The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-25
Correspondence uf. tbR Bplunrrat.

CurrEspunnEnrR nf. tbR DRmDrrat.
Communicated for the Portage County Democrat.
THIRD ANNUAL STATEMENT Of the Opera
tons Of the Bible Cause in Eastern Ohio for the
Year Ending Dec. 31st, 1859.
In presenting to the friends and patrons of
the Bible Cause in Eastern Ohio, my third
ANIMAL statement of its operations, it affords
me pleasure to state, that notwithstanding the
continued depression which has rested so
heavily upon all the financial interests of the
State throughout the entire year, the receipts
from my field show a decided increase over
those of any previeus year since / entered the
held In no period. perhaps since the organi.
zatlon of the American Bible Society. have
the difficulties in the way of a successful pros
ecution of the work been greater than during
the past year. The hopes of thousands who
were looking to the fruitful increase of the
labor of the husbandman, have been doomed
to another disappointment, and the abone and
sInew" of the land have felt the stroke, and felt
it severely. ia sa45
1t would not be surprising then that cause
whose claims are of benevolent character,
should share largely in the general depression
Much Of the success of the cause under all
these dIthculties, is due to the excellence of
the system now in operation. The work is
mainly conducted through the operation Of
auxillaries and branch Societies the former
usually comprising single County, and theI
latter only q township within its limits. -s-
The number of auxiliary Societies upon nv
seld, is new tbirty-four; and that of branch
Societies have been increased to one hundred
and eighty-eighty-ene of this number having
been added to the list during the past year,
Where three years ago many of these auziliaryi
or County Societies were sustaining but
feeble and sickly existence and were praetic.l
ally benefciaries rather than auxiIaries of the
American Bible Society, now liberal donatiousl
are being annually made by many of them ia
aid of the general work abroad. 5ss
The utility of branch or Township Societies
has herein been satisfactorily establisked.-l
They have impaired q yigor and strength to |
our auxiliary Societies, such as could not
have been secured TO them in any other way.
BY the annual Cooperation of the Csuatv
agents with the friends and prtrons of the
cause, these Sosietiss are kept in active ope-
ration BY regular annual meetings; and in no
instance has Society TINS conducted fallen
into decay or stagnaney. On the other hand
every successive year has been one of advance.
ment. Il
Another wheel in the working of the ma.
chlnery. has been the system of Local Agen,
cies Each Township Society is divided into
numoer OF Enthusiastically comprising the
limits of School District each-over which
local or unpaid agent is appointed. who visits
his district annually. supplying the destitute
and soliciting from all who are friendly to the
cause, donation in its behalf. g
Still another feature of the work is the
annual nature of our subscriptions. By this
plan the work has been greatly systsmasized
and economical. Our subscriptions falling
due annually. the necessity of call from the
travelling agent year after year. is, to great g
extent, ebviated. ..-,.- {
As was above stated, We have now in one D
ration upon my field, which comprises twenty a
three OF the Eastern Counties, or one fourth I.
OF the state, one hundred and eighty branch u
Societies. Each of these Societies is furnished
with well assorted Depository of Bibles and .
Iestaments thus rendering the Bible accessi 7
ble to almost every community. F. 10
Connected with these branch Societies are al
about sixteen hundred Local. or unpaid agents =
who cheerfully devote such portion Of their Is
time as the interests of the cause may require, r
IN visiting their respective districts annually. ~
fhey constitute noble array of fellow labor. "
ers' and to them the cause is greatly indebted y =
for its efficiency. ,o. s...-- -. to
Two thousand copies of 'The Bible Society e'
Record are sent monthly to the local agents ?
md main officers of the branch. and arxliarv Ut
Societies, which serve to leep alive the inter oi
st taken BY eur fellow laborers and the pat. &C
ons Of the cause. In this way the operations N
md claims of the Society are stately brought o.
'efore almost eight thousand readers. The 50
lumber of families visited upon my Geld the ''''
ast year, is about twelve thousand of whom ao
pwards Of fourteen hundred have been found 'nl
estitute and supplied with the Bible. The IN
lumber of volumes distributed was abeut oA
ighteen thousand. af'
The amount of funds raised the past year -,
my dsld, is about eleven thousand dollars !. ~
which. about eight thousand have been re.
lifted to the parent Society, and the balance 81
ppied upon the feld in supplying the desti =. :.
lte. &c. u''
In addition to the amount of cash received, n
uch has been accomplished of prospective ala,
'aracter. An unusual humber Of liberal and H.,
liable pledges have been obtained and SO a;v,
red by promissory notes.. In this way, in da,,
'gle County, about one hundred life mem ana,
rshipe Thirty dollars eachJ were obtained Cav
: the Society, a.. O., ..-.., -, a., -,.l E. =
We have endeavored to keep in view Dou
roughout the year the missionary part of the and
'rk to be performed. We trust that the on /
cd which has been accomplished is net is al
assured solely BY dollars and cents. The ors