The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-07-05
Making a total of,
$3IS,l32,jI


This Is only Sll,4l444 less than they
were the wear before when peaced smiled
upon us But this is accounted for partly
by the reception of the large legacy of
Anson G. Phelps, which came in very OPP
portunely when the resources Of tbs Socie-
ty were taxed to the utmost to provide
books for the army and when the Managers
had incurred a debt of $50 .OO0 for paper
on which to print them.
The books issued by the Society for the
past year, in thirtythree different langua-
gcs, amount 20 ,0J3, ,S42,-an increase over
the previous year OF 81 964 and making
a total since its organization is 1916 otovcr
100000 About 100000 of these were
for the army aud navy. Not only have
the soldiers OF the Northern States been
cared tor, Sut the Society has dispatched
boxes Of books to baltimore aud Cairo to
be sent under flags of truce to those in the
service of the South and brought to CHI
cago, Ill, Madison, Ind Columbus, Ohio,
and other places, have not been overlook
ed 1t was felt that no men needed tn.
Bib!n more, and that-if its teachings had
been obcyed the unholy rebellion in the
Touthcrn Stats never would have broken
Cct
The 4 B :. has ever been mindful Of
the wants OF co!ored persons, both free
and slave, at the North and AT the South.
But the past year 1t has been able TO reach
many who have hitherto been inaccessible.
We alluded to those who have left their
masters or whose masters have left them
and who have fled to Fortress Monroe
Hilton Head. Port Royal, Beaufort, and
other places where they have been premit-
ted 20 ob+y the command OF the Savior to
" Search the Scriptures.
The Society employs no mere collecting
agents. All OF its Representatives have
man, other matters to attend TO and spend
only portion OF their time in raising funds
And yet the Managers find that the
absence Of an agent from State or county
effects uniavorably the recaptS well as
the distribution and the general prosperity
Of the work.
They say:
The experiance of the year affords q
comment on this subject. Within a GER
tain States, as many as three auxIliaries
believed they could 80 very well without
an agent and passed resolutions not TO
receive one within their fields. One year
experience satisfied them of the error,
whercupon the voluntary withdrew the
prohibition and invited the agent to re.
sumo his labors The difference in the
societies convinced them OF their mistake.
Believing that the State Of Connecticut was
was as well calculated to do without an
agent as any in the Union, the Board
resolved 10 make an experiment there.
For one year no agent was employed In
that State That year the Contributions
fell off bout for thousand dollars. Nor
could this be sat down TO impair ability as
a sister society afcanccd in her receipto in
about the same ratio. 1t was therefore
deemed proper 10 resume the agency III
that State. Under this agency it has not
only recovered but even exceeded its form
er status. In this last case, we speak OF
the contributions alone saying nothing
here of the other important work which
our agents ooes in keeping the auxiliarIcs
alive and active.
The view Of the cause in the different
States, as presented in the report, is inter-
estIng but our epitome if it must be very
biief
New York, of course, leads the was in
receipts, next to which is Ohio then Mass
achusetts, and then Illinois. The REMIT
ances form the Northwest are as follows;
Mithigan, S7,3I4 AZ Indiana, S,53l ,Ol /;
Illinois, SD, CO.., is; Wisconsin, s., 1877 !;
Minnesota, Si,S05,57; Iowa S2,13O,2S;
Kansas S7i2,3O; Nebraska, Sl06 90 To-
tai, S5l ,OIO,52.
Tie number Of books sent to these
States Is as follows:
Michigan, 2l ,04S; Indiana, Ga, $50; Illinois,
S2,O37; Wisconsin, 25,36l; Minnesota, / IL
422; Ioway, 1861; Kansas, 3,23i Ne
braskr, 3S3 Total, 226,773.
The operations of the Society in the
border slave States, which have been the
seat of war, have been much embarrassed
thongh much has been done by agents,
Chai ,lains, pious officers in the army, and
others in the work of supplying soldiers
there with the Scriptures The following
extract shows the condition Of things in
Missouri:
A singular destiny befel the Bible So.
cietles i'll this State. In some OF them
the officers were divided, some belonging
to one party in the national contest some
to the other. Some were obliged to flee to
save their liues leaving everything M the
hands Of their opponents. In some OF the
Societies the books in the repositories
were seized and carried OFT and NO one
could be held to account for them. Thus
the Societies were broken up and univer-
sal confusion and disorder introduced
The intercourse with the Confederate
States has been of necessity almost ehtire-
~ suspended. AT tue commencement y.
the year few remittances were received
and few books forwarded but the total
amount of money from the eleven seteded
States IS on.y S5.o3U.55, and the number
books sent them but 1882
The operations of the Society in foreign
countries have been encouraging, though
its remittances to the foreign field have
been curtailed by the decreased receipts
and increased demands for books at home.
These remittances have amounted to S2S,'
5000 and have been mainly to enable
missionaries to print and circulate the
Scriptures The Society has, however,
had one foreign agent of its own-Rev ].
G. Bliss-whose headquarters have been
at Constantinople from whence he has
| made tours into different countries around,
| including Greece, Bulgaria. and Syria.
By permission of the Board, he has en-