Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-05
Old Time
Plantation
Preacher

THERE Is probably no oolored person
in Southern California today at
tracing more attention than Hark
Massey the old negro preacher, who is
commonly called "standln on de Rock"
cognomen he has gained from his
favorite religious theme. He claims
to be 115 years old, and he looks it. He
wears a long linen coat, tall silk hat
and carries cane and a ragged Bible
which shows the ravages of time no
less than its owner. Hark Massey has
spent twelve years wandering from
town to town in Southern California
and is a well-known character. He Is
at present in Santa Barbara.
The happy old negro can be seen at
all hours wandering about the streets,
speaking to every one he meets, and
preaching and singing in good old
camp-meetng style wherever he can
gather u few listeners. When his
audience scatters he goes on singing
to himself until he meets others who
are willing to listen to his message.
TO hear Hark Massey tell the story
Oh his life in his negro dialect is more
humorous than a minstrel show and
more pathetic than Uncle Toms
CABIN" Although he declares he is 115
years old his memory Is still good, and
ne can recall the smallest events of
his youthful days, describing them in
detail His early life was spent near
Manchester Courthouse South Carolina,
on the plantation of j. r. Massey,
from whom he took his name. For
fifty years he worked there as a slave
under two masters. gathering cotton
and other crops, and driving the coach
of his wealthy young mistress. His
flrst master was very kind to him at
all times, but when he died younger
man, William Beckham, married the
old mans daughter and took possession
of the plantation. Beckham took a dis
like to, old Hark. who ran away.
After the war Massey drifted west
and went into the business of "break-
ing" mules. No mule was too mean or
too stubborn for old Hark to overcome.
He made them as gentle as bleating
lambs.
From breakin' mules L. went to
preachin'," says the old negro. II heahd
voice one Sabbath morn talkin to
me from out de sky for a long time,
sayin', You mus preach de gospel
L can't preach, / can't read, says l.
But agfn and ag'in de voice tells me
dat l mus preach an learn to read.
So here is today, preachin' an a
readin' de good book to de people,"
Hark Massey built several churches
for the colored people in Texas, preach
ing there many years. He has been in
California twelve years. and has now
become a familiar figure in the south
ern part of the state. Some people con-
slider him slightly demented, but the
majority are amused by his good
natured "Standin' on de Rock" gospel,
and are always ready to hand him a
few nickels and give him a friendly
word. f
Yes, rs lis yeahs Oh" he declares
when de stars fell in '33 was den
fou'tyfou' yeahs OF. De white folks
say rs de best in de road. has been
preachin' more'n thirty yeahs,, an IL
/ would stop opreachin would die
today" t-rt.ty
Hark Massey is the ia tl1er of Tom
Massey, the. colored pugiltst of Oxnard,
who has fought several battles in this
part of the state. His last bout took
place on the eleventh of last June at
Montecito, a suburb of Santa Bar
bara, at which time the fight was in
terrupted by the sheriff His antag-
onist, Jack O'Brien, of New York, was
arrested with Tom Massey, and the two
lay in Jail in Santa Barbara for sew
eral days.