ly interested in men and
things; hence, now possesses a large stock of knowledge
concerning human nature, is an advocate of prudence,
conservatism and manliness in all affairs bearing upon the
relation of the races in this country. He stands for
self-help and racial integrity and believes that when man
has acknowledged his inability and failure to ameliorate the
ill conditions in this country, God will settle the same and
cause the deserved recognition of all men, black and white.

He saw with his father the first train that passed through
North Georgia, though the spectacle was quite an amusing
draft on his youthful nerve, for, says he, "Had I been older
than five years, it is questionable that my father, by whose
hand I was led, could have detained me from the urgent
business I felt I had back home when that mysteriously
terrible locomotive came rushing down the track seemingly
intent upon spending its fury upon no one else but me."

When Elias was ten years old, his parents, James and Cora
Morris, moved into Alabama, settling at the little town of
Stevenson. But Elias had a short while before begun living
with the late Rev. Robert Caver, his brother-in-law, at
Stevenson, and so lived until he arrived at the age of
twenty-one. Mr. Caver taught the young man the shoemaker's
trade and the latter earned his bread upon the shoemaker's
bench until thirty and three years old. He felt a call to
the gospel ministry immediately upon his conversion at the
age of nineteen, which took place just at the time when he
had grown so inimical and impatient toward a revival that
had been going on for several days in the church at
Stevenson that he had plotted mischievous disturbance of the
meeting.

He grew in grace and general ability, and in 1879 accepted a
call to the pastorate of the Centennial Baptist Church of
Helena, Arkansas, which position he has held continuously to
the present time. His ability as an organizer is fully
recognized among his people. He established and for the
first two years edited the first religious paper published
by the Negroes in the State of Arkansas. In 1884, he
organized the Arkansas Baptist College and for sixteen years
has been Chairman of its Board of Trustees. For nineteen
consecutive years he has