The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-18
MOODY AND SANKEY.
Something About the Money They Have
Made, and What They Have Done with II
Interview with Row. NJ. M. Psrkhurst.

Sankey are rich. But there never was a
greater mistake l know all about them and
their work. especially in its financial phases
and think l am justified in saying that they
are two as poor men as you will find in
days march. Saukey was never as unselfsh
in the work as Moody, but Moody has man.
aged so that neither he nor Sankey is worth
anything"
What were their financial plans when
they started out?'
We'll, I'll tell you" said the Doctor" tax
ing new hitch on his chair ain 1873. just
before they left this country, Sankey was a
member of Grace Church in Chicago, and
was his pastor. He was very anxious to open a
music store in one of the upper rooms of the
Methodist Church block, and l was going to
help him to get the room. But one
day he came to me and said Moody
wanted him to go to Scotland with him,
on an evangelizing tour, and asked me what
| l advised him to do He said Moody had
penses, and that though Moody didn't then
have dollar he had faith enough in him to
believe that he would do as he said. | adj
vised him to embark in whichever business
he meant 10 make life work of, and acting
on that principle he decided to go with
Moody. When it was about time to start,
Moody instructed him to go to Lancaster,
| Pa, and visit with his relatives, as he was
very poor, and promised to telegraph him
soon to meet HIM and set SAIL Sankey
thought then that Moody had some money
to go with, but Moody didn't have cent.
Meanwhile John V. Farwell heard that
Moody was about to go abroad, and went to
see him to bid him farewell. Moody talked
about his journey and his work abroad as if
he was sure to go, and when Mr.. Farwell rose
to go he gave Moody check for $500, for
fear, he said, he didn't have sufficient
means and would run short after he got to
Scotland. Moody accepted it without tell
| ing his condition. and used it to carry him
self and Sankey to Europe. That is the first
chapter in their financial history, and Moody
resolved before he went that he would come
back to America as poor as he left ID. That
resolution he faithfully kept"
How long did Moody pay Sankey a. sal
ary?'
THE contract was for one year, and the
salary was paid until the year was up
After that Moody refused to work with
Sankey unless Sankey would abandon the
salary and live by faith as he did. That
wasn't all. either; Sankey used in his meet
ings a Smith cabinet organ, and used to take
orders for these instruments and receive
commission. Moody did not know this fora
long time, but the newspapers got hold of it
and began to insinuate that the Moody and
Sankey meetings we're an organ speculation
| in disguise. This rolled Moody and he COM
PEELED Sankey to go out of the organ bust
| ness at once"
WAS much money offered Moody abroad?'
ANY quantity of it. The first three
months of his work were perfect failure
but after that nothing was too good for him.
| | was travelling in Norway about that time
and joined him just as he was leaving Glas-
gov for AYR At AYR l learned from an eye
| witness of his refusing f700 in one Iump in
Edihburg. 1t was collected by the brethren
without his knowing it, and he was invited
into private room by the committee and
presented with it. He positively refused to
| touch it, saying that he had no use tor
it and didn't know where to put it. The en-
| treaties of the committee we're utterly una
vaiing, and when they pleaded that it would
be impossible to return it to the thousands of
| people who contributed it he agreed to direct
whom they should give it TO. He told them
about Major Whittle, who, he said, had got in
debt by trying to aid in a religious enter
| prise, and would become an evangelist as
soon as he had paid that debt. Moody asked
| the committee to take the f700 and pay
| Whites debt with it. This they readily
consented to do and the consequence was
| that Whittle gave up his business and be-
came an evangelist. After that Moody was
| offered money constantly but he steadily
refused everything except his expenses. He
wouldn't even accept suit of clothes
until he was in need of it."
What about the profits from the sale of
| the hymn book%'
IF think know ali about that The book
| sold in Great Britain for only penny and
yet profits amounted to $4,000 1 suppose
that, taking America into account the first
second, third and fourth parts have earned
$780, 900 or $500, 900 up to this time. Sankey
OF course, was anxious that this money
should be appropriated by himself and
Moody. But Moody put his foot down
again, and insisted that they must not take
penny OF it; and although the book was
| Sankey's work, Moody, by threatening to
withdraw from Sankey, compelled him to
agree to an arrangement for devoting it all TO
benevolent purposes. Accordingly they EN-
powered three men, John V. Farwell of
Chicago William E. Dodge, of New York,
and George III. Stuart, of Philadelphia to
collect these funds from the publishers and
to apply them to any charitable purpose they
pleased"
What did these gentlemen do with the
money!
"WelI, they devoted about $50. 900 to clear
ing off the debt of the Chicago-avenue
Church; they gave about 800, 600 to the Chi
cago Young Mems Christian Association and
large amounts to the Young Mems Christian
Associations of all the large cities in the
country, and guess they have got good
deal left vet"
And Moody and Sankey haven't got any
of it?"
Not cent At one time the trustees got
up great scheme to invest large amount
of it for the benefit of Moody's wife and
| children But Moody got wind of it, and
never let up until he forced them to abandon
| it."
How did Moody manage to get that fine
house and farm at Northfield Mass"
"Fine house and farml U, my that is rich
I'll tell you how he did it. Moody's mother
| has a little farm at Mortified worth perhaps
81. 900 or s., 600, and Moody and his family
used to go and stay there. There really
wasn't room for them IN the house and his
| friends thought it was almost an imposition
on the old lady. So one time when he was at
work here they went to Mortified, fenced
| off about five acres of this farm. and built
! s.. 600 house on it, When Moody returned
| they undertook to drive him to this new
house That was the first he knew of it; and