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Show Razing of an Old Chicago Building BuildingRecalls BuildingRecalls BuildingRecalls Recalls Career of Dwight L 1 lo loMoody . . Moody MoodyFamous , Famous Evangelist of 50 SO Years Ago f ' By ELMO SCOTT WATSONReleased WATSONReleased WATSON WATSONReleased ( Released by Western Net Newspaper Ne\\spaper Ne spaper \ < spnper Union ) Union ) TT HEY have torn down anoldbme anoldtime an THEY T | oldtime oldbme building bUIldmg on ChI- ChI ChIcago Chicago Chi--JL Chi JL - - cago s famousI famousNear famous I ' Near NearN NearNorthside NearNorthside N orthside Northside ' whichwas which wluch was a land land- landmark landmark landmark - mark rich in the rehglOus religious rehglOuslore religiouslore religiouslore lore of America It was the theold theold theold old Moody church bUildIng buildingon on the northwest corner of ofLa ofLa ofLa La Salle street and Clucago Chicago Clucagoavenue Chicagoavenue Chicagoavenue avenue , where a modern modernbUSIness modernbusiness modernbusiness bUSIness district links lmks a part partof partof partof of the famedI famedGold famed I ' ' Gold Coast Coast"with Coastwith " wIth a typical city slumErected slum slumErected Erected in 1873 by the theworld theworld theworld world famous evangehst evangelist evangelistDwight , , DWIght L Moody , , this tlus bUIld- bUIld bUIldmg building bmld-mg bmld mg - mg ing was known as the Chica ChICa- ChICago Chicago Chicago - go Avenue church until unbl the thedeath thedeath thedeath death of its founder in 1899 1899Renamed 1899Renamed 1899Renamed Renamed the Moody church churchit , It finally was outgrown and andpurchased andpurchased andpurchased purchased in m the last days of ofthe ofthe ofthe the World war by the Moody MoodyBIble MoodyBible MoodyBible BIble institute of ChicagoBut Chicago ChicagoBut But even though the disap disappearance disappearance disappearance pearance of this pIcturesque pIcturesquebUIldmg picturesquebuilding picturesquebuilding bUIldmg building removes one of the thetangIble thetangible thetangible tangIble evidences of the In Influence influence influence fluence which Dwight L LMoody LMoody LMoody Moody once exerted upon uponAmerIcan uponAmerican uponAmerican AmerIcan society , it makes makesroom makesroom makesroom room forhat for \ what \\hat hat that \ appears to be bean bean bean an even greater monument monumentto monument'to monumentto ' to the great evangelist evangehst evangelistFor For with the passing passmg of this hIs hIstonc histonic histone tonc tonic building bUIldmg has come the thelaunchmg thelaunching thelaunching launchmg launching of a building buildmg program programby programby programby by the Bible school founded on onI onadJommg onadjoining onadjoining I adJommg adjoining property by Moody Moodymore Moodymore Moodymore more than half a century ago agoAlready agoAlready agoAlready Already a 12 story admmlstratlon administration admmlstratlonbuildIngcomplete administrationbuildingcomplete administrationbuilding buildIng-complete buildIng complete - complete with studios studiosof studiosof studiosof of a 5 000 watt radio station stationWMBI stationWMBI stationWMBI WMBI located in the tov"er- tov"er tover tower- tower tov"ercasts towercasts tower towercasts " - casts its shadow over the bUIld bUIldIng building buildmg Ing site soon to become a grass grassplot grassplot grassplot plot on Moody Bible mstitute Institute s sdowntown sdowntown sdowntown downtown campus MeanwhIle MeanwhIlebasement Meanwhilebasement Meanwhilebasement basement of the proposed Torrey TorreyGray TorreyGray TorreyGray Gray audltonum-named audltonum named auditorium-named auditorium auditorium - named m In hon honor honor honor or of Dr R A Torrey first su supermtendent superintendent supermtendent permtendent perintendent and Dr James M MGray MGray MGray | Gray late president of the InstI InstItute institute institute tute has been finishedOngm finishedOrigin finished finishedOrigin Origin Ongm of