Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-10-14
The American Board of Commissioners

The annual meeting Of this corporation
was held in Rutland last week II adj.
joumed. after three days session. ON Friday
morning. The occasion brought together
two thousand people from all parts of the
country. II was q distinguished assembly
of men and women who are foremost in the
work of Christian bcuoyolcuce in our land.
It comprised eminent merchants, lawyers,
bankers and clcrgymcn. Nopetty questions
of political office, mo- object of sectarian ag-
rrandizemant brought them together, hut
they were brought into this grand conyen-
ton for the simple purpose Of devi.ing ways
and means for prosecuting with more vigor
and success the work of cvangclzug and
saving the world, There is no assembly like
it in the world, either in The grandeur Of its
objects or IN the character of its supporters.
There has never been a meeting Of the
kind before in Vermont Our towns have
not been equal to the care Of such host as
is collected on the occasion. But Rutland
desired 90 invite The Board q. lis guest.
Her arrangements for the entertainment of
the great crowd were perfectly made and adj
mirably carried ont. The railroads were
pressed into her service and evening and
morning carried out and brought back
nearly thousand people The neighboring
towns stretched forth their hands to help
her and furnished provision to subsist this
multitude Every house threw its doors
open and hailed them back and gave cheer
full and noble welcome 20 their guests. Never
a town. with so inadequate resources. did So
nobly. and our fears for her success in the
magnificent work She had undertaken were
lost in amazcment at it, splendid accom-
| plishmcnt.
The occasion was one long 10 be remcm-
/ bcred ia Vermont. The sermon, the speak
crs. the telling rccital- Of their hbors by
the returned missionaries, the prayers, the
songs. were all in harmony with the self
denying work by which they were inspired
No one who was prescott will ever forget The
scene, or fail TO be moved by its impression
We could only have wished that every Chris
tian man and woman in the state, could hayl
had the fun advantage Of this meeting.
1t was true of this meeting, as it has been
Of many of its predecessors, that the venei
able President of Williams college Re,
Mark Hopkins, d. D.,-was not only the pr,
siding officer in person, but also in spirit
And it seems most fitting that it should h
t so-for it was in the beginning Of the pre-
/ ent century that few students connecte
s with his college, gathered for religion
b purpose, beneath hay-stack in meade
4 adjacent to the college, first conceived I'll
o purpose Of sending the gospel to that dar
b and heather land of Asia" Nom there al
70 missions, nineteen; stations, seyenty-twC
/ out-stations, four hundred and ninety-seve
{ Missionaries (ordained), one hundred an
a ifty-one female assistants, two hundrC
s and fourteen; physicians, seven male a
r sistants, four; native pastors, preacher
teachers and helpers. one thousand and five
e total laborers, one thousand three hundrC
r. and eighty-one. Churches, two hundred an
$ twenty-five; membership, ten thousand 81
r hundred and four; increase during Il
e year, ten hundred and twenty-one. Trai
{ ing and theological schools, twelve boar
p ing schools for girls, twenty-one COZ
@ mon schools. five hundred and fifty-on,
/ common school pupils, twenty Thousand fol
p hundred and ninety; training and theolog
e cal, three hundred and nineiyone; