, 1873-01-10
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.
ITS Work During tho Past Eorty-clg1lt
EGnrSs

HGHrHs
From the Boston Gt3bt,
Everybody has road Of tho American Tract
Hocloty, and frequently encounters its wol-
known Imprint, not only on traota, but on bound
volumes OF various utzoB but tlloro aro prob
anly few people not directly so,.a sonn1et9 o VIII the
magnitude Of tho work TINT 1t has dono during
The forty-oight years Of its oxiatcnco. 1ts pub
ber OF D08, 500 090, Of Which 25, ,GG7, ,80h aro vol
%p Bff so 1s" e'i Ns t 1Rsas Us sen sno es Ss
tionB, of which forty-aovon woro vo!un,oB. It
prints four monthlios and two woeltlies, tho for
ner OF Which havo unitod circulation Of 56D, 600
theao publications nro illustrated, and not
illustrated In tho traditional Sunday School book
fashion. Thore aro mono Of tho ongravinga rop-
roaonting children arrayod in garments 1aBhiona-
1858, which used to ornalaont books In Old dayn,
Tho Society tnlsoB pride In making these 1luBtra-
tions worthy of thofr subjects, mud has done so
from itB foundation, aud iasueH tnnny booka
{a1c15 Tns T. o M osa G enng sa p sn p5neg Fin
fishing houses. T prints in twolyo different
at itn different missionary stations In various
perta Of tho world. It has now in circulation,
by tho efforts Of tho missionaries at tho diifor-
work is largely do dono o,dy BY neo!portea1r1s,
OF whom 1t employs 2G1. During tho
aao sf aons no osss tSan yss sold isss
books, and gnve away At, 12B moro. They pursue
their journeys in almost ovory State, although
only Blx arc to bo found in Now England. Vir-
Eine Is patrolloa By t"eenty.nnino North Carolina
two. The number Of ignorant negroes to be
found in those States accounts for tlis apparent
disproportion. Tho lifo Of u colportour is OK
tremoly 1aborious, md tho aalary Of $500 and
{u tn$
to onter upon tho profession for morcenary mo-
tivoa, md tho mon engaged in it nrc coilBo-
quontIy, peraons devoted to tho cauao for whicl,
they labor. In many portions Of tue West mud
arc frequently Obliged to act as pastors Of their
respective circuits, and their duties aro as onor-
GUS aB varied. AS ono wrote from KnnBaB, Inst
| nrm1nor,, T." To preach tho Gospel, carry books,
keep one'a tompor, and make other people hap
py, on a dict Of pork md Indian bread, with tic
thormomotor at 115 degrees, is not always an
easy taHk."' But In this band Of lnbororo nro to
be found largo number Of mon OF wldo md
| varied culture, who l.avo abandoned nil chances
Of famo md worldly honor to advance tho work
tho Chinese Of tho Pacific coaBt, and the Inliana
on tho Western reservation, aro objects of solc-
itudo to the Tract Society. stnday Schools havc
been ostablishod among tho former, and col
The society is supported by voluntary contri-
butionB, which amounted to ovor half million
Of dollars during tho year. ending March, 1879
| Of this, Now York gayo tho largoet sum, $780,
| q, GOO o wook was employed in tho gratuitoat
| distribution Of books and pamphlets, and the
! rest in printing and tho other obvious expenses
Of the organtzation:. Tho aociety has now or
hand n liBt Of publications, tho catalogue oi
which covors forty-oight ootayo pages, clnbrac'
| ing works in various languages, among which Il
| included tho largest collection of Spanish
| Protestant books known to bo in oxistonco.