Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-02-12
FANNY CROSBY IN
HER FINAL SLEEP
WRITER OF EIGHT THOUSAND
HYMNS PASSES AT HER CON-
HEcTIcUT HOME.
Bird osni1s Lives 70 Her s5sh Year
Work Appears In Every
Known Language.

Bridgeport. Conn, Feb. I2-Fanny
crosby. weI known hymn writer. died
today AZ her home In ner 95th year.
Eight thousand hymns OF Christian
worship sung In Protestant churches
throughout the world are the work OF
Funny Crosby. No one since thu days
81 Charles Wesley or Isaac Pitts has
made anywhere near as largo a con
tributiOn 20 tie gospel song book "a
40 the blind writer whose death oc-
erred today.
Fanny Crosby's name vas signed so
regularly a. author OF one hymn after
another that the hymn book makers
cf a quarter OF a century ago were
f0rced % give her some zoo different
pen names 10 make 10 appear that
some one besides the famous writer
had coufr. buted- ThOusands-perhaps
huncreds % thouzands-who sang her
SONGS. which we've translated into ev-
cry language. did not know that Il
vas a blind wOman's Inspiration which
they employed 20 express their Chris
tiau faith and hope In song.
saved by Grace" Blessed Assur.
arce. Rescue the Perishing" and
safe In the Arms OF Jesus" are typ
zeal % Fanny Crosby's most popular
religious verses. OF the latter the
writer has related an incident show
inE the remarkable rapIdity with
uhici she employed her inspiration
and her talents Of versffcation.
W. IT, DOane. who wrote the music |
for many OF her verses. had called one
morning az Miss Crosby's home in /
New York
7 must take a train for Cincinnati
In 80 minutes he said. and I have
some music for which want you to |
write a hymn
HE sat down at the piano and play
81 his music
II think can write It. Mr. Duane"
7 said.
II hurried upstairs and sat down to |
write. For some time was entirely /
o5Hvious OF surroundings. When 1 !
came back TO my senses the hymn /
Tas written and was on paper before
me. ! learned that had only taken |
10 minutes. TriumphantIy I carried .
70 down TO Mr.. DOane. The music he |
played then and the words I had hur-
riedly written are the same as used 1
today In singing Safe In the Arms OF 4
Jesus
1T vas ny most successful hymn. /
and q believe II was dictated by the 4
spirit Of the Lord. and that # was born
for a mission"
Begins Writing a. 20.
But Fanny Crosby did not begin
lymu-writing until she was over 80
years Of age. Fifty years ago she was
best known for her popular melodies
which were whistled all over the
country. such as Proud World. Good
bye. I'm Going Home Hazel Dell"
The Housysuckis Glen.' and Never
Forget the Dear ones"
Born I'm Putnam county. New York
rate. March %. 1920. christened Fran
,es Jane Crosby. and married to
Alexander Van AIstyne. a blind music
eacher no died many years ago. the
lind writer lived to be s. years old.
fer mother had lived 20 be IO2. and
ier grandmother TO be 1OC. She re-
aimed 90 the last all % her faculties
yccptiuE eyesisht. She lost this dur
* a fever ir Infancy when a hot
7uitice vas applied 10 her eyes. de-
truying the optic nerve
SO eight years the little girl dis
..agcd her FIRST talent Go versifcation
y this philosophy Of coutentment:
OBJ. what n happy soul am I.
Although 7 cannot see.
z am resolved that In this world
Coutsuted 7 viii be.
H1w many blessings enjoy.
That other people don't
20 weep and sigh because I'm blind.
cannot and ! won't
For i2 years she studied az the New
1-E Institution for the Blind She
ever learned TO read BY the raised
rtfrrr. Playing the guitar while q
Hi't she 90 cailoused her fingers that
.rE we're not sensitive enough 20
end the raised characters All she
earned she memorized from hearing