Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-10
Twenty Seventh Anniversary OF
the Memphis and Shelby
County Bible Society.
Interesting Reports from Secre-
tary Stewart and the Ex-
ecutive Committee.
Address of Rev. A. Lotion -Reli-
giOus Exercises Officers and
Executive Committee
Elected.

disposition, Of the president, Col. Z. H.
Porter, Rev. l.. &. Ransom presided on
the occasion.
THE EXERCISES
We're of a very interesting character, and
were opened by Rev. S. Landum,
ID. D., reading the 5th hymn, "Father
of mcrcjes, IN Thy word" which was
sung in fine style by the choir. Rev. F.
II. Bowman then read the 18th chapter
of the gospel by John, which was fol-
lowed 10y most fervent prayer by Rev.
GuilfOrd Jones. William r. Stewart,
Esq, secretary, then read the annual
report of the executive committee, as
follows:
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES REPORT.
During the year Just now closing this
society has given nearly one-half Of its
ume and energies to the Bible work in
this city, and has bestowed upon GER
tain portions OF the state of Mississippi
= like amount Of labor and money, but,
for reasons which viii appear in their
proper place, there has been but little
'iOne IN thst part of our prescribed field
lying in the State Of Arkansas. Owing
tO the unexpected resignation of your
faithful and efficient agent, w. H.
Thomas, valuable time was lost before a
suitable person could be found 10 take
his place. Hence, being late In the en-
ploying cOlpOrteurs and putting them
10 work, there has not been so much
accomplished by ab0ut'one-fifth as COM
pared with the results of the last two
preceding years. Nevertheless, in the
fsce Of divers troubles and obstacles, a
great, and We trust under the blessing
Of God, a good work has been done.
AGENTS WORK.
The following shows the work of the
agents and colporteurs: Number OF days
At work, 1855; white and colored fami-
o. lies visited-Tennessee S712; Mississip-
III, STSS; Arkansas, 1872; of which there
were l., $40 white families and 6O72 col
ored families. There were found desti-
tute OF the scriptures In Tennessee, 21S6;
IN Mississippi, $500; In Arkansas, 359.
Families and individuals supplied with
the scriptures by this society Ia Tennes-
zee, 40; in Mississippi, 1862; in Arkan-
sas, 304. Bibles, Iestaments and por-
lions Of scriptures sold in Tennessee,
59Oi in Mississippi, S207; in Arkansas,
as. Value Of the same in Tennes-
see, $40 20; in Mississippi, $1,000:
in Arkansas, sl36 IS. Bibles, Testa-
ments and portions of scrip
AhsANo gwen III lCLuENHtEs
5'S; in Mississippi, 1874; in Arkansas,
327. Value Of the above in Tennessee,
Sl26 -; in Mississippi, $3.50 So; in Ar
kansas, SlO9 10. Donations received in |
Tennessee, Sl374 30; in Mississippi, |
Sol 81; In Arkansas, SIS IS. Found |
desututiOn of the Scriptures in Tennes- 1
zee, one in four; in Mississippi, one in |
three and half; in Arkansas, one in |
three and three-quarters Of the popula- |
lion. Total white families found desti- /
tute Of the Scriptures, one in four and |
ihTee-quarters of the population; col |
Ored, one in two and half of the pOpu-
lstiOn-chiefiy i'm Mississippi. Sermons /
and addresses delivered in the Sabbsth- I
schools and iails in Mississippi, Tennes- !
see and Arkansas, III.
SuppOsing these III gatherings to av-
erBge representatives from 10 different /
families, we have I7l0 families to be
added to the S,8l2 as shown by exhibit |
a; which gives %, So families as the /
number visited. AS these will average |
five members, we have I02,61O souls 20 |
whom your agents have broken "the /
Tread OF life" And, but for your efforts,
nearly 10000 OF these would to-day be /
living totally ignorant of the way Of
salvation.
NDol Ok IHE hORh.
The cost of the work was S4l24 53. |
Rev. w. M. LeatherwoOd, agent, reports
that since March, 1872, books from the /
depository have been sent out to districts |
TO the number Of 6S28 volumes, value, /
S30lI IS.
THE FIELD.
All counties in Tennessee, Mississip-
l'i and Arkansas, within one hundred /
miles of Memphis.
CONDITION OF The FIELD.
Rev. S. p. Whitten, agent of the
American Bible society reports the work |
in Tennessee as finished.
As 10 Mississippi he writes: "Ihere |
remains in my field, which your socie-
ty has undertaken to canvass, only 4
Bolivar, Cochoma and Colfsx, In which /
there has been no convassing since the |
wsr, and also portions of Pontotoc, Union |
and Washington counties. Cannot |
your society, by some means, complete
this work by fall, before the rainy sea-
son sets in? IL your society viii do this
! think have the plans laid by which
al counties not committed 10 your man.
agement, will be canvassed before the
winter months check the work.
We are not as fully and accurately in
lies i'm Arkansas within our limits as
we would wish 20 be. Since last annual
reports the canvass OF Phillips aud
Craighead counties has been completed,
aud few days work has been done In
Greene aud Independence counties.
A cOlpoTteur was sent 10 Prairie eouA-
~, who offered his services 10 the local
society, aud was Informed that they had
an agent At work and were able to take
care Of their own destitute. Your agent
visited Monroe county aud employed a
very worthy cOlporteur, but owing TO the
miscarriage of the books sent him, he
declined To serve when they reached
him after a month or more delay Ar
kansas, Lawrence, Monroe, Randolph
and White counties, 30 far as We are in
formed, have not been canYassed since
the war
A recent letter from Rev. J.. II. Par
SONS, agent of the American Bible soci-
ETY. for northern Arkansas, gives the fol-
lowing facts: al am engaged. Visiting the
auxilisries Of the American Bible sOci-
ETY.. ReOrganized the society at Bates
vile, and canvssslng will forthwith
commence. At JacksOnpOrt, jackson
county, officers were elected who will
have the county canvassed and supplied
this year. At Augusta, Woodruff eOun-
ty, We had very interesting exercises,
and the society there will canvass and
supply that county. Am now on my
way TO Clarendon, Monroe county, to
organize an auxiliary there. So far /
have received nougat but kindness, and
all evidences point to success for the flI-
turen
ESTIMATES POR THE FUTURE.
Within the counties of Arkansas and
Mississippi, as given above, there are
fully 20,000 families which may be I
reached by the colporteur4 As the (
larger proportion of these are colored, I
6OO0 at lesst, comprising $1,000 souls,
are cut Off from or wiIlfully deny them
selves all gospel privileges, nor have
they a copy of Gods word In all their
houses, to these especially, the colpor- !
teur is a messenger Of grace. To have {
these counties canvassed and the desti-
tute supplied during the ensuing year,
viii require the daily service of four en-
ergetic and conscientious cOlpOrteuFs, {
and about $1,000 worth Of books; but Is
unfavorabie weather and other 6
causes hinder, and sometimes check the
work, IL would be better, indeed Il Is {
necessary, that the work may be accom- I
plished Ia the time given, that six on /;
eight cOlpOrteufs should he promptly I
put into the field There are books and :
ash Oil hYHd ~ the amount o. $50 90. /
Deduct from this sum the balance due [