The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-20
THE SWIFT gY AND RY.n
How the Immortal Song Game to b
WrltteV.

How the Immortal song Game 10 he
WHttev,
Louisville Post: In Richmond, Il lit
tie town of less than 1000 inhabitants,
almost on the southern boundary line
OF Illinois, lives the author OF IN the
Sweet by aud BY" lie Is u practice
ing physician and Is under sixty years
OF age. The immortal hymn was writ
ten when he was only thirty-slx,
During the civil war u wave OF moral
elevation and intellectual activity pass
ed over the country. In this grand
awakening OF the conscience there was
II hood of muHc-martlal, religious, do
nestle. George II. Root and stephen
j. Foster were both writing songs that
lived, and Sunday school hymns passed
out OF the drlvelinB period into one OF
elevated simplicity,
Just at this time Samuel Fillmore
Bennett Wa1 graduated from Ann Ar
Dor, Mich, and began a newspaper ca
recr at ElkhOrn, Wis, on the ~Independ-
ent. J, L, Webster, the musical com-
poser, was living IN the same town,
and II was only u few months before
the editor and the musician were col
laboratlng. The war interviewed, and
Lieutenant Bennett OF the ForticthI
Wisconsin Volunteers, returned 10 Elk
horn to open IL drug store and resume
his verse writing. He and Mr.. Webster
began In 1861 10 work on q Sunday
school sons book called '"rhe Signet
Ring" which was afterward published.
The period OF his life Is the most pre-
cious Of all his experiences to Dr. BEN
nett. Not long ago he told the whole
story TO an interested group. his eyes
fllling with tears as he v~ndlcated his
friend from calumnies,
Currency has been given to the
shameful story that Mr., Webster was
drunk when he wrote the music, and
another account has II that WI We're
both drunk, ! am thankful to do Justice
To one OF the noblest men that ever
llved-a fine. sensitive soul, with the
true artistic feeling. Again. II has been
said that we Ure both intldels, and the
song the ribald Jest OF u carouse. AS TO
my religion. that is my own afair; but
the hope and longing OF every immortal
soul as expressed In that song was the
faith of both OF us. To both creation
would have seemed u farce " Infinite
love and Immortality had not over
Swallowed US and promised a life OF bliss
beyond the grave.
mir. Webster. like many musicians,
was Of an exceedingly ncrvous and sem
sltive nature, and subject to tts OF de-
preston. I knew his pecullarities we'll,
and, when / found him given up 10 blue
devils, 7 Just gave him n cheerful song
TO work on. One morning he came into
the storcilnd walked to the stove with
out speaking.
whats up now, Webster / asked.
"'It's no matter. II will be all right
by and by
THE idea OF the hymn came to me
like n flash OF sunshine. The Sweet
BY and By Everything will be all
right then. Why wouldn't that make
a good hymn?'
" Maybe II would he replied, gloom
lily. Turning TO the desk, ! wrote as
rapidly as I could. In less than half
an hour, / think. the song. as II stands
to-day. was written. II reads:
{" There's n land that is fnirer than day,
And by faith We cAu see II aiar,
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare US u dwelling place there.
Chorus
" In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In tho sweet by II by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
No NlllN Flllk III NlAtAA HNANAAAAA
Tho melOdious songs Of the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more
Not a Sigh for the blessing OF rest
i" TO our bounilful Father above
We will ofIer our tribute Of praise
For the glorious gift OF his love
And the blessings that hallow our days.
I'm the meantime two friends. n. II.
Carswell and S. Z, Bright had come In.
! handed the verses to Mr.. Webster, n
little tremulous with emotion. As he
read II his eyes kindled. Stepping 10
the desk, he began to Jot down the
notes. he picked up his violin and tried
them. In ten minutes W. four gentle
men were singing that song. Mr., r. r.
Crosby came In, and with tears In his
eyes, said; Gentlemen. that hymn Is
immortal We were all excited. elated,
Within two weeks the children OF the
town were singing Il IN the streets.
I'm lS6S The Slgnet Rug was pub
llshcd. the public distributing circulars
to advertise II, and on the sheets was
The Sweet by and By on the strength
OF that one song nearly a quarter OF u
million copies Of the book were sold.
The sons was afterward brought out In
sheet music. aud II has been translated
into u number OF foreign languages.
webster. Crosby, and Carswell arc
ali dead s. Il. Bright, OF Fort Atkin-
son. Wis. and myself. are the only Nv
Ing witnesses to the origin OF the song"
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WHAT is o appropriate or SER