Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-03-25
HONOR BLIND
HYMN WRITER
Fanny Crosby. the Author
Of Sacred Songs. CeIe-
bTating Birthday.
EICHTY-FVE YEARS OLD YET HALE

Bridgeport, Conn, March "a Fanny
Crosby. the blind author IT S,000
hymns, among them s0nio Of The best
known af the worlds sacred songs,
was SS yeage old tc.lay. She ,assed
tho day quietly al hor home In this
cay. tie greater part ~ the tliDo being
spent Ia listening 90 hef - cr read
eOulo OF the hundreds Of meI1nfcs and
lcttcrs OF congiatulatiuo th4i poured
m from every part of The ooisUtry One
Of The most welcome 0f END cOnFrai.
ulatary lcucre received 81 Mies Crns.
by was from FORMER pollde.a Grover
Cleveland. When the hynh writer
was a teacher IN the New Yorlt Iuati.
tnte for the Blind many yenra ago,
Grover Cleveland WIS aocltlary 10
the president OF that Institution. and
ho has written her a letter. In wnlch
be says.
II rs more thsn inty years ago that
our acquaintance and friondahlp be
san and ever since that TINA have
watched your continuous and disin.
ttrcsted labor IN Uplifting humanity
and pointing out che way u anil appre.
ciation ol Gods goOdness nnd mercy.
IA one proud 10 call YOU an old
friend, I desire to he early III jolBlng
your other frien rs and aanlirefs Ia
congratulating yOn on your long lite
of usefulness, and w.shing you In the
years yet % b. added TO You the pe1ce
and comfort born Of the love of Cod.
Please accept, besides, the lnciosed
contribution Of a tesilmonial whlJh is
richly due 90 you a. the htfnds of those
who believe you have done much g0g
the souls IN need OF help
The oyesigh OF Miss Crosby was dc
stroyed by the application OF hot poui.
does % her eyes when she was hal,y.
4 was while she was a young woman
In tAe '30's Mat she hfst became
known aa song writer SIC was
spending a vacat0n In ReaNng, Pa,
when she became acqualntei Nth Pro
feenor Goodge II R0O,. who ln after
years became the composer " 10 many
sougg. Professor Root beeame In.
presacd with Miss Crosby'a talent and
'thoy formed q e0mhuailna fa which
ehe wrute the verses for the acnEs
that ne composed During tho war
Miss Crosby wrote a number 0f pa.
uiOtic songs.
she has enjoyed the friendship 0f a
number Of prominent men, including
Presidents Tyler and Van Buroa,
Henry Clay. William u. Seward and
General Winfield Scot. and she has
met many Of tho most Conspicuous fg.
nres Ia American history since those
days.
One Of the mosi pathetic incidents
of her lite d told In connection with
The friendship that existed hesween
herself and Henry CLAY The great
g'atesman had host son In tho Mex.
can battle OF Monterey. and Miss
Crosby wrote lew Appropriate stan.
zas and sent them 90 she iaiher These
touched him deeply. A few monfhs
later, while viaifing New York. he was
received IN the institution where Miss
Crosby was teaching She had been
delegated TO give hsm o poeiicai vel.
come and after II was over Mr.. Clay
drew the blind girls arm In his and
wept AZ he said "This is not the
FIRST Doem for which / am Indebted 10
this lady. She sent me some beautiful
Hines on she death OF my dear son"
Mr.. Clay soon recovered himself
by a splendid effort said Misa Cros.
BY whom recalling this lncidenf, "but
could not control my tears"
Miss Crosby also had the distinction
of being the FIRST woman whnse voice
was ever publicly heard in the senate
chamber IN Washington This was way
back In the '5oa wisen she read poem
there
Some Of Miss Crosby hymns that
continue popular IN addition 10 .safe
Ia the Arms Of Jesus" "Restue the
PcrahluR." and Pas Ne Not. q. Gen.
tle savior" are "IeEus Is Calling"
blcHHed AFsurancc." "Ail the WAY
Ny Savior Leads Me-. Saved by
Grace" There's q Cry from Mace.
dnnia, Jesus the Water Of lAfe Will
Give" Keep Me Near the CROSS. "
l.et the Good Angel Come ln." "etfike
the Harp of Zion "nloaaed Home.
land, p twill Not be Long. Our .Ionr.
ney Here, Some Day the silver
Chord wall Break" "Thv Word Ia n
lamp 90 Ny Feat. j" "Never sav Good.
BY" Holy, Holy is the land "sA.
vlpr. More chan l.ifO 20 Ne"
A compiete liaf OF Miss Cr0aby's
hymns ana Songs 81 impossible Tor
compilation. Altogether they are said
% number more than 900. sac "A
rapid and iudefafigable worker. Some
of her best known and most popular
hymns. u IN said, were com posed In
less than Aitccn minute.
MSS Crosby ia stone blind For
some yoara she has, With her sister.
Mrs. q W Ryder, bcen living with an
old friend Mrs. william Becker. In
ihia ciiy. Here IN roOmy apartments
mo afod hymn Wrltcr ats IN rocking
chair far into che night. compeinF
ny INNS aud momorixine them. ~ thai
she can dictate 60 hor Sister naxf
morning.