The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-02-20
Sankey's Instant Relief.

{ The Troy Budget makes the revelation
that few years ago, Mr.. Ira D. Sankey wal
peddling liniment that he called "Instan
Reief.'' He travelled with snowy wagon
and sang songs to his own accompaniment
on a melodeon, thus attracting multitudes
to whom he sold the preparation.
The writer. we'll remembers the travelling
establishment to which the Budget brief!
refers. The wagon had broad, high box
was gaudily covered with red and gold, ant
was drawn by six pluned horses. Sool
after nightfall the spirited team would dasl
into the most frequented square of city o.
village, drawing the vehicle to a favorabl.
spot for the accommodation of I
large audience. Flaring torches were the1
lighted and placed in convenient sockets. A
melodeon in the wagon was opened, and Mr.
Sankey (7He Budget says it was certainly he
and the statement accords with the writer's
vivid recollection of the man) took his place
behind the instrument. He sang several
current songs, usually sentimental, but some
times comic, playing an accompaniment. BY
that time dense throng had collected, and
everybody wondered what was meant by the
free entertainment. They found out imme-
diately, for Mr.. Sanky, standing at the tail
board of the wagon, delivered a harangue on
the wonderful ''Insant Relief that he had tc
sell. Three assistants took bottles of the
stuff from boxes, and made ready to sell. Mr.
Sankey's address is clearly recollected as hav.
ing, in its delivery, the style of a religious
exhortation of the fervid kind. HI
spoke of the ills that flesh is heir to, and es
pecially of the various aches with which
the human body is afflicted. Then, with 8
bottle of ''Instant Relief held aloft, he de-
clared that he brought the glad tidings of o
sure and instant cure. He did not, he said
ask anybody to take his word for it; but he
would on the spot relieve anybody who had
earache, toothache, or bellyache. In short
no pain could withstand 'sInstant Relief. y
He kept urging the afflicted to come to the
wagon, much in the manner that the revival
lists beseech sinners to come to the peniten-
tial bench, until he was successful in getting
patient on whom to try the liquid. "In-
slant Relief was of the familiar class OF
lotions, with laudanum for principal in
gredient, that rarely fail to deaden pain i'm
mediately on being applied. Therefore, hay
ing secured somebody with an ache or pain
Mr.. Sankey was able to convince his hearers
that "Instant Relief was something that they
could not afford to do without. Sales followed
fast, Mr.. Sankey continued his harangue, as
he sopped the aching spots with the lotion
while his assistants handed out bottles and
took in ffty-cent shinplasters. Whenever
the sales Jagged, and the people began to dis.
perse, he sat down at the melodeon and sans
several songs. u.s..
MI. Sankey went through the country with
his novel establishment, and at times was re-
inforced by other singers. When he was in
the Hudson river and western Massachusetts
cities young woman sang DUETS with. him
and the party included a comic singer. The
upshot of this business is not known, but il
certainly had the appearance of prosperity
Not long afterward Mr.. Sankey sang in 6
Chicago revival, in conjunction with Mr.
Moody's work, and subsequently they went
to Great Britain together, where they made
their first great success. ~' ,. -