Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-09-17
SLAVE AND BISHOP.
Wonderful Career Of DR.. Grant OF the
African Methodist Church.

One has not been III the presence Of
Bishop Grant long before he recognizes
WHY he Was selected AS a prelate Of MIS-
church. tie is an imposing figure ply
sAca!'y. lie is more than t feet tall and
weighs about two hundred and iltty
poutdS. He wears 4 fun black beard.
had but little hair on the top of his
head, has 4 short but well,shaped nose
1'a1k, intelligent and genial eyes;
He has a common sense, ckattN way q
talking, and only occasionally does a
southern locution creep into his other
wise g0,d English.
Bishop Grants career, from hir,N il.
slavery to the achieving OF the highest
dignity which his church can give him.
has been n remarkable one, He was
born ON a plantation near Lake City, |
Fla, forty eight years ago lie and his
parents were the property Of Franklin
RNulSoN who was a wealthy planter
and Kind to young Grant The youus
man ealned to read partly from the SON
OF NeiEhhoring planter, When ,he
war broke out he accompanied lis
master 10 the battle OF OmStee, bat
when the battle was ut Its thickeSt tpe
young slave mounted n mulc and re
turned home Lieutenant Raulson WAS
not M ardent secesstonist and in the
December preceding the surrender ot
Lee he Went over to the union forces
who We're then occupying Florida, IN,
stead OF liherating his slaves, however,
tie sold them. For the present bishop
he realized $4,000 in confederate money.
Just before the surrender of Leo young
Grant escaped from Ralph Banks, his
second owner and returned to Florida
afoot. enduring untold hardships and
risk on the long journey from Virginia.
The bishop says that he understands
that the son of this man Banks Is now
livirG in Brooklyn,
After Lees surrender Grant returned
to his old home in Lake City, and was
engaged by his former master. MIR
Raulson, at $40 u month as clerk IN a
store. which the latter had opened, tut
the eN-plauter permitted drink to get
the better of him and the young freed
man became steward of the Cathy
House He induced two northern ms
sionarieS to open school, which he and
other employees attended \ short time
later Ne went 10 Jacksonville. where he
became steward of tho Stickney House
Two Northern women who were stay
ing AT the hotel. opened a night school
which the steward attended He be
came so ardent for learning that he left
this position and took Il course in the
CO okman Institute. Bishop Grants
school years do not aggregate more
than two, but he has been an assiduous
student All his life. He takes great
pride in library which he has insured
for ST 900
lie became q Christian in 1868 and
was licensed to preach in 1872 He 10
came pastor Of church which he bu,lt
! in Tallahassee and for which Governor
Drew furnished the lumber After
two years passionate there he weny to
San Antonio, Texas. carrying with him
from Governor Drew n recommendation
to the people of Texas, to which was
tAtt'li'H NV N'hl w wv 0Ait't ''h' ~ T.
three years in san Antonio he paid n
church debt of S. 900 In the four years
that followed he built church in Aus
TN which cost 10000. II was at the
quadrennial conference held In Indian
anolis in 1883 that he was elected one
of the bishops of his church, and was
assigned to Louisiana, California,
VI 1 Ia. No
was changed to the Georgia, Alabama
and Florida diocese, from which he WAS
transferred to the first district by the
recent quadrennial conference Or,
Grant was sent by his people Of tho
southern diocese on an extended Eu-
roTcan trip last year While abroad he
preached in Weslay's Church in London.
When the conference was held in
Florida last March. Franklin Rauson,
his former owner drove a distance Of
fifty miles to see the boy that he had
reared. The old man. trembling with
mis- seventy six years. came not only for
friendly word with the man he had
sold, but to seek pecuniary aid from
him. The bishop received him with
great tenderness. They had long talk
anout old tunes. He introduced him to
the conference, and All present Here
greatly affected at the strange scene Of
the brCken-down old planter seeking
assistance from his former slave. who
had achieved the highest position with
which the people OF his race could
honor him. Before the old man left he
had in his pocket the material assist.
Gncc which he 50 badly needed-New
York Tribune
WHAT BICYCLES MIGHT no