The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-28
His Songs Opened Many Eyes to
Gods Grace-Now He Waits to
See Glory.


for years. across seas and back, leading
life Of tremendous activity. now passes
his DAYS in his Brooklyn home as help
less as a little child. in the dar'z.
His wife and his sons and the little
grandchildren whom he idOliZes, Hope and
her brother. Ida D. Saukey III. are tender
and watchful in their care for him, and
they are always rewarded by a kind word
and pleasant smile, Tor although wasted
by disease and suffering, he is the most
cheerful of them all his faith rests upon
a rock. If ever d man believed 70 the IN
nermOst fibre Of his being the gospel that
Ne preached, il is Ira j.. Sankey-
The story here told of many interesting
incidents and important episodes Of his
LIE which have never been related IN
has been his intimate friend for years and
Is 50 today.
The last song written by Ira D. Sankey,
lust before he was stricken with blind
ness probably the last song ne VIII ever
write. was Let the Blessed Savior In,
published by the Biglow & Main company.
Sometimes nowadays when he is led
into the library, where he passed so many
happy hours, ne grOpes his way to the lit
tie organ. the most wonderful organ IN
For nearly forty years it has been his
constant companion He has carried il
over the earth No other musical insJru-
ment has played so important a part in
the religious history of the world
Under the inspired touch of Mr.. SanEey
II mas leo the singing IN little western
towns where only a few were gathered,
and IL has led 10000 voices in Agricultural
hail In London. Next TO the members of
the family ne loves this little organ more
than ANYTHING he possesses
IL IS battered by many miles of travel
ing, the yellow ivory keys are worn al
most through, yet only Mr.. Sankey's fin
gers have touched them On this he com
posed all the songs that have added TO his
And not only did BIr. Sankey compose
his own songs on this organ, not only did
ne use IL i'm nearly all the meetings in
which he took so prominent a part. but
on IL he tried the songs of others which
were included with his own in the books
that he edited-song books that have had
a circulation exceeding that of any pub
ncation with the exception of the Bible
Tt is not possible to fix the exact num-
Der. but as nearly as can be determined
no fewer than 100000 copies of the Cos
pei hymns written and edited by Mr.. San
years.
Mr.. Sankev played on this little organ
long before he dreamed of becoming an
evangelist. He always loved music and
he cannot remember when he could not
sing He bought the organ not long after
ne returned from the civil war, in which
he gained distinction as a religious wOrK-
er as well as "a soldier.
lie mad no thought then OF being an
evangelist His taste turned TO politics
as did that of his father. who was a sue
cessful banker. and who served in the
state senate of Pennsylvania. In fact Ira
j. Sankey was an internal revenue officer
until he met Mr. Moody in Indianapolis
organ had seen much usage
tt was not. however. until six months
after the meeting with Mr.. Moody that
me lIue organ started on It's puDhc Cd
reer in Chicago. 1t was taken to England,
where Moody and Sankey made their
great reputation in 1873
on it Mr.. Saukcy played the songs of
Philip Phillips. the first singing eVaugel-
list. of F. F. Bliss. who was killed i'm the
Ashtabula disaster of 1876. and his own
melodies. How many meetings that little
organ has taken part IN no one Knows
Tt runs up into the thousands some
times II led the singing of five meetings
day
on this little organ, now so worn and
silent in these dark hours. were composed
nearly all of the 800 songs and hymns
that Mr.. Sankey has published- songs
and HYMNS that thousands of people are
singing this day while the maker Of the
melody lies helpless on his lounge IN the
darkness
" brushed his hand across the worn keys
IL would give forth The Ninety ana
Nine. which he sang thousands OF times
No one who ever heard Mr.. Sankey VIII
ever forget il, and always he was asked
TO sing IT, No one could ever sing it as he
could.
There were ninety and nine that safely
In the shelter of the fold
But one was lost on the hills away
Far off from the gates of gold
AWAY on the mountain wild and bare
Away from the tender shepherds care.
Away from the tender shepherds care
That is the greatest song and he liked
Z best of all his compositions. simply be-
cause he believed IL accomplished the
most de composed it more than quar-
Ter of century ago
Next to The Ninety and Nine" he
-anked Faith Is Victory among his
compositions. and he sang ii wonder
tuly Wen. as the little old organ knows;
Encamped among the hills of light,
We Christian soldiers rise,
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
AGAINST the foe i'm wales below
Let an our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory. we know,
That Overcomes the world
Hardly less effective was later Cos
pei song. There ID BE No Dark Valley
which he sang very frequently after ne
wrote it. about seven years ago anu
many can almost catch the strains of his
powerful voice as they read the lines:
Thereu be no dark valley when Jesus
rhere'H be no dark valley when Jesus
rhere'H BE- no dark valley when Jesus
To gather his loved ones home.
Memories Of his songs pass in review
81 Am Praying Eor GU trusting Je-
..Not Now. NV Child why Not To-
nightg~ Light After Darkness. When
the Mists Have Rolled Away and
II is fact known TO very few people
that Mr. San1ey never Kept for himself
IA penny of che royalties from the enOr-
nous sale of his gospel songs He did
not think fl right that he should profit
from his singing OF the melodies in the
meetings He established "a trust for the
collection OF his share of the royalties
and every penny OF them was turned over
To the Northlield schools founded by Mr.
Moody
The royalties thus far have amounted
10 more than half a million dollars
AIR. Sankey has been by FAR the largest
Individual contributor TO these schools
Yet he never spoke Of it.. II was known
only 10 those who had To know about IT,
and To the few whom they told despite
Mr- Sankey's objection He always re-
ferred to the Mortified schools as the
Moody schools.
Sometimes he turned from his desk TO
another little organ that he kept in his
office. and the melody sprang into being
at once but almost always he took the
words to his Brooklyn home. TO the little
old organ that has been his companion
the creater part of his life.
II the inspiration came 10 him he sat
down to the organ and sang the song
Then he 1Otted it down roughly on a
niece OF paper he next day he brought
Do over TO the office. where fl was care
fully copied and locked i'm the safe The
original was almost always DESTROYED.
Nobody could sing as Mr.. Sankev could
Ills voice was unframed, and his knowl-
edge of music is only rudmentarv But
he understood the power Of sirnD1icffv Of