The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-21
BY MEMORY M'coRp.

oE "EWSVI w VIM
Everybody that was supposed to know
anything about the matter at all said
G.. II, ELENA was dead-that he died
ages ago. About the time of the high
water In 1912, to be exact. and hat
his old ~houseboat, the Gospel Home, .
was long since destroyed.
Well IT. wasn't so. Recently | found
the old houseboat parked down upon
Easy street, and yesterday at 547 Shell
by street, | found the old man who
once was known as the River Parson
from Niagray," Only Parson ELENA was
from Chicago.
He's a large jovial man with a pleas
ant chuckle and he's preparing another
unique scheme for keeping the world
informed on the doings of our Lord,
And you couldn't in a thousand years
guess what he now intends to do. Tour
the world in a huge automobile and
preach to everybody along the road,
It's a Cracker-jaCk idea and the
"Parson" has fitted up a seven-by-ff-
teen truck that holds folding beds and
chairs, and stoves, and dishes, and or
gans-the cutest little things that sit
up when you take them out. There's
a woman, too, a relative, that plays
hymns upon the things. Five other
people are included in the 'Parson's''
troupe.
1t all starts from Memphis next week
and makes its first big stop in Dallas,
Tex. There the "Parson'' means to
unfold his tent-it Is 40 by 50 feet
when set up and holds 500 people-and
there he means to tell the folks a thing
or two.
No, the "Parson" isn't a regular
preacher-that Is. he hasn't a degree or
anything, but once long time ago when
he was a young man-and a very wick.
cd one, too, to hear him tell it-he be-
came converted, and from then on he
began to preach. That was in Chicago
down in the slums Of the underworld.
From small street talks his work grew
into a little mission and by and by his
contact with some river folk" caused
him to start his peculiar project Of
preaching down the waters.
At first 1t was any river, and then
after his boat left its Chicago birth
place and made a trip or two. he heard
Of the "wickedness' of Memphis
Sure that Memphis needed him, the
"Parson' turned his face southwark.
On a spring morning of that year he
landed down by East street on the Mis-
sissippi river. There his gasoline tow
boat exploded and there he began his
simple Memphis preaching.
In 1912 the high water came sweeping
over acres OF land and killing men,
women and children. The storm broke
early one morning washing the sides Of
the Gospel Home" which then lay on
the Arkansas side of the river near a
gambling den that had been expelled
from Memphis.
Something-probably the swish of the
high water at his c%ubbyhole window
awakened the PEARSON" and quickly he
reused his wife and son. During the
10 days that followed ELENA, his family
and crew saved the lives OF 500 people,
many of whom were negroes,
Stlll those weren't the gloomiest days
for the "Parson," for after the flood
abated he woke up to the fact that cash
was what he needed and that he needed
It badly. Tho following day he sold
the Gospel Home" to Mrs. Malina, who
parked II down on Easy street. at the
foot OF Wisconsin avenue
Soon afterward he leased a queer lit
tie place on Shelby street.-the place
where found him yesterday. And there
he founded a boarding house retreat
first as IA sort of mission and then later
for folks that were able to pay. Still,
even till yet when business Is prosper
Gus, there Is always room for the down
a%nd-outer and over The door hangs this
simple inscription:
please don't talk loud don't smoke
and keep children quiet" Those are
the requirements the "Parson' expects
of his paying or nonpaying guests.
AS for the wife and son-what has