New Britain herald., 1926-07-30
ACCEPTS NO FEES
 IN 5OO MARRIAGES
Kentucky Pastor Receives No
 Pay in 36 Years

Hueysville, Ky, July S0.-For SC years the Rev. D. M. Allen has been the only minister of the gospel in this part of the hill country.
 And in all that time he has never been paid a cent for his labors!
 Since he began preaching at the age of 20, way back in 1890, he has rejected all offers of pay.
 Preaching regularly in mountain churches within a 20-mile radius ot this place, riding over lonely trails at night to comfort the sick cheer the dying or rejoice at christen- ing, he has become a Shepherd Of the Hills" in real life.
 500 Free Weddings
 Tn addition, he has become a tavorite of mountain lovers.
 During his pastorate he has united in marriage more than 800 couples. And never has he ac- cepted a cent for these tasks.
 Some of the marriages have been solemnized in lumber camps; some in tiny cabins, hidden far up among the lonely pines and others on lonely mountain trails, under the starlight with bride and groom sitting on horseback ready to ride off into the warm Kentucky night as soon as the final words were pro- nounced. But never has the Rev. Mir. Allen officiated at wedding in church.
 For the greater part of 30 years Rev. Mr. Allen has also been a notary public. During that time he estimates that he has received as fees for his work not more than s50-a salary of one dollar year!
 How does he live-this man who works with out pay? By making himself live two lives, taking on the burdens of two callings, working at two jobs at once.
 During week days tho minister works on the farm, in the lumber camps, at the sawmill, and serves besides as superintendent of the Floyd county schools. Thus he has contrived to support his family and live comfortably and happily on his farm near here. Between one Sun day and another he often floats big rafts of logs 100 miles down the Big Sandy river, returning in time $ to conduct services for his congre- gation at the usual time.
 Fights Moonshiners
 This territory is in the heart of the moonshining district. Rev MT. Allen has fought the moonehiners repeatedly. holding moonshine one of the curses of the mountain dis trict. Yet many of the moonshin- ars are among his best friends.
 They get angry for a while," he says. But pretty soon they realize that I'd be the best friend they ever had if they'd let mel
 Rev. MT. Allen has seen back woods life in all its rawness and all it's wild beauty. Winding his way across rugged hills on torturous paths, reaching some unpainted little church in an almost inacces- sible corner of the uplands, sweep ing it and building fire in it be- fore the congregation arrives, toll ing the bell then delivering his ser mon and leading his listeners in song and prayer; living among his people as spiritual shepherd, christening babies uniting them in marriage when they are grown and laying them in the earth when they die-he has literally grown gray in service.
 Little HSchooling"
 Rev MT Allen was 16 before he could write his own name. After 5 months of 'schoolin' all that he ever had-he became a school teacher himself, studying assiduous- ly at home every night. One time a school board refused to hire him as teacher-not because of faulty education, but because he wore a white collar?
 In only two ways do his parishion- CTS admit that he differs from the run of hill folk. He has been in- toxicated only once in his life. and that was before he entered the min- istry; and since attaining manhood he has never fought another man with his fists. Yet he has red hair!