the Moody church IS ISdIrectly isdirectly isdirectly dIrectly traceable to the street streeturchm streeturchin streeturchin urchm urchin Sunday school class ori or orr . . , - . - r i ; ( f a v 1 ! ' , f s ' % I IDwight ! r ' i \ 1 T TMCfMWI / . J . MhWt\ MhWt \ MCfMWI w V HW _ f fMhWt > MhWtDwight Dwight L Moody one ot of the themost themost themost most colorful of American evan evangellsts evangehsts evangelists gellsts gehsts , in m a characteristic pulpit pulpitpose pulpitpose pulpitpose pulpitposegamzed pose poseganized gamzed garnzed ganized in Chicago in 1858 by 21 21yearold 21yearold 21year-old 21year old year-old year old - - Dwight L Moody Moody Moodywas Moodywas Moodywas was born m In Northfield Mass MassFebruary MassFebruary MassFebruary February 5 1837 He was brought broughtup , up on a farm until he was 16 16years 16years . years of age when he left home homeand homeand homeand and went to BostonJhere Boston \ where \Jhere Jhere he was wasI wasemplo wasemploy wasemployed I severalI emplo employ ) ed in a store ; store tore for several severalyears severalyears severalyears severalyearsClerk I years yearsClerk Clerk in LD . a Shoe StoreIn Store StoreIn In Boston he became a profes professor professor professor sor of religion under the preach preachmg preachmg preachmg mg of a Dr Kirk and shortly aft afterwards afterwards afterwards erwards emigrated to Chicago Chicagowhere Chicagowhere Chicagowhere where he found employ emplo ment as a aclerk aclerk aclerk clerk in a large wholesale shoe shoestore shoestore shoestore store Perhaps it was indIcative indicativeof of his later powers as an evan evangelist evangelist evangelist I gelist that he soon became oneof oneof one ' of the most successful salesmen salesmenin In the placeWhile place placeWhile I beganto While vrhile thus engaged he began to spend his evenings evenmgs doing domg mls mis mlsSlOnary missionary missionary SlOnary sionary work among the lowly lowlyand lowlyand lowlyand and destitute of the city One Oneday Oneday Oneday day he applied for a teachmg teaching teachmgposItion teachingposition teachingposition posItion in a mission Sunday Sundayschool Sundayschool Sundayschool school alreadythere but was told that already there were too many teachers teachersBut teachersBut teachersBut But it If he would bring brmg his own ownclass ownclass ownclass class they told him he could couldteach couldteach couldteach couldteachAccordingly teach teachAccordingly Sundaythe Accordingly Accordmgly the next Sunday the young shoe salesman turned turnedup turnedup turnedup up with a dozen street toughs In Intow intow intow tow Once started nothing nothmg could couldstop couldstop couldstop stop unIqueclass the growth of this unIque uniqueclass uniqueclass class There \ were ere fights One Oneday Oneday Oneday day a careless scholar entered enteredwith enteredwith enteredwith with his cap on A loyal mem mein member meinber memher ber spotted him sent him sprawl sprawlIng sprawltrig sprawlmg Ing trig with a blow between the eyes eyesand eyesand eyesand and the comment I 111 11 Ii teach you younot younot younot not to enter Moody s Sunday Sundayschool Sundayschool Sundayschool school with your hat on But m in ini.plte mfcpite i.plte iplte . plte of such disruptions enroll " . . . , , , " " " ' ' " < ' " r "i i " . > - > ' \ aCrt ' i A Ad At ( : l d / y " yy of y ' t 41-rc 41 rc - ! r r ii fr-\ fr frA frIEa - \ A : IEa IEaThe k IEak The ChIcago Avenue or 'Ioody Ioody Moody ' s Church as It appeared soon soonafter soonafter after completion m in 1876 It has recently been torn down to make makeroom makeroom room for the new bUIldIngs of the Moody BIble institute whIch Moody Moodyfounded Moodyfounded founded m in 1886 ment soared with mushroom mushroomgrowth mushroomgrowth mushroomgrowth growth and Moody scoured mushroomI the thecIty thecity thecity I cIty for teachersWhen teachersWhen teachers teachersWhen When attendance hit 1500 1500Moody 1 1500Moody 500 500Moody Moody s Sunday school