tae mo rolitisa1 rivals nlat ~
one 81 the rough ard tumble stump on
counters 81 those DAYS. Hnl. looklnr saw
aEeiv a. Stephens SAID.
" Why. slr I thlrk = wa we-. rrsa.ss
BE- I coaid swallow you'
'lf Soa uii' came tAe piercing r~0s--
tee %: stephens. va wosls have fr,~.
brains n yoar stomach tran n yo.t-
bead 90
B'~aoo Ge're@ = e7t"~~es-rf Wits =
S@at,'e az :he horne - Mr. ( 7 f~,s,.-.
w1o - an oia-..re Georgia as~yi4sir,a.,,s
g ne sisaop. AZ they sa; torsrt..- 49,
feriav. rot having seRn ex~h o.ba- ~
se-ars. they hat many res1slrss,en~4s "a
ts'S over and re reunion seemed rsss..,s-
Az er'evsbie
Ts'e cease~sur~ Is =, - Nels tr 80 r,-.,
Sf~rs; II r, cAv~-N - w-rf>N pay-
W1'ou- Us-woovs. : r g.. - raster =.
~#1 ran S@rss TNts3reassnv ---,~~i.v q. "a