The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-04-10
F1iforill6ttoIe.

The Biblc Cause In ~.
A. u. ..ai,.s.x 81 - z
hsld on the evening dthe - s3E&A ~,
Mr.. Lord, Who has b. oesG - u ~
BILE cause for nearly thirty ysAsa. 1Sos I'D
statements in relation to the progress Of that
eaase in Illinois which we publish iee tie iatoy.
OrSshes Clstss for III -pronoei.. q u.
1ibls ssuse in this state. dsts Sesk ts-DssanAR
14th. 1929 whom the Greep 10 B. 8. Has formed
by Rev.J II. Psck, the, fret saaAt ~ Ameri-
can B. s. in this state. This vas nearly six years
after Illinois WA admitted into the Union, but
its entire population at that time was only about
a9oo9 TIE: we're S;,. a E. q (; tAe secahsa
che most populous and wealthy, vas sGill the
home OF the savage, The .llsad. mines il tho
southwestern part 81 the std ~ howe,r, At
tracted floating population, - that in 1897 Il
was found practicable to form society in or
asex what ia new Gsiena. sslled the Fever Riv.
er Lead Nine B. s., being The Arst in Northern
Illinois.
In 1898, IrIsarly In las@ Ihs Illinois State
Bible Society was formed with its headquarters
at Alton, which was then the largest city In the
state. The need Of bible organizations at that
6ne. 10 shown bye statennsnt ~ eeasst9Sy
when soliciting donation o. bibles hon ~
American Bible Society, viz: that merchants di6
not keep them for sale, and that there Wa lnaE
one book store west OF Cincinnati and north Of
the Ohiofivsr @gs9& Aai& nsE~ f,ss
BY 1880 the population Of Illinois had increas-
ed to about 100000, having more than doubled
during the preSions five yeArs The nunber q
organized counties in the state. at this time was
sifty-six and the number Of Bible Societies about
twenfv9Hxe " = csis3 ~ ~ ksl..S.N- y
In 1857 there began to be material for Bible
Societies In Northern Illinois md ono was form.
ed in Chic. CO. II however maintained but pre-.
.carious existence until 1910 when it was reorRa-
nised with Mr.. T. b. Carter ~ it. secretary. He
has occupied this position ever since,-his official
connecton with the society being probably long
or than that OF any other officer Of an auxiliary
IN the state The Chicago Bible Society standb
ct the head Of institutions! Of this kind in the
West, doing more than that Of Cincinnati, and
much more than the one at st. Louis. Its remit
tances TO the American Bible Society since its |
organization amount to about 482 200, and it has
circulated about $50, 900 bibles and testaments.
Is The next largest remittances are from La Sale
county, S19254.21; Adams county, $lS.659.64:
Kane county, $lS,203.7O; Randolph county,
$1T,G41O3, and Morgan county, $l6, 774.00. The \
money raised by these societies, as well as by
others, has been mainly since 1847. During the \
% years previous to this time, the amount sent
to the American Bible Society was only about
$4,000, or less than 81, 600 per annum, and the
number OF books circulated only about 5000 per
Iannum. There was but very little system ID " |
Sorts for the bible canse,--they were confined |
mainly to the cities and villages, and almost all
the auxiliaries were aided by the parent society,
instead of helping it to supply the destitute else
where. But It should BE- remembered that IL |
cheese days Of small things, the population and |
wealth Of the state were much less than ut |
present, and that the contributions may have
been az liberal in proportion a. now.
In 1847 the plan was adopted of operating |
through branch societies. and by the aid of local
agents The number Of the former has been in
creased from time TO time TO about 400 and the
number Of the latter to about 1000. The results
of thus systematizing the work, and reaching
every nciyhborheod annually, have besn cheer |
ing: The remittances to the American Bible l
Society during the twenty-five years Of the exis- |
tence of this plan, in addition 70 what the aux.
iliaries have paid for homo expenses. have been /
about $8O0,000, of which about $3.50 900 hare /
been In payment for books TO be used in our own /
state, and about $3.50 900 as donations to aid in
supplying other places. The annual circulation |
of books is now about 100000, md the total |
circulation during the past twenty-five years 1
about l,2Oo 600. There are now, in che LOO |
bible repositories in the state, about 300 900 vol
umcs, worth not far from $40, 000-Not far from
10000 persons have paid or pledged $50 or $50 |
each to constitute life members, or directors of
the Alb. s., and there remain ON these, pledges,
60 be paid in instruments about $l35,000 which |
will increase the annual income hereafter. @ot'
apWell as Illinois has done for the bible csussin
the past, it should do still better in the fukpfA
1t is magnificent state, larger than the whole !
of England, and seven times ~ large as Massa-
chusetts, Ithas 1000 miles Of nayigahls fiysrsl
in and around it, and 5000 miles q railroad In
which about $4,000 900 ksvs bsehi invested
ITS increase Of population during SEVERAL years
past has been at the rate Of sbosto 400, 600 pseI
annum, and the total now amounts 70 about ell
10000. 1t has men within it. whose annual
dncome is counted by tens, or scores of thousands
and single hundred Of whom could kive to The
Nible cause. ~ much as ia now given by the |
entire population. Surely the history, Of tho
great bible cause in such . state ought to be o |
cheering one. f.A4 - paHsaH 'As 'eaa
ORIGIN OF SPIRlTUALIsM. 8 Il
n The Beginning or the Fox Rappings.
From Roberta Despair of Science.
In the little village Of Hydesville, Wayne coun.
ty, n. Y, there stood, in 1867, small house,