Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
MOODY AND SANKEY.
STORY OF HOW MOODY DISCOVERED
THE MAN TO HELP HIM.

the Voice OF the Great Singer Was First
Heard by the Stirring Evangelist-Their
First Work.
It was at Indianapolis in 1870 that
these two men first made each others
acquaintance. Mr.. Moody was already
displaying that zeal in evangelistic work
which subsequently made him famous,
though then his efforts and his reputa-
ton were confined largely to Chicago.
Mr.. Sankey's home was iu Newcastle,
Pa, where he was then serving as an in
ternal revenue officer. His father was
banker and active in politics and held
under Lincoln's appointment the impor-
tant position of collector of inland rev.
enue for four large counties in western
Pennsylvania. Young Sankey was then
Christian, having been converted a
number of years before during Metho-
dist revival, and his talent of song had
already begun to be used for his Master.
Coming to indianapolis to attend as a
delegate from Newcastle the national
convention of the Young Mems Christian
association, Mr.. Sankey attended one
morning o'clock prayer meeting, held
in the basement of the First Baptist
church, led by Mr.. Moody. The singing
dragged, and Mr.. Sankey, at the sugges-
tion of minister who was seated beside
him. started up the familiar hymn,
''There is fountain filled with blood"
It went well and was followed by other
songs equally successful, and Mr. Moody
became SO interested that he looked
about to see whence the new impetus in
singing came. After the meeting closed
with characteristic quickness of deci-
sion, Mr.. Moody, hardly waiting for an
introduction, said to Mr.. Sankey:
"You're the man have been looking
for for the last eight years. Come and
lunch with me.' The invitation was
accepted, and later in the day the two
men got together, and the subject of
future combination of forces was talked
over in downright earnest. Mr.. Moody
pressed upon Mr.. Sankey the duty of at
once joining him in Chicago, but in
Sankey's mind there were some prac-
tical objections arising from his bust
ness and family connections. II am
government officer" he said to Mr..
Moody, "and may find it difficult to get
released" "There is better govern
ment to serve than this" was the re-
ply that flashed instantly out. But,
persuasive as Mr.. Moody was, he did
not carry his point then and there. Mr..
Sankey took several manths in which to
consider the matter.
That very afternoon, however, the
first Moody and Sankey public meeting
was held, with no advertisement except
the singing as led by Mr.. Moody's newly
found friend. It was an outdoor gather
ing, and the masses were there. Mr..
Moody brought out box from a store
to a favorably located street corner,
mounted it, and there short but fer
vent service of preaching and song was
held. At the close of this open air meet.
ing the two evangelists headed pro-
cession for the Academy of Music, where
the convention meetings were held, sing
ing as they marched with the crowd in
to the Academy of Music, the convention
having adjourned the discussion of
''How to Reach the Masses" and gone
to supper. When the delegates got
back to the academy building, they
found it nearly half full of the very
elapsed masses" about whom they had
been discussing. Mr.. Moody cut short
his second address, dismissed the audi
ence and went out with MIR. Sankey to
get something to eat. Mr.. Sankey was
greatly impressed with these two meet
ings and said to Mr.. Moody, "You are
reaching the masses while other people
are talking about them."
After the convention was over Mr.,
Sankey went back to Newcastle and
talked the question over with his wife
and family. He did not see his duty
clearly all at once, but Mr.. Moody kept
writing for him to come to Chicago and
at last persuaded him to go out for
week to look the ground over. Arriving
in Chicago in the early morning, he went
first to Mr.. Moody's house, reaching
there just as family prayers were being
held. Almost before Mr.. Moody intro
duced him to his family he asked him to
sing hymn and thus contribute his
part toward the informal service of
praise. Then the two men went cut
into the streets Of the city visiting the
sick and unfortunate.
That day must have been u notable
one in the personal history of the two
men, who afterward commanded the
eager attention of great audiences on
both sides of the sea. On this occasion.
as two ordinary missionaries, they went
about from house to house, singing and
reading the Bible and speaking the word
of cheer and hope wherever it was
needed. This was their first days labor
together. Evening meetings were held
during the week in the Illinois street
church, Of which Mr.. Moody was the
head and leader.
On Sunday Large meeting was held
in Farwell hall, and as the organist hap
pened to be absent Mr.. Sankey had to
sing without instrumental accompani-
ment, not having even a small cabinet
organ there. Tho effect of the service
upon tho people there was so marked
that Mr.. Moody turned to the singer and
said, "You see was right" There were