The Portland daily press., 1894-07-09
GAVE ALL HE HAD.
Put His S175, 900 Into Church, and Now
He is It's Janitor.
(Frm the pittsburg Dispatch

Firm the Pittsburg Dispatch
Denver has the extraordinary instance
of a man who gave his entire fortune toward
the building of church and then became
its janitor,'' said William II. Graham yester-
day. 1T is nothing unusual to see the man
who gave a large donation to the church be-
come leader in the congregation, but here
is a man who gave every cent of the S37, 900
he had accumulated and was then content
to serve in lowly position with a small
salary. This is rare instance of self-sac-
ritice and particularly interesting to Pitts
burgers, as the noble man at one period in
his life spent bis time between Alliance and
this city.
''Many years ago there resided in Alliance.
Ohio, man, who, in order to make a better
living for himself and wife, opened a restau-
rant in addition to his regular duties as
eng ineer on the Fort Wayne road between
Pittsburg and his native town. He gained
little money in the pursuit of his vocation,
but when the western fever broke out and
Denver was looming up out of the rays of
the setting sun as the coming metropolis of
the west he packed up his earthly possess
sions and started for that growing place.
With the little savings he had taken with
him he purchased home surrounded by
some little property. AS luck would have
it. portion of the land adjoining his house
suddenly became very valuable and he sold
it at a great profit. Having acquired a
taste for real estate he bought and sold,
always being successful, until his savings
had increased to what, in those days, and
We might say even now,wa thought to be
considerable foItune-$37. 600. But the en-
gineer's path was not to be all strewn with
roses, for about this time his wife died.
leaving him alone in the world. He mourned
her loss very bitterly. Feeling that he
should do some good in the world he became
very much interested in church work.
1.-THE Christian Church at Denver had been
very successful, but after acquiring a con-
siderable congregation the work seemed at
a stand still. The pastor had received call
from another city, and was about to accept
it, when the Pittsburg engineer came to him
and argued that his proposed going away
was ill advised. For, he contended, while
our church has increased rapidly, we are
now at a standstill. What we need now is a
counter irritant to stir up the people for the
good work. Establish another Christian
Church here, nd you will see what great
in this opinion but could see no way to ac-
complish the establishment of another
church, as funds were very scarce. With
this the engineer agreed to donate $4,000
toward purchasing a lot, and to build new
church if the pastor would remain. This
offer was accepted; soon lot was obtained,
and in short time the tent which pwas
erected to hold the services held an earnest
IL.
work increased, and building soon COM
menced. So interested did the engineer be-
come that he not only gave his promised
1900, but kept adding and adding to his
donation until, when the $68, 900 church was
completed. he had given every cent he had
in the world, S37 900. leaving himself utterly
without money or means of support. The
church proved to be one of the finest in
Denver, and is to this day the pride of the
city.
But what was this benevolent man to
do? He had given his all to the church, but
he must live. He went meekly and asked
for the position of janitor. Of course he
was accepted, and to this day he is filing
that position. But he is no ordinary jani-
tor; he is rather king in the congregation.
He is about seventy years old. ard lives in
the church. Away up in the belfry which
he built he has uncomfortable bed room ar
ranged, and down in the basement he eats
his meals. He receives salary, but every
cent that is not required for his frugal liv-
ing he gives to the aims fund. said he is
looked upon as king. On every question
which comes up about the church his opin-
ion is asked for and respected. He is CON
tent with his life, having made sacrifice of
hImSAlf and ha
! l doubt if such another instance of self-sac-
riff ce can be found in recent times >,