The Progress., 1893-11-11
MOODY ANDSANKEY NET
FIRST INTERVIEW BETWE EN-
THE EVANGELISTS.
Mr.. Sankey Was Government Officer
and at First Did Not See His Way 1"
Accept MIR. Moody's Suggestion-
Their Immediate Success

/ each other acquaintance. nv
Moody was already displaying that
zeal in cvangclistic work which sub
scqucntly made him famous, though
| then his efforts and reputation
were confined largely to Chicago
Mr.. Sankey's home was IN Newcastle,
Pa, where he was then serving as
an internal revenue officer. His
father was a banker and active in
politics. and held under Lincoln 5
appointment the important position
of collector of internal revenue for
four large counties in Western Penn
sylvania. Young Sankey was then
a Christian. having been converted
a number of years before during u
revival, and his talent of song had
already begun to be used.
Coming to indianapolis to attend
as u delegate from Newcastle the
national convention of the Young
Mems Christian asso citation. Mr.
Sankey attended one morning a 6
o'clock prayer meeting. held in tho
basement of the First Baptist church,
led by Mr.. Moody. The singing
dragged and Mr.. Sankey, at the sug-
gestion of a minister who was seated
beside him, started up the familiar
hymn, There Is a Fountain Filled
With Blood" 1t went well and was
followed by other songs equally sue
cessful, and Mr. Moody became so
1ptaractad fhot ba loolyad about fo
see whence the new impetus IN sing
izg came. After the meeting closed,
with characteristic quickness OF de-
cision. Mr.. Moody. hardly waiting for
an Introduction. said to Mr. Sankey:
You're the man | have been look
ing for for the last eight years. Come
and lunch with me.
The invitation was accepted, and
later in the day the two men got to-
gether and the subject of future
combination OF forces was talk ed
over in downright earnest. Mr.
Moody pressed upon Mr.. Sankey the
duty of at once joining him in Chi
cago. but in Sankey's mind there
were some practical objections, arIs-
ing from his business and family
connections. IL am a government
officer" he said to Mr.. Moody, land
may find it difficult to get released. "
There IS a better government to
serve than this" was the reply.
But. persuasive as Mr. Moody was,
he did not carry his point then and
there. Mr. Sankey took several
months in which to cons ider the
matter.
That very afternoon. however, the
first Moody and Sankey public meet
ing was held. with no advertising
except the singing as led by Mr.
Moody's newly found friend. 1t was
an outdoor gathering, and the
masses were there. Mr. Moody
brought out box from a store to a
favorably located street corner,
mounted it. and there a short, but
fervent service of preaching and
song was held. At the close of this !
openair meeting The two evangelists
headed procession for the academy
of music, where the convention
meetings were held, singing as they
marched with the crowd into the |
academy OF music. the convention |
having adjourned the discussion of
''How to Reach the Masses" and gone |
- supper. When the delegates got
back to the academy building they
-olnd it nearly half full of the very |
elapsed masses" about whom they
had been discussing. Mr.. Moody cut |
short his second address. dismissed |
the audience and went out with |
Sankey to get something to eat. Mr.. |
Sankey was greatly impressed with
these two meetings, and said to Mr.. !
Moody: "You are reaching the
masses while other people are talk
ing about it,"
After the convention was over Mr. |
Sankey went back to Newcastle and |
talked the question over with his |
wife and family. He aid 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. Arrieing in Chicago |
in the early morning, he went first to |
MIR. Moody's house, reaching there
just as family prayers were being
held. Almost before Mr.. Moody in
troduced him to mis- family he asked !
him to sing a hymn, and thus con-
tribute his part toward the informal |
service OF praise. Then the two men |
went out into the streets of the city,
visiting the sick and unfortunate.
That day must have been a notable
one in the personal history of the two
men, who afterward commanded the F,
eager attention of great audiences
on both sides of the sea- On this oc- 4
casion, as two ordinary missionaries,
they went about from house to house
singing and reading the bible. 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 1ar0a ,naat;no ,yaa