The colored American., 1902-09-27

which generations of our forebears had
prayed and our Immediate fathers
fought.
AT the time OF his birth his parents
were necessarily free, though they had
been born and raised as slaves. His
rather unhappily died while our sub
Ject was in his earliest youth, but his
mother was of the material from
which heroes descend" She was in
deed his guide, philosopher and
friend, of high purposes, and with
true religious fervor.
Under the inspiration of her con
sistent godly life and amenable to her
wise admonltiOn, he escaped pitfalls
set by the cunning of the evil one for
the unpracticed feet of youth. and soon
learned the philosophy of the words:
Life is real-life is earnest"
Sustaining himself by farm work
and contributing during his entire
career to the support of his beloved
mother and five younger children, he
began his education in the public
schools of Yorkville, S. c., and con
tinued it at the Clark Academy in the
same state.
In this latter Institution by his
brilliant capacity and absorption OF
learning he attracted the attention
of Prof. Jerome Miller and Bishop
Clinton, his principal instructors, and
to this day he has retained the affec
ton and respect of this venerable pre-
late.
His theological studies We're pursued
at Hope College III the city of Union, S.
c., but were not concluded, as during
his stay there he was appointed prin.
cipal of a school at Santuck, S. c.,
and was compelled, owing to his i'm
pOVeriShed condition, to accept the
appointment and give up his course
at Hope College. He soon found Op
pOrtunity for the exercise of the ac
quirementS obtained during his short
theological course, and at Santuck, CO
Ordinately with his pedagOgic work
he preached the gospel for a period
of two years with great success and
with great qualification to himself, as
we have learned that his earliest and
most ardently cherished ambition had
always been to become a minister OF
the A NJ. E. Zion Church.
Subsequently he served for a year
at "a mission church in NeWberry, s
C., and soon came under the favorable
rotice of dear old Bishop s. II. Jones
so well known in the city of Washing
ton, by whom he was ordained to the
ministry of the A. NJ. E. Zion Church
in Charleston, S. c., during the fall OF
1889.
Bishop Jones at once recognized
him as a valuable acquisition to the
forces of the Zion clergy, and at his
instance, DR.. COrrOtherS was sent to
Little Rock, Ark, and took charge
of st. PauPs Church in that city, the
largest Zion church in Arkansas, and
the largest West of ST. Louis, Mo.
At this charge the doctor found a
most desperate condition of affairs.
The church burdened with an over
whelming debt, the attendance run
down to but few over one hunred
person, this comparative handful of
people hopeless and despairing, and
worst and saddest of all, the edifice
advertised for sale by the mortgages.
But Dr. COrrOthers loved difficulties,
and Bishop Jones not only knew the
fact, but with rare preScience also
knew that DR.. COrrOthers was the very
man to SurmOunt them, however for
midable, and for this reason sent him
to Little Rock.
In five years the entire debt was
paid, the attendance was quadrupled,
and a proud enthusiastic and happy
church family created 1t should also
be noted that during DR.. COrrOther's
service at Little Rock more than four
hundred conversions were accomplish
ed
It is also one of the doctors most
pleasant memories of this period that
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