past half century. He has lived to be 85 years of age and says he will
live until he is 106. This he will do because he claims: "Your life is
in your hand" and tells these narratives as proof:

"In 1886 when the present Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was called the
S.F.W. and I was coming from Savannah to Florida, some tramps intent
upon robbery had removed spikes from the bridge and just as the alarm
was given and the train about to be thrown from the track, I raised the
window and jumped to safety. I then walked back two miles to report it.
More than 70 were killed who might have been saved had they jumped as I
did. As a result, the S.F. and W. gave me a free pass for life with
which I rode all over the United States and once into Canada." He
proudly displays this pass and states that he would like to travel over
the United States again but that the school keeps him too close.

"I had been very sick but took no medicine; my wife went out to visit
Sister Nancy--shortly afterwards I heard what sounded like walking, and
in my imagination saw death entering, push the door open and draw back
to leap on me; I jumped through the window, my shirt hung, but I pulled
it out. Mr. Hodges, a Baptist preacher was hoeing in his garden next
door, looked at me and laughed. A woman yelled 'there goes Reverend
Andrews, and death is on him.' I said 'no he isn't on me but he's down
there.' Pretty soon news came that Reverend Hodges had dropped dead.
Death had come for someone and would not leave without them. I was weak
and he tried me first. Reverend Hodges wasn't looking, so he slipped up
on him."

"Parson" came to Umatilla, Florida, in 1882 from Georgia with a Mr.
Rogers brought him and six other men, their wives and children, to work
on the railroad; he was made the section "boss" which job he held until