The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-04-11
For the Free Trader
IIistOTy OF the Bible Cause In Illinois.

10" having about 80 counties. Mr.. Hollis.
r 'er' however, continued TO laber for some
, , mc'.ths' as an assistant, and in the fall Of
, city. 'AP"
The remittanees during the year ending
with March, 1854 were sic, ,9C9 %. and The
number Of books sent to the STATE AZ 7IG
The plan OF operating which had for gov.
eral years been pursued in the northern mart
Of the state, having been found to work
well, the managers Of the 4. H. s. determ.
ined to place the whole State under the su.
psrvlsion of one general agent, with the re-.
quiste assistants, and see what could be
done by carrying out this system through.
out the entire state. Since then the organ.
lzation OF branches has been going on rap
IDLY in southern Illinois, and nearly every
/ county in the State is now covered with
them. With this system Of operation, the
remittances and distributions have steadily
increased.
In the report for the year ending March.
lo55, the managers speaking Of Illinois
say
" A change has been made in the agency
in this State. Rev. W. II. Taylor has re.
signed, and Rev. Amasa Lord, who last
! year was agent for the northern portion has
the whole state under his supervision In
connection with him, as assistants, are Rev.
Messrs. Hartshorn, Chambers and lIolIister.
The wisdom OF this arrangement has been
justified by the result. While most Of the
States have receded more or less, this has
very considerably advanced, both in receipt
Of funds and distribution of books. Illinois
now stands the fourth state in the Upion in
, the Bible works"
The renittanees during this year were
s23,5if73, and the books sent to the State,
IS, 29s.
In their report for the neIt year, ending
March, 1876, the managers say
No state in the Union has advanced as
rapidly IN the Bible work, as Illinois. The
increase has been constant for several years.
In 1913, the receipts from this state were
*I3,5ll44; Ia 1904, they were S16. .9G9 %:
In IS51, they were, Z3,J5I93; and the
present year we report from the State s32,-
eG5.59 making it the third state in the Union
in relation to the Bible cause But il de-
serves to be considered that all of its re-
ceipts are from sales and actual collections.
whereas Massachusetts,, which now stands
second on the list, derived a considerable
portion OF It's receipts from legacies'
The number # books circulated in the
State during this year was about 10000.
The general agent is now Deb. 1897 as.
sisted by Messrs lloIlister Taylor and Mack,
with an efficient corps Of county agents, and
the present condition Of the cause in the
State is as follows:
There arc l0G auxiliary bible societies in
the State, or rather more than one 10 a
county.-Ihese auxiliares have about 500
branches, making 900 bible societies with
900 bible repositories in the State-almost
one-thlrd Of the whole number in the Union.
connected with these 900 bible societies are
about JUuO local agents. who serve without
pay, other than that which results from a
consciousness Of doing good. The money
raised from donations and sales now amount
- some $40, 900 per annum, and the mum.
Der OF books circulated to about 20. 600.
The relation Of the State to the A. B. :. has
been changed from that Of Jencfciary to
that Of 51atroH. OF the amount remitted
yfaE yGi5 Pef9Te 2S ,Iast a5ont So 200 to aid in
On TX as % year bbSGf abSaf pPd ef Wa Was for 6:
same purpose. Although according to the
report of the secretary Of the treasury Of
the United States, Illinois is the,eigih State
in the Union in point Of wealth, it is the
second or third in the Bible Cause. Its re-
mittances thus far. during the present year,
have been less only than those from New
York and Massachusetts,, and would have
exceeded those from the latter State but for
a legacy of $4,000. For some time past
they have been nearly equal to those from
the six surrounded States combined, and
the circulation Of Bibles and Testaments is
also much larger in proportion than in any
)ne of these.
Some Of the reasons why Illinois occupies
IS present high position in the Bible cause,
IRE as follows:
LIST. 1t is noble State inhabited by no
bic and generous people. These broad and
beautiful prairies have had an enldrging in
huence, and men here give something be-
sides their ANAL change. The pastors also
cooperate cheerfully and heartily.
ID. An excellent plan of operating has
been introduced and persereringly carried
1Ut.
Sd. We have avoided the "penny-wse
and pound foolish system of dispensing
with counting agents. These have been
employed by nearly every auxiliary for q
short period every year, and almost all Of
he branches have been visited by them an
lually. BY this means these branches have
'een kept in operation, not one in hundred
# them having ceased to exist, while their
lumber has in this way been constantly in
reased.
4th. We have taken much pains to difruse
Information in the State in relation to the
Bible Cause. About 5000 copies Of the BIZ
lie Society record, are sent to Illinois month
Y, and thousands of pamphlets, circulars,
&C., are scattered over the State every year.
We are also under obligation to the conduc-
orS Of the religious and secular Press for
heir timely editorial notices, and for the
ise of their columns, through which to
,rng our cause before the public.
Such is a brief statement of the past his
4f
ase in Illinois. That so much has been
one is cause for congratulation, but that
UT work is not yet accomplished should be
ept in constant remembrance. The thou
ands still destitute of the scriptures in our
wn State, and the hundreds of millions
vho are in the same condition abroad de-
nand increasing efforts for the diffusion Of
he Word of Life. And although Illinois is
oing well in this cause, compared with 9th.
r states, yet compared with its means and
nth the wants Of BIhleless world, it is DO.
~ but little What is the aggregate of our
eceipts compared with the wealth of our
,rtile State, and the numbers who are ma
ing their thousands and their tens of thou
ands annually by their business operations!
single hundred men might be found in
lie State who from the profits Of their bus
less, could together spare as much for the
ible cause as is contributed to it by our en-
re population of 800, 900, and yet not
rong themselves or their families. Let US
len not be satisfied with past results, but
Excelsior as our motto. press
inward in the work Of making the Bidls tho
ook Of the uorld.
LADIES AND GENTLEMES.-Particular
,ose whosd hairs are becoming gray, not
ON old age, but from early griefs, trou-
les SC, think of the luxuriant and silky
,cks you can enjoy by the use Of Prof.