Evening journal., 1916-01-11

Where any movement diouHeS
such intense and general interest as
does the present union evangelistic
campaign. Il is always interesting 10
the people at large to learn something
of the life and character of the man
who is the handspring of the move
ment
The leader OF this movement, Rev
Milford Hall Lyon. has had Wnat
might be termed a remarkable MS
tory He was born near Waukon' AL
lomakec county. Iowa, on FEBRUARY
10 iS6S. the Youngest OF fourteen
children. He came from a long line
Of hardy stock. thc--blood OF many
nationalities being comminBieu.
French. English. Scotch. Welsh and
irish. make up this combination. HIS
grandfather Lyon was OF Hugenot
stool, a Methodist pastor I'm New Jer-
scv. His mothers father Holder Sis
son. fought with General Scott ~
rnndy's Lane in the war OF loi4'
and was captain OF the chicago
militia i'm the Black Hawk war. Gen
erai Ethan Allen. hero Of Ticonderoga
was his mothers uncle.
Or. Lyons mother is still living az
the advanced agc OF ninety years
rTer home As al Waterloo. Iowa. She
Is doubtless the last survivor OF the
occupants OF Fort Dearborn, IN Chi-
caro. being M that time q girl OF
eight years Of age. Dr. Lyons father
was one OF the carly western pion-
ccrs The father and mother OF the
evangelist were married and settled
In northeastern Iowa in lS42. When
ncighbors we're scarce.
II was when the subject OF this
sketch was very young that the par
onts iefl home IN northeastern Iowa
and located on a farm near La Porte
ctv lust south OF Waterloo. II
was here that Milford Lyons boyhood
davs we're spent working on the
farm and walking two miles to attend
tho village school.
Tic completed the high school
course al the age Of IL ana soon
moved with his parents TO humnoldt'
10 the northwestern part OF iowa
where he spent q year in a lawyer $
Office. preparing a set of county ab-
.tract books. His father having en-
gagged in the hardware business
Young Lyon spent more than four
Years clorking in the store; working
M the bench in the tin shop during
the last two years of this time, he
Mad charge Of the collection OF the
accounts and the purchase OF goods.
During these years. while he was out
Of school. young Milford had an am
hition 10 return TO bis studies, nut
the way did not open until the au-
tumn nf 1887. when. his father hav-
inr sold the store. he went 10 Iowa
Citv. where ne entered the academy
Doing Two years work in one, he
comnleied the academic course the
following June. and next fall entered
tho lstatc university. During inc
succeedine four years he earned MS
entire expenses by teaching maih.
cmatics in the academy. and work
ing as travelling salesman durinl
the summer. selling goods Tor an
Iowa City factory.
LYON had entered college with th'
intention Of studying for the law ant
roihu into politics. and having iurne'
from this 10 teaching he felt NOR
and more impressed with the need
and importance OF tho Gospel min
lstry. Al the close OF his secon
wear as college president he resiBne
his position 90 accept a call TO On
pastorate of the First Congregations
Church. Harvey III. After yea
and a half there. he accepted the pas
sorstc Of the Bethel Church, Windso
Park. Chicago During this pastoral
The church membership was nearl
doubled and new building wa
erected
"Feolinr the great need OF evango
listic work all over the land. ID
Lvon decided to resign from hi
psstorate and enter what seemed Z
him broader field Of christian use
fulness. II would naturally seem
very pcrilous venture TO resign troi
successful pulpit and good SALARY
20 start out. not knowing where
without any assurance OF hnancis
,upport for himself and family. NC
this is what Dr. Lyon did, and II car
not help but make him smile whe
people say he entered evangelism fo
the money there was In H. Naturall
he had to start in small way,
FIRST in single church meetings. ~
from that beginning his work hs
constantly grown. During the pa
fifteen years he has spoken moro ths
seven thousand times in twcnty-for
states. and has never missed Sc
vice on account OF ill health. As
result Of his work there have been
least q hundred thousand conversion
Having been a pastor Or. Lyon ma
urally looks al evangelism from u
standpoint Of the men who arc to r
main on the field after the evangeli
has left. He frequently says that
was one OF the motives that impell'
him 10 enter evangelistic work thi
he might help to brighten the Loaf
that rest on the shoulders OF the pa
tors All over the land.
Four years ago the degree OF Do
tor Of Divinity was conferred upc