Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-06-03

haVlng completed another fiscal year
IN the labors of the American Bible So
ciety, take pleasure in submitting as is
my usual custom, brief statement of
the operations and receipts of. the year.
And first of all, I am constrained to rec
ord the continued goodness Of that over
ruling Providence, which has given to
the people of God spirit of willing re-
sponse to the claims of His word, not
withstanding the calanitous influences to
which the long continued and distracted
state Of the public mind has given rise.
| The claims of other charities have been
urgent and numerous but it affords
cheering evidence manifested in the bles-
sings OF a common Gospel, and in its free
and wide diffusion, that Gods people
nave been willing 'to put to their hands,
IN this the day OF their national. calamity
and trial, for the accomplishment of even
| greater and nobler ends than before. In
no year since the formation of the Amer
! lean Bible Society, has that institution
sent forth so large a number of volumes
of the Word of Life-its issues amount
ing to upwards of thirteen hundred thou
sand volumes, whilst its receipts have
been increased IN corresponding ratio,
and amount to four hundred and twenty
two thousand, four hundred and eighty
eight dollars, being an increase of FORTY
four thousand, four hundred and fifty-six
dollars over those of the preceding year.
The receipts from Ohio during the year,
exceed those of any State in the Union.
except New 3York-and are ffty-one
thousand, seven hundred and sixty-three
dollars, being an excess over those of the
preceding year of twenty-three thousand
three hundred and forty-fiVe dollars, or
gain of nearly fifty per cent. In the
twenty-five counties of Eastern Ohio,
which comprise my own field of labor, the
net receipts for the year are fourteen
thousand, four hundred and fourteen dol
lars, being an increase of four thousand,
eight hundred and forty-eight dol
lars, ora gain of upwards of forty-fve
per cent. This amount also,it will be un-
derstood, is the actual cash remitted to
the parent society, and is exclusive of all
monies disbursed in the employment of
county agents and canvassers to distrib-
ute the word of God to the destitute
The plan by which these general results
have been secured has. been secured has
been the same as delineated in my previ-
Gus annual statements, namely-through
the medium of branch or township and
local school district) or unpaid agencies,
together with a few enterprising and ac-
tive county agents to superintend and
give efficiency to the machinery thus en-
pioyed. - o. afa 'a
Of these branch societies in Eastern
Ohio, there are now about three hundred
and connected with them about twenty
FIVE hundred voluntary or unpaid agents
While some of them, as is always the
case, have been less efficient than we
could have desired, they constitute, as q
body, noble band of fellow laborers, and
to them the cause is greatly indebted for
its success. In no year during the exis-
tence of the American Bible Society have
the receipts from this field Eastern Ohio
been so large-a fact which will itself,
think, abundantly commend the system
to the confidence of the friends of the
cause. From the period of the introduc-
ton of it in 1856, up to the present time
the yearly receipts have exhibited a
steady and beautiful growth, whereas,pri-
or to the period referred to, they seldom,
if ever, exceeded four thousand dollars
from the entire field, and more frequent
fell short of half this amount.
We have endeavored during the year
to- pay especial attention to the Biblical
wants of the people, and especially sol
diers who have gone from our midst. Sew
eral Camps, in fact all that have come
under my knowledge, have been thor
oughly supplied with Testaments, either
our auxiliary societies, or by di-
rect appropriation of the parent society
for this purpose. 1t has been our aim
that not one should go from among US
without carrying with him the written
word of God. -aft sr- GAIA 7ls.1
The supply of destitute households has
deserved and received attention. 1t is
true that the multiplication of deposito-
ries through our net work of branch So
cieties, has gradually diminished the
number of absolute destitutiOns from
year to year still there is a continuous
work to perform in this direction. Chan
ges are constantly occurring, books are
wearing out, families are removing, and
others are coming in to supply their pla-
ces-and new families are being formed,
and thus new destitutions are constantly
Much of this work of supply
has been effected through the ordinary
Iabors of the branch societies and their
ocal agencies, assisted by the travelling
agent; while in some cases, the denseness
1f the population and other causes, have
to render it expedient to en-
Dloy a distributing agent, that the work
might be done promptly, thoroughly and
In this way, in one single
county, during the winter months of the
past season, four thousand families were
visited, and seven hundred of that num-
per found to be totally destitute of the
e e. l., hovf -, .
work. of exploration and supply has been
commenced in the same thorough man
her, and the ratio of destitution has been
iound to be still greater. 900 eI
We are thankful to be permitted to
make record of the many examples of in
lividual benefcence that have been af-
iorded during the year. We hayereceiVed
IN unusul number of individual donations
'anging from thirty to three hundred dol
ars each, and with a view to constituting
ife directors and life members of the pa
'ent society. These contributions, addi-
ional to their intrinsic value, have done
much to stimulate others to noble deeds,
md they furnish an encouraging record
If the growing attachment of the people
# God to the cause of his blessed Word
We desire, in conclusion, to give an ex-
preston OF our thanks to the numerous
lergy who have co-operated with us in
arrying forward the interests of this
common cause. To them and to their
.ctive labors, and ardent sympathies, ex-
ended not only to the subscriber, but to
he county agents who have labored in
heir congregations, much Of the success
# the cause under the blessing of God is
o be attributed. We trust that in watd
ring others, they have themselves in a
Ike manner been blest from on high II,
md our earnest endeavor shall be that
With their continued cooperation anP
he smiles of an approving proVidence5
he coming year shall be as the past, aphl
much more abundant.
T. C. HARTSHORN, Agent A. B. s.
Pavenna, o., APrit 20, 1868. p"H
dts