The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-05-21
For the Free Trader.
Twelfth Annual statement
.N Bi5le Society Operations in Illinois for til
Year ead'ng March 3Ist, 1859 80

.N Bi5le Society Operations IN Illinois for II
car ead,ng Narch 3lst, 1859. 80
During the past year, as is well knowr
the people of TIE Western States hav
been laboring under pecuniary embarris.
thents, which have effected iniuri0usly nj
| benevolent enterprises. Our noble Prairi
State has not been an exception to thi
embarrassment, nor the Bible Cause an ex
cepten 10 those effected unfavorably by il
| asa matter of course unGer these circ,l,n
| stances there hasybcen falling Oft in III,
/ rem ttances TO the American Bible Societ,
! from every State West OF Lake Michigan II
Nevertheless, NIineis is still the third Stat,
| IN the Union IN the amount raised for tn,
! Bible Cause. z.- <
As i'll former years we have continued
to operate through the medium of auxili
aIy and branch Societies Three new ones
h1ra bon a,idyd a. he lixt of =. c,a iiit.r.
nd ....oui Ei.y Io ti,et OF the latter, ma.
king The whole number Of Bible Societies
III the State not far from Il50 =-
/ The 1lj0 Derositories connected with
these Societies are fountains from which
sacrcd influences 90 forth to enli.hten and
bless the State
Our army. Of unpaid local agents has
been increased SO that il now numbers
about 5000. In almost every school dis
trIct Christian man or woman has been
appointed to see that the destitute are
supplied with the Scriptures, and 10 re
cclve from the friends of the Bible their
offerings for its circulation.
The number Of volumes circulated dur
ing the past year does not vary Gar from
Go,VV1, many Of which have gone into the
hands OF those who before were un-up-
Piled The cost Of these volumes was
about S2DOJ0
The amount remitted to the American
Bible Society from this State during The
year hes been about So ,jO0-about s..0-
900 OF wh ch was t. apply on account for
books purchased and the remaining s.
JJJ Va paid over as free donation to aid
IN ,upply'rg other places.
In addition to cash actually collected
we have rCc-iyed more than the usual
amount Of large subscriptions. in sum. OF
from $50 to 500 and donations Of valu-
able property which viii increase the in
come in future years
The Chii'iren's Bible Fund = has coz
tlnued to receive attention. and in addi-
ton To the money raised Thereby. hal.i-
OF beniiicence have been formed in the
young which VIII result in increasing hen-
eiactions hereafter
\ considerable number of the branch
societies have arranged to hold qyr'crls
meetings during the ensung ycar-thu-
Keeping alive an interest in the Bible
Cause. and tending 10 make these societies
sclfsuStainug
One thousand Pastors-connected with
iiitccn or twenty denomiuatiOns-s::u CO.
operate with us, and the cause is greatly
indebted to them for this cooperation.
About 100 cop.ss Of the "Biflc Socie-
y Record are sent monthly to ,:ic State.
by which $1,000 readers are kent posted
up with regard to the progress Of the Bi-
bic Cause
m addition to this not far from 10000
trac;- or pamphlets in relation To the BIZ
sle, the EI''le cau-- or RenevolenCe. have
Dcet, e a ia mann ra!nilscs. or uit!Iin
reach Of l5Sr1 readers For while ye
do not feel AZ liberty t. circulate rni-ceIla-
n"ouS tracts. and especially not sectarian
One. tho-" calculated 20 promote our wo-i,
may be circulated with much propiietv.
1S "ArnTa! hepolts. or Bible Society
Records -cSrcrig!ly if done without cost
u the Bible .~ocietv
The Editors of 30 or more Newspapers
in tn" STAT" are genera y ready 10 pulli-h
Information notices, appeals. &c, in rela-
ton 10 the Bible Cause and -uleerve it,
Is Interests very much by so doin-
We nave ondeavoroi to pay increased
a;t'n'ian during tn past year to the H.
g mar! palt Of our worh-to scarcnir: ont
and supplying the destitu.e-urcing the
Deru>al ot the Scriptures and confoErnitv
to their prcccpts We have felt that if
l"sS could he done on account Of the hard
times in the way OF raising funds. our
work Wa no les important. and that il
should not be abandoned even If nntk;n,
NOR" could be accomplished than to keep
the State supplied
Notwith-tand.nr all that has been done
in former years. and although the number
Of Bibles and Tc-tamcnts purchased b.
the auxllaric> in this State for several
years pas: Is about qIaGfuple the average.
sent II those i'll surrounding States we
fear that 3Dpp families. embracing 80
300 individuals may still be found d-sti-
iute ot an entire copy Of the ScrptIrcs.
The increase Of our popuiation-th.. for
nation Of new families and the fact tina,
books wear out, accounts for this de>tit,l-
ton, and renders it necessary 10 circulate
from sixty tooue hundred thousand copies
annually. IN addition to what are sold by
booksellers, in order 10 keep up even
tolegable supply.
In addition TO the home field. the wants
IF the Bihlcless millions abroad demand
our attention, and we should appropriate
FOR their supply much larger sums than
we have in years that are passed
Many sad cases Of destitution-many
expressions Of thank1ulness on the reccp-
tons OF our cifts-and MANY evidences
Of good resulting from the circulation of
the Scriptures, for the remuneration of
which we have not space, have come to
our knowledge during the past year.
The undersigned has been assisted dur
ing portions of the year by Messrs Mack,
Taylor, and Reynolds in tho Northern and
Central parts Of the State, and for nearly
the whole year by Rev. j. MOsser in South
crn Illinois, who have been i'm the employ
of the Parent Society He has also been
bp noble bard of County Agents,
who have lalOred faithfully and successful
ly, and to whom is to be attributed in a
great measure the results enumerated
Nor would he for-et to acknowledge the
blessings of God upon the lsbors of agents
and those who have co-opcratcd with them
in promoting the Bible cause. or TO i'm
plore the continuance of his favor during
the year to come.
AMASA LORD.
Gen, Agent a. B. S for Ill