Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-05-10

On the banks OF the James river, at
Richmond, W., in the closing years of the
last century, a boy was BORN and was
named Edward T. Taylor. OF his parents
who died whsn he vas a child. he had
little or no knowledge. He.was brought
up on Il place uear Richmond by a lady to
whom he had been given in charge.
There he g4there about him negro boys
md girl-, to whom he preached funeral
sermons over the remains Of dead chick
ems. II his orHtorical appeals failed to
bring hi- auditors 10 tenrs, he used the
whip. which, Us related in after years,
seldom inl,ed to produce the desired ef-
feet.
He received no school education, but
ran errsud4 and did chores about the
house and fucr OF his foster-mot her.
One day, Aen about seven years OF age,
he was gathering chips for the fire when
sea-captan passed by and asked him If
he woulI ike to become sailor, and
offered le take hin on his vessel The
boy glar accepted the offer, and with
out cNeu bidding his friends good We,
follon-d the stranger, Without fear
thou. III OF the future.
For the next ten years he followed the
calm; OF a sailor, i'll all he variety OF is
hardships and its stormy experiences. 1t
Is said that in after life he seldom alluded
to TIN. period, so that little or no record
OF remains.
" nen seventeen years of age, and he
h5rdy sea-tanned youth, he came to BOs-
to-. The city then had about thirty
thousand inhabitants. Its business CEN
e WAS Dock square; Hanover street ana
tornhil (uow Washington street, We're
/ t. chief thorUug uiares. Fremont street
vas the residence OF Wellto-do peup'e
Inc common Mas n COW pasture; tie O,a
South was we'll up town, and Summer
street was tue inrotIte ebu,!e OF fetlrtd
merchants.
Two or three long WhGrves extended
from the muddy shore to deep wa.,r;
new block covered one OF them, and Nes-
sells of yafrs5Hs flags and mai IoneItIes bay TT
these whafEes. THIS WIS in the year ISL.
At one of these whatVes lay yer-r,,
among whose crew was a young sailor u:,-
known in the city, Who afterwards be
came famed in Boston and the world over
as sailor preacher.
HIS CONVERSION.
The young sailor took walk OF Sun
day morning about tue ely, and entered
Park Street church, which had been bullt
but few years. The bell was tollug as
he entered and took his seat in he gallery.
He said ii put in, and going to the door,
saw the port was full. | uphem, I'M
furled my topsail and made for the gal
lery; entered safely, DOTTED my cap,
pennant, and scud under bare poles to
the corner pew. There | hove to and
came to anchor.
The Old man Or. Griffith was just
naming his text, which was: But he lied
unto him. As he went on stating item
after item, how the devil Ied unto men,
and how his imps led them into sin,
said hearty amen, for knew all about
it had seen and felt the whole of 1t.
Pretty soon he uufuried the mainsall,
hoisted the topsails, ran up the pennants
to a favoring breeze; and | tell you the
Old Gospel ship never sailed more pros
perously. The salt spray flew in every
direction, but more especially did it run
down my own cheeks. WAS melted.
every one in the house wept. Satan
had to strike; his guns were dlsmounted
or spiked; his light crafts, by which he
led sinners captive, were all beached, and
the captain of the lords host rode forth
conquering and to conquer. | was young
then. said, why can't | preach like
that? Phi try it,"
At that or a later time he attended the
Methodist church on Bromfield street,
where he heard sermon by Rev. Elijah
Hedding, and by him WAS converted. 70
use his own language, he said Il was
dragged through The lu bier hole, brought
down by a broadside from the seventy
four Elijah Hedding, and fell into the
arms Of Thomas w. Tucker" Mr.. Tucker
was one OF the earnest influential men,
bers OF that church, and one who took
deep interest in young Taylor, from the
time he first saw him.
This young sailor was not destined long
to enjoy the Sunshine of newly-found
friends in Bromiieid street church, where
he was greatly beloved for his bright and
original sayings. He was again upon the
sea, and at the beginning of the war of
1872 he joined the privateer "B!ack
Hawk, was captured by a British man
of-war, taken to Melville Island, thence
to Dartmoor prison, where, with many
other Americans, he was held a prisoner
of war.
The chaplain Of the prison, to whom the
prisoners were compelled to listen, read
the service OF the English church, which
they did not appreciate, especially when
called upon to pray for the king and royal
family, and they formed plan to elect
their own chaplain, and Taylor was to be
the man. They said to him: NYnu can