was wasknown wasknown I known throughout Chicago And AndI Andwhen Andwhen Andwhen I when one day m In 1860 PresIdent PresIdentI PresIdentLincoln PresidentLincoln PresidentLincoln I Lincoln visited the school ItS ItSfame itsfame itsfame fame spread throughout the Mid MiddIe Middie Middie dIe West And no wonder For ForIn Forin Forin In addition to his ability to at attract attract attract tract noted persons to his school schoolMoody schoolMoody schoolMoody Moody s methods of operation operationwere operationwere operationwere were shockingly shockmgly unconventional unconventionalHis His plan for disposing dlsposmg of unfit unfitteachers unfitteacherslhad unfitteachers teachers teacherslhad | \ had little ltttle to ask in effi efficlency efficiency efficiency clency ciency Scholars were allowed allowedto to transfer from one class to an another another another other Inevitable results were werethat werethat werethat that teachers who failed to Interest interest m In terest their scholars were qUIck qUIckly quickIy quickly ly Iy left without classesHIs classesHis classes classesHis His devices for publicizing publtcIzmg hIs hIsschool hisschool hisschool school were as novel as they theywere theywere theywere were successful He issued stock stockcertificates stockcertificates stockcertificates certificates of the North Market MarketSabbath MarketSabbath MarketSabbath Sabbath School association cap capItal capital capital Ital $10 10 $10000 10000 $ 000 4 4000 000 shares at 25 25cents 25cents 25cents cents each These certified the thepurchase thepurchase thepurchase purchase of shares for the erec eree erectlon ereetion erection tlon tion of a new bUlldmgFor buildingFor building bUlldmg buildingFor For dividends apply at the theschool theschool theschool school each Sabbath at 3 p m mMoody mMoody Moody s Bodyguard ' ' At another tune time 13 street arabs arabswere arabswere arabswere were promised new suits at atChristmas atChristmas atChristmas Christmas for regular attendance attendanceevery attendanceevery attendanceevery every Sunday until that time timeTheIr timeTheir timeTheir TheIr names Red Eye Smlkes Smikes SmlkesMadden SmikesMadden SmikesMadden Madden the Butcher IndIan IndIanJackey IndianJackey IndianJackey Jackey Candles Gibench GlberIch Giberich Billy BillyBlucannon BillyBlucannon BillyBlucannon Blucannon Darby the Cobbler CobblerButcher CobblerButcher CobblerButcher Butcher Kilroy Greenhorn Black BlackStovepipe BlackStovepipe BlackStovepipe Stovepipe Old Man Ragbreeches RagbreechesCadet RagbreechesCadet RagbreechesCadet Cadet All but one fulfilled the theconditions theconditions theconditions conditions and the newly um urn umformed urnformed umformed formed squad became known knowp knowji as asMoody asMoody asMoody Moody s bodyguardCapltaltzmg bodyguardCapitalizing bodyguard bodyguardCapitalizing Capitalizing Capltaltzmg on the Incident IncidentMoody incidentMoody incidentMoody Moody made before and after afterphotographs afterphotographs afterphotographs photographs These he hung un under under under der the captions Does It Pay Pay7and ? ' and It Does Payl Pay ! Proof that thatIt thatit thatit It did became apparent m In many manycases manycases manycases manycasesOne cases casesOne One day years later a former formerteacher formerteacher formerteacher teacher in the old Sunday school schoolstopped schoolstopped schoolstopped stopped before a railway ticket ticketoffice ticketoffice ticketoffice office You don t seem to know knowme knowme knowme me said the agentNo agentNo agent agentNo No I don t believe so replIed replIedthe repliedthe repliedthe the traveler travelerYou You know Moody s body bodyguard bodyguard bodyguard guard f ? fYes guardYes Yes I have a picture of them themI themat themat themat I at home i iWell homeWell Well the agent answered answeredwhen answeredwhen answeredwhen goodlook when you get home take a good look at the toughest of the lot lotand lotand lotand and you 11 see i.he ihe f.he fhe the . . chap you re relookmg relooking relooking lookmg looking at now-and now and now - and a church churchmember churchmember churchmember churchmemberA member memberA A Union Umon Army GeneralOthers GeneralOthers General GeneralOthers Others went into mto the North NorthMarket NorthMarket NorthMarket Market youthfulhoodlums Sunday school as youthful hoodlums and came out respect respectable respectable respectable able citizens One became post postmaster postmaster postmaster master of Chicago another a gen general general general eral in the Union Umon army Thus It Itwas itwas itwas was inevitable mevltable that out of this ex expandmg expanding expanding pandmg panding group should come a per permanent permanent permanent manent organization orgamzatIon Young men menand menand menand and women who had grown up m in mthe inthe inthe the school were reluctant to toleave toleave tolaave leave So in m 1884 1864 the IIlmols Illinois IIlmolsStreet IllinoisStreet IllinoisStreet Street church was erl"cted-then erl"cted erlcted then erected-then erected erl"ctedthena erectedthena erected " - thena a strange organization orgamzation made up upof upof upof of persons from every church de denommatIon denomination denomination nommatIon nomination and persons outside outsideall outsideall outsideall all denommatlonsBut denominationsBut denominations denommatlons denominationsBut But the years of Moody s first firstchurch firstchurch firstchurch church building bUlldmg were numbered numberedOn numberedOn On the Sunday night mght of October October8 8 1871 1671 while he was preachmg preaching preachingon preachmgon on the text What then hen shall I do dowIth dowith dowith wIth Jesus which whICn whICnIS whichis is called calledChrist calledChrist calledChrist7 Christ ? ' the fire bells sounded soundedSoon soundedSoon soundedSoon Soon Moody had difTculty dlffculty diffculty in m mak makmg making making mg ing his voice heard above their theirclamor theirclamor theirclamor clamor At length he gave up upsaymg upsaying upsaying saymg saying Take this text home with you and turn it over m In your yourmmds yourminds yourminds I mmds minds during durmg the week And next nextSabbath nextSabbath nextSabbath Sabbath we will decide what whatto whatto whatto to doIth do \ tilth \\Ith Ith with Jesus of NazarethThat NazarethThat Nazareth NazarethThat That was the night mght Mrs MrsOLeary MrsO Mrs0 OLeary O Leary s cow kicked over the thelantern thelantern thelantern lantern that started the great Chi Chicaga Chicagy Chicago caga cagy fire About midnight mldrught IIlmois Illinois IIlmoisStreet IllinoisStreet IllinoisStreet Street church was laid low by the theflames theflames theflames flames and Moody never saw sawhIs sawhis sawhis hIs congregation agamAided againAided again agam againAided Aided by WanamakerBut Wanamaker WanamakerBut But almost before the fire In InChIcago inChicago inChicago ChIcago was extmguished extmgulshed extinguished Moody Moodywas Moodywas Moodywas was m In the East soliciting soltcltlng funds fundsfor fundsfor fundsfor for relief w \ v . ork Soon with money moneyprovIded moneyprovided moneyprovided provIded largely by John Wana Wanamaker Wanamaker Wanamaker maker of Philadelphia he re returned returned returned turned built a temporary taber tabernacle tabernacle tabernacle nacle where for months destItute destItutefamIlies destitutefamilies destitutefamilies famIlies were housed and serv servIces services services Ices were held Then as his work workbecame workbecame workbecame became wider known contrIbu contrIbutIons contributions contnbutions tIons were received from all parts partsof partsof partsof of the country These together togetherwith togetherwith togetherwith with pennies penmes with which Sunday Sundayschool Sundayschool Sundayschool school children purchased bncks bricks bncksbuilt bricksbuilt bricksbuilt built the basement and first story storyof storyof storyof of the church at the corner of ofLaSalle ofLaSalle ofLaSalle LaSalle and |