The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-24
BLIND HYMN WRITER
BEGINS 95TH YEAR
Felicitations From Entire Country
Received by Fanny Crosby

Bridgeport Conn. March 2l.-l'anny
Crosby, the famous blind hymn writer,
entered upon her ninety fifth year to-
day, having been born March ~ lS=0.
Miss Crosby makes her home with Il
niece i'm this city. This afterro'r a
reception was given in her hon"r b.
the members of the Fanny Crosbj Cir
Gle of Kings Daughters. From all
parts of the country hundreds of feli'I-
tous messages arrived during The daN
congratulatng the famous hymn writer
ON her birthday
Miss Crosby, whose full name IS
Frances Jane Crosby Van Alstyne. has
been by far the most prolific and meri-
torous writer of ny of the present
age, having written more than 5.0o" Of
which many have won universal pplu-
larity.
She has been totally blind since her
infancy. At the age of II she was sen!
to the Institute for the Blind ia New
York city To he educated. She made
such rapid progress i'm all branches
that "A few years later she was APP
pointed a teacher in the institution.
She remained there about ten years.
Wrote First Hymn When IS.
Even during the earlier student day
Miss Crosby had shown considerable
ability rs writer of verse and later
several volumes of her poems were
published. one of her poems which
first attracted public attention was
written by her i'm welcome to Henry
clay ON the occasion of a visit of In"
celebrated statesman to New York.
Miss Crosby's first songs were of a
secular nature and it was not until she
had reached the age Of forty five that
she wrote her first hymn. Born with
great puctical gifts and filed with ar
dent religious fcrvor she put her
whole soul into her hymns and II is
not surprising that their simplicity,
tender sentiment and mclodious beau
| ~ have won world wide popularity.
The most popular among the thou
sands of Miss Crosby's hymns un-
doubtcdly are Safe i'm The Arms of Je-
| sus," Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.
and Jesus the Water of Life VIII
Give" Two of her secular songs which
were vastly popular in their day were
Hazel Dell" ana There's Music in the
Air"
Still Appears AS Speaker.
Many stories have been told 60 H.
! lustrate The facility with which Miss
crosby did her work of composition
once while pupil at the institution
J for the Blind she was require to write
some lines of blank verse. She neg
lected the task until her teacher re-
minded her and told her she would not
get her dinner until shc had writer
the verses. In less than an hour Miss
Crosby had commenced and completed
the poem.
safe i'm the Arm of Jesus" which il
probably the most popular or hel
hymns. was composed by her while w
II. Doane, who had written the music
for many Of her hymns, was waiting
to take a train. He was sitting at
The piano, softly playing the music fo'
which he wished her to find words anC
IN twenty minutcs tEe famous hymn
was Completed.
At nincty-fnur years cf age Miss
Crofb, is IN the caioymcnt cf remark
liable vigor mentally. thou9h there hat
arrn u1ti,cahlc Increase In her pl5
ST al iracmitics OF late. Nevertheless
her condition the past year has bee
svch as L. permit her Ia appear as
public speaker a: several places II
New York state and New England