, 1873-05-14
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY,

nna'lolal embarrassment, partial embargo Q
traVel. extfcmo cold weather, and ntioll It'll
. 'hlndrancoB,-tt has haen 'on tho wholo fbar'
progroHs Tho r6rnfttAuoes l1ayo fa11en oil son,
wlnt from tho previous yoar, 1t Ia true, but th
Is mainly In rtho Item Of loGacios less tha
l,6oo OF tho dofloit III on ordinary account.
WAen wo tako into consideration tho unwonto
ssE1ngoncv In tho money market, mud tho otlic
catlaos l,amed, In connection with the effects q
tho " Great Flro," which arc yet soroly tclt i
many, wo .havo roason for gratitude to God 10
tho eucocsa that has crowned tho year, md hop
Tor bottor resulte III tho future.
Tho work has boon prosecuted during the yea
In tho usual manner, aud with about the upua
rosults. Noarly every auxiliary on tho fold In
boen visited, either personally or by Count
Agents, and branch and auxiliary moot
tnCa hold, tho work set In ordor. an,
the results gatherod up and reported as fl
aa practicable. Only fow exceptions should b
mado to this rule Of annual visitation. In few
cases auxillaries hhvo rriod to aayo tho oxpone,
OF tho Agency, but with such evident loss in al
most every respect thnt they aoldom repeat til,
o3peflmont moro than once or twice, but returt
10 tno old sTBtetn aH tho moro excellent way,
IL Is almost impossible to carry on anything
nko systenatio operations Without the old OF al
esilclent Agent. Not ono auxiliary, OF any con.
! siderable extent, has succeeded In doing this.
and 1t is quito problenlatical whether any
ono will. Tho lnbors Of our earaest md
faithful co-workors in tho Auxiliary Agency layc
oeen abundant md untiring during tho yon1
n passi prosecuted oftentimes amid dialoultioH
ana depriyattons that called forth all tho heroic
ylrtuos, and taxed body and mind not q little.
This AGENCY is ono that is not fully appreciated.
| but " 80 obviously essential to the success Of
the 1loio cause. and la such medium OF COM
In H..
churchoB, and so peculiarly homo -missionary il
Its character, that 1t ia assuming moro impor-
tance, and is moro highly esteemcd than fornlor-
ly. Tho sphere Of our Local Agency eyatom is
may DO mado Of this already very important DO
partment OF Christian work, by combining Biblee
render with DIb|e-diatribntor. ;.
But few Of our aMxiliaries havo boon GU
ing tho year past. Tho financial condition was
such that it WAS not thought boet to do much In
thus direction for the proeent, as tho work Ind
t29 h9on already done n largor part of tho field.
dhree Of tho auxiliaries haYo been canyassing
their territory, Durcau County. has completed
pretty thorough work, and eonos out in q bot.
tor condition financially ly,-showing that it pays
to do thorough work. Knox County is now on
gagod IN worry careful exploration Of ita field.
ago, the Agent found IL ono township 25 fami-
lioa without a Dibla or Testament, aud eunnItod
most Of them. Ho says = ] have boon to oyory
family IN tho throe townshipB visitcd. No mat
is, inlood missionary tour" This Society has
lost by 1iro nearly thor entire Depository during
tho year--sone 5000 worth Of books. Still they
proposo to 80 forward. -"
Tllo Chicago Bible Society Las noarly rocov-
with it's wontcl zeal. 4 large nmount cunt
Of colporteur and missionary labor has been pol,-
1omaina 1ormGd during tue past yea and very much stu
trict,", which ts being rapidly rebuilt, has en-
than i, coo families have been visited within tho
bounds aan Of the Society during tho yoar. Over
neurly GOO individuals, soYeral hunlrcds
Of those aupplied were "Catl,olica; md
these; tina i, i, most instances, paid Ia part at
worth Of books has been donated to various OBJ
5oots by tho Society during tho yonr, viz; to |
Mission Sunday to Y. II. 9. A., prisons
and asylums, and to tho destitute, by pastors and
sepcrtSaEs s ssasadatYs 9Ha ts
Y eyen with the Paront Society at. tho close Of
hand. In view Of tho Bucccas tthat las attended,
their efforts for tho year just cloaed, thoy pro-
propose to prosecute tho work Of ro-supply, and |
havo decided to make tho supply of their rail |
roads, hotels, and boatmen special OBJ
tocts for tho ensuing year. These enterprises |
will call for largo outlay Of 1neans and It is
coni'dontly expected that, with the blessing OF |
God md tho earnest offoris Of tie friends OF tito
cauao, tho year to como may be one Of signalsuc- |
GOES.
Several other auxliarieB aro taking hold OF tho !
railroad Biblo work with much zeal. The Aurora |
Bible Society has votod to supply the cars Of ono
contering thero. 49,.
. WhitoBido and bureau Counties hayo each hold |
:hcir quarter-contonnial nuniyerunries during
;he year, aud have voted 10 supply tho rail-
Hf tnir@ ~,
8ihlcs, placed in suitable racks. Tho books for
tNlitesido County have alroRdy arrived, labeled
ror uso, aud will soon DO pacod in the dopots Of
ho county. This new foaturo OF our work is at
Waiting to curry out the plan in their respective
ielda. We hope to be ahlo to report tho work
accomplished on most Of tho railroals on tho
leld by tho close ot tho yoar md shall look for
argo results from this enterprise. -.
The work Of tho year may DO briefly summed
lp Us follows Families visited, 72,607 dosti-
nto, T. ,2oG; supplied, 3,11g; individuals sup-
lied 1s nadditiou, l,as8; sunday-achoouauppiiod,
y z;:s;: ST.: ny yzss"s ssss:''
Au.sliasy md Branch Societies
1es nlsts" trayo1c, as4 aSs % ess
sraona and addresses deiivsroi.. ~ 81
sealsrs ;uis sa sent out
Theynlue Of booka circulated, e21, ,418.11; sold,
1T, ,4o8.08 donated, S5,070.A5 Tho amount
anItted BY Agent OH book account, e6,415.0O !;
u donation account, 55,9o8. II total, eli ,419,T
scmittanoes from tito entiro fold for tho yoar,
II book account, $19,oG5.48; OIL donation &C.
cunt, Sll ,2a078 from legacie1, 81, ,462, "a;
otal, s32, ,So7.08. The aggregate Of Agent'a aud
no-half years.
Those aro nomo of Tho atatistics Of tho work
Or the year iii Northern Illinois. Though tho
oault Is not what wo had hoped for, yet, In viow
Or dlscouragenont. Tbs prospect for the fu-
lro IL hopeful; and wo o1poot, by tho Divine
LOSING, to accomplish more for tho yoar to
1l give.
Tho rcccipts Of tho American Bible Society for
70 year ending Maroh VI are $GG9, ,G07. .05--abouk
90, 900 less than tho provlous year This is @ )
aoro favorable showing than we expected two
r thrco months ago. Tho rocopta from IllinoiB !
70 nearly 9I8, 900, making It tho third sate I
amount Of romittancog to tho Parent Society,
Z. q. SMITH,
latsict Superintendent Of American Dlblu sucssy for