The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-15
SANCTUAR|ES FOR SALE
Real Estate Man of Chicago Has
q Line of Bargain Churches.
ROBERT COLLYER'S UNITY
Tries to Induce q New Yorker to Take
a Flyer In Temples of Worship.
One Has q Cupoia and q
Mortgage On II.

SuiIdkO 10 tUt Out lONn III NAAAS
country where churches are on the real
estate market. In every city where
business overtakes the church the I'D
church buildings are abandoned for up
town sites. and then. OF course. the old
ediices are put on the market. But
that Is not the story in Chicago" said
an investor to a New York real estate
man.
Il was in Chicago some weeks g.
looking up bargains in suburban prop
erty. After I had killed a half day IN
a Washington street office the agent
asked me IL I ever dabbled i'm church
property. The inquiry jolted me for a
moment. and 1 was compelled. in order
to satisfy my curiosity. to ask for a
diagram.
We have some churches for SALE
he explained. i mean church buildings,
all ready for business IL the purchaser
wants to continue the business
" The property Is not on the market.
then. simply because the growth OF
Chicago Is w to it?' 1 said.
Not at ALL answered my man Of
the realty line. Some of this property
is so situated that the purchaser could
use IT for no other purpose. He might
hold IL for a rise. or he might tear down
the building and sell the material IL ne
wanted to put up a different house on
the Site
II said. as delicately as / could. that
the advance in realty i'm Chicago was
not of the kind which would pay me to
hold property there or buy il on invest
ment. / added that my travels about
the town showed me many vacant acres
everywhere. so that I could not see why
n should want to buy a house to tear
IL down in order to get an eligible site.
" Not unless N got a bargain said
my willy friend. We might make IL to
your interest," he added, TO make an
Offer
Tell me-. / said, why is this church
property on the market in the way you
explain? Is goodness in this city on the
down grade. or what is it?'
=" Every man to his business was
the answer. L cannot give you the quo
tations on goodness, but IL you want to
take a flyer on churches, ! can accom-
modate you
81 thought IL all owe and the next
day / called again and was soon beside
the individual with a line of bargain
churches. who drove with me behind a
fleet team, to the eligible sanctuary
sites. / think I looked at a dozen. on
most of them was the sign For Sale
A majority OF the edifices did not even
look shopworn. One was bright and
fresh and when / q asked the trafficker III
temples why 1t was up. he replied:
THE mortgage Is long overdue.
They bit of more than they could
chew. A section of the congregation
deserted the main shop over on the
lake shore and locked by themselves
They put up this house under the be-
lief that they would get a big crowd
and they put In an organ hat cost
as much as the building, hired an opera
singer to run the choir and a preacher
who is a good nan but somehow he
couldn't fetch, and, as one of the dea-
cons said to me. the church would
have made a better ice plant than a
temple
II looked at the heartless wretch in
amazement. As soon as / could thaw
out. | asked II the church was now oc-
cupied on Sunday. The agent said IL
vas occasionally, when a stranger
came along who could do his own
singing and who didn't have to rely on
the hat for his fare. He meant offer
ings. | observed that the edifice was
somewhat remote from residence clus-
tiers. and also that / would not like II
as an investment.
"'You people in the East said the
advance IA OF the devil. have lots
of money and you pretend to be awful
ly interested in the welfare of this
country. ust now you are talking
about investing in the new accessions.
Now. how much better IL would be IL
o woul buy this church at our fig
ure. and II you take IL this week for
cash I will shade the figures. and then
you 60 back East and give the church,
men there talk about educating the
heather at home. Tell them about this
beautiful sanctuary standing here
empty. Kind o. work yourself into the
game. and tell them you'll knock OFF
so much IL they will save IL, and that
you will furnish the preacher for the
first ear. There's immediate profit In
the deal. You can do IL, for o live
there
Il have met some cool people in the
stock exchange and elsewhere. but this
was the chilliest. most calculating chap
j ever went up against. l got away
from his proposition somehow. | don't
know just how. Returning. he stopped
before a handsome stone edifice facing
a library and a park and one of the
rich clubs of the city. The agent said
the club was that of Robert Lincoln,
by which I understood hat the for
mer minister to st. James was a MEM
Der OF the club. The church is. indeed.
beautifully situated. and It's lines are
full of that repose hich one finds in
Old World sanctuaries.
That said the agent. lis where
Robert Collyer. now of New York. used
to preach. When he was its pastor IL
was always full. Chicago was mighty
fond Of the old man. and in order TO
make him contented and to keep him
from going back to the old country. the
congregation sen to the town where
Mr.. Collyer was a blacksmith I'm his
early days. ms bought the anvil on
which he worked and brought IL on
and put IL up In the study of the
church. But Mr.. Collyer went away
to New York. and the people of his
church here-Old Unity. IL Is called
got the sulks and shut up the house
for n long time. and refused To go to
church.
Then Mr.. Collyer persuaded them
to get a young man who had been rec
commended to him-Mr. Milne. George
Milne. Maybe you ave heard Of him.
He came from Brooklyn. He was a
great success as Hamlet. but / never
liked his preaching