A START IN LIFE

     "Ragged Elzie" -- Farm Life -- A Reckless Boy -- "The Young Preacher" -- Trials at the Iron Mill -- Goes West in Search of Education

 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Lam. 3:27.

     This is an age of luxury and laziness, and parents make no greater mistake than to let their children grow up unaccustomed to hard labor and self-denial. The more a child is humored the more he becomes self-willed and less liable in after life to submit to God or man. The less he is familiar with hardships the less easily can he adapt himself to them, or sympathize with others under similar circumstances.

     The writer was not blessed (or cursed) with wealth, therefore had some practical experience with poverty. For this reason alone have I felt led to pen these pages, not to call attention to myself, but to magnify God's omnipotent grace which can enable any poor boy to triumph over all unpleasant environments in the pathway of life.

     I was born December 16, 1869, being the seventh child of Josiah and Susan Shelhamer, who then lived in an old log house nestled among the hills of western Pennsylvania. They named this child Elmer Ellsworth, who, as he grew up, was more commonly known as "Ragged Elzie," doubtless from the fact that I got a cheap suit only once in two or three years, which, of course, looked rather odd on a rapidly growing boy.

     I know something about the blessings of poverty. Sleeping upstairs in the old log house, I have awakened more than once with enough snow on the floor and bed to make snow balls. I did not know what ready-made underwear was until in my teens. I confess it was a little embarrassing going to school with patched clothes, while other boys wore starched shirts. They had pie, cake and red apples for lunch, while I went out behind a large tree many a time to eat my buckwheat cakes or coarse bread, with nothing on but black apple butter which was so strong that even now I can almost feel it burn its way down.

     A feeling of sadness comes over me as I think of those early days, especially at the close of school, when scarcely anyone came to visit us and we were too poor to go visiting. Notwithstanding this, I grew to be over six feet tall and have since preached to those who, because of my appearance, were ashamed to have me in their company.

     At twelve, I began to earn my own clothes by working on rainy days, and in the evening after the usual day's labor, clearing out old fence rows and thickets and raising vegetables therein. Many a time did I thus work until long after dark. This was rigid discipline, but better for me than going fishing, or to ball games with the neighbor boys. Though a little galling, nevertheless it taught me the secret of economy and dependence upon my own resources. The noon hours were spent in committing to memory Scripture verses for the Sabbath School, sometimes hundreds being repeated the following Sunday. The Sabbath School was over three miles distant, and to prevent rubbing the heels by the coarse brogan shoes, they were carried in hand until outside the church, and there put on.

     Thus for some time I bade fair to become a good man, but all this was eclipsed before the age of fifteen, when I had become a wild, reckless boy, so much so that my parents and relatives despaired of my salvation. Though others were being converted in the revival meetings then in progress, nothing seemed to move the boy who was breaking his father's heart. To the surprise of all, without anyone ever speaking to e. I broke with sin, and ten other boys and men followed me to the altar. After three days and nights of seeking, I was soundly converted, and at once declared I would be as out-and-out for God as I had previously been in seeking pleasure.

     I well remember my first series of sermons. I had been powerfully converted and frequently retired to the old log barn for prayer. The thermometer was around zero and though I had crawled behind some corn fodder to get away from the cold wind, yet it was so severe I had to rub and strike my hands together to keep from freezing. Notwithstanding this, I had so many things to pray about that an hour seemed but a short time. As I read my little pocket Testament, certain passages loomed up before me and I could see fields of thought that to my mind had never been touched. This inspiration was so great that more than once did I rush from behind the shocks of corn, leap upon a box, and preach to the logs and cornstalks, warning them to flee from the wrath to come. Of course I had in mind a large congregation. I did not then know that God was training me to preach later on, to things almost as hard as hickory logs, and as dry as cornstalks. It is good, however, to be trained beforehand for life's work.

     I thought it necessary to take a theological course in order to prepare myself more fully, and when I apprised my mother (though a very pious woman), she replied discouragingly. I was surprised, then paused and asked her whether she would rather have me enter the ministry or go back into sin and graduate in drunkenness, fighting and gambling She immediately consented, and accordingly I began to prepare for my life's work.

     As my parents were not able, without sacrifice, to help me through school, I obtained a job in the iron mill. Some thought I could not stand the hard work, but I was determined to succeed. At the mill they started me in on night turn, from 6 p, m. to 6 a, m., in the galvanizing department. Here the fumes of the chemicals were so strong that they flaked my dinner pail as though galvanized. This was the kind of air that had to be breathed. The boss and most of the men were Roman Catholics, and, as their custom was to initiate every newcomer, they set in to aggravate and annoy me. The boss often came and told obscene stories and sang vulgar songs, all of which were turned away from without the sanction of a smile. At other times he watched when a heavy load of iron was being carried that could not be dropped and seized this opportunity to come and sing his songs but, as before, they found no response. At the end of two weeks this ungodly man, being convicted, ceased his persecution and declared if any one mistreated the "young preacher" he would be discharged.

     This mention is made to show that where there is a fixed purpose in the heart to live for God it can be done, by old or young. "Three days" was the time given by my friends for me to break down at the work, but, instead, I was there three weeks. Then sufficient having been earned to go West, "three months" was given me to get homesick and return, but, instead it was nearly three years. Where there is a will there is a way, or one will be made. Napoleon, when confronted with the question how he and his mighty army could cross the Alps, declared, "There shall be no Alps," and he scaled them. If he without God could surmount seeming impossibilities, surely those who are assisted by Omnipotent grace ought to do as well.