The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-27
Maine BibIe society.

Lilo fChOAouiO hoOSlCey oCiCuiduC duObncl
niversary at State street Church last evening
Rev. DR.. Smaller, the President, conducted the
services. After devotional exercies, Edward
Gould read the annual report, as follows:
The Trustees of the Bible Society of Maine,
in presenting their sixty-second annual report,
are reminded of the days when the ministers of
Portland and few worthy and public spirited
gentlemen undertook this work, as they ex-
pressed it, of "raising fund to be appropriat-
ed in procuring Bibles of the version in COM
mon use in the churches in New England for
distribution among those persons within the
Commonwealth and elsewhere who are desti-
tute of the Sacred Sculptures, and who cannot
be conveniently supplied without such add ?
Our fathers now rest from their labors, but
their good work follows them. The distribution
of the Bible goes on, in the common version,
without note or comment quick and powerful
in its original structure, plain direct and vigor
Gus in its pure Saxon idionl-a translation
standing the test of time, and on the whole
favorably accepted by all denominations of
Some, indeed, have undertaken to furnish
better or more refined TRANSACTIONS, but their
success in securing popular favor has in every
instance proved adecided failure. King James
translation into English, it is safe to say, will
continue to touch the intellect and heart of all
who speak the Anglo-Saxon tongue more than
any other version that has been or is likely to
be made. Hf
organization. They heye held the meetings pro-
vided by the Bylaws, and quorum for business
has always been prompt at the quarterly ses-
sions
The work of distribution has been followed
up. During the year the committee have drawn
forty-seven orders ON the Librarian for books
| given away, viz:-175 Bibles, 10 Testaments and
Psalms and 1S5 Testaments, costing $176.S5
Included in the above were 81 Bibles, marked
and lettered, and placed in public house in a
| nalphbOrlnp CITY. COSTING G2Q larU
| Bible for the Municipal Court in Portland, 81
| good style Bibles furnished one of the Port
land steamers, $16.80; go Bibles and 125 Tesla
| ments for Mission schools and % Bibles to the
| Chaplain of the Bethel Church for seamen.
1t has been the desire of the Trustees that
every family in the city and county should be
| furnished with the Word of Life, but there
are many difficulties in the way of accomplish
! ing this Nevertheless it was undertaken in
November last to perform the work in this city,
leaving out as impracticable most of the Roman
| Catholic population. Mr. Henry B. Smith was
employed in canyassing the city thirty four days
at So day. and we have reason to believe that
he performed his work faithfully. We were
happy to find that no alarming restitution of
the Bible was discovered in Protestant families.
He reports that he visited 1856 families and
| gave to the destitute 81 Bibles and Tesla
| ments, costing $780, He sold to parties will
! ling to purchase and pay at the Society's low
| prices, q Bibles, SO Testaments and Psalms and
| Is Testaments, receiving therefor $4675. Mr..
/ Smith, while engaged, performed some good
missionary work among the poor.
The pecuniary condition of this Society is al
present healthy. We are considered auxiliary
to the American Bible Society in New York,
and all contributions of money to them from
this county are first credited to us in the sup
ply account Whatever is not required to keen
our depository in good supply and condition il
to go into their treasury for use in other fields
Our receipts during the year on the sale Of
Bibles were S650.99; from contributions and
other sources, net $324.55; total, S975. "a. The
Treasurer RENTED to the New York Society
during the year $1,000. We were indebted
April LIST, $4478. Our resources are:-Bibe.
on hand in the Depository with Bailey & Moves
$1529.87; cash in the hands of Librarian anf
Treasurer, $11S2.71. 1t has been voted to remit
$1,000 (this sum has been RENTED since the re
port was written) to the American Bible Socie
ty, leaving us good supply of Bibles paid for