Page:History of the newspapers of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.djvu/139

BEAVER PALLS PAPERS. 113 From 1865 to 1873 Mr. Porter filled many positions, mucli of the time with the American Associated Press. After selling the "Courier," for a year he issued in- dustrial publications and wrote much of the "Picturesque B. & O." issued by that railroad. In 1889, having in a single year while living at Swarth- more. Pa., lost by death seven, every member of his family but one, his son now Dr. Fred W. Porter of Tampa, Fla., he visited Florida, and expecting to rem.ain but a few days. It was a belated train on a Saturday night, and so made no connection, that changed the course of Mr. Porter's life. On Monday morning he left for a hundred miles south of where he was, and a derailed train forced a stop when only twelve of them had been run, and thus being diverted and asked to share a ride with a stranger to Avon Park, 25 miles away, he accepted not knowing who his companion was. He proved to be the Eight Rev. William Crane Gray, who as they journeyed, told of an intensely interesting religious work, and it was thus that the Bishop and the la.ymen met, and out of that day's drive grew in time the consecration of a life and the building of a church. In 1896 he became a deacon of the P. E. Church, and later in full orders as a Priest thereof. He erected the Church of the Redeemer a neat and commodious house of worship at Avon Park while in charge of the mission field there. A wider field for usefulness presented itself at St. Mary's Church, Augusta, Ga., and then at Tampa, Fla., where he is now Rector of St. James Episcopal Church (colored). The church and rectory are located in the very heart of "the scrub,' surrounded by dens of vice and iniquity, where with not a white man within sound of his voice, he lives alone and is ministering to the poor colored people. He is greatly beloved by his people, who affectionately call him "Father Porter," and his word and counsel are law among them. His parish