The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-11-27
The American Bible Society
ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.


Four years later the first Bible Society
in this country was instituted i'll Phila.
delphia. The second was in Connecti.
cut and the third in Massachusetts,, while
the fourth was established in New York
in the year 1910. The number of sim
liar societies rapidly increased until in
1915 there were about Fifty in all. The
British Society then suggested the expe.
diency of having all the societies of this
country united under one head. Moth
ing was done, however, until Hon. Elias
Boudinot, of Burlington, n. D., Presi-
dent of the Society in that State, pro-
posed plan for the organization of a
National Bible Society. On Wednes
day, May Sth, 1916, delegates from
thirty. five local societies, accompanied
by four representatives of the Society of
Friends, met in the Consitory Room of
the Reformed Dutch Church, On Garden
street, in this city. The convention
numbered sixty delegates, who elected
as their President Joshua M. Wallace,
of New Jersey. The object OF the
meeting was then fully discussed, and
without dissenting voice it was decided
to establish a general Bible Institution,
''for the circulation of the Holy Script
ures, without note or comment" The
object in prohibiting the use of mote or
comment" is to prevent any appearance
of sectarianism, and the Bible now is.
sued is the one in common use through
out the United States. The transla-
tions of this work are as literal as pos
sible.
After having adopted Constitution,
the Convention proceeded to elect exec
utive officers, and choose competent
Board of Managers. 1t then began its
work at once At first its accommoda-
tions were not all that was desired, the
depository being in the Office of Mr.
John +. Caldwell, the General Agent
1t was shortly afterwards removed to
little room seven feet by nine, in the
printing Office on Cliff street. At an.
other time it was in room twenty feet
square on Sloat Lane, now Hanover
street 1t was not until in 1922 that
the Society was satisfied. 1t then erect
ed building Oh two adjoining lots on
Nassau street. Even this was not suf.
fciently large, and in 1880 two more
lots on the opposite side of the street
were bought and occupied. The first
two lots and building cost about S229,-
500, and by the addition of the other
two, the total value of the property was
increased to $4,000. Again, in 1S47,
becoming cramped for room in which to
carry on their extended operations, a
committee was appointed to look up a
suitable site. \ pleasant situation was
found i'll the lower part of the city, but
owing to some difficulty in regard to the
title, the idea of purchasing it was nee.
essarily abandoned. Shortly afterwards,
however, the committee succeeded in Sc.
curing the lot upon which the present
building is situated. The site was very
pleasant, being on Fourth avenue, Just
above the point at which Third avenue
branches from it, and consequently OF
easy access TO passengers on either thor
oughfare. The present publishing
house, of the Society generally known
as
THE BIBLE HOUSE,
was immediately commenced, and on
June 18th, 1852, the corner stone was
laid before vast concourse of citizens
On this occasion prayer was offered by
the Rev. DR.. Bangs and an address de
livered by Hon. Theodore Frelnghuy
sen, of New Jersey. The building oc
cupies the entire square bounded by
Fourth. ave-, Astor Place, Thira.ave.
and Ninth street, having total circrn
ference of somewhat over seven hun
dred feet. 1t is six stories high, anC
has All open court or area in the center
The whole structure is of Philadelphi;
pressed brick, with brown stone trim
mings. On Fourth avenue the entrance
is of handsomely ornamented brown
stone. The cost, including the land
was s250,000. This price was pait
partly by subscription to the amount o
100000. These subscriptions wer'
made exclusively for that purpose. Som,
$50, 900 more was paid by the receipts
from the sale of the old property, which
had, since the Society purchased it, dou
bled in value. BY continuing to rails,
subscriptions the whole debt was can
celled before 1865. The rent received
from letting out the first floor of tn
building for stores, pays not only til,
, taxes, but is sufficient for the salaries o
the officers connected with the institu
tion.
The lower floor is occupied, with fey
exceptions, by publishers of religion
books and pamphlets. Religious socie
ties and associations monOpolize the sec
, ond floor. In addition to these the man
I ayers of the Bible Society have a larg
aud pleasantly situated room, on th
q same floor fronting on Fourth averuc
where they meet on the first Thursda
in every month. Immediately beneat
\. this, and on the first floor, is the Librs
;. ry, containing about $500 rare and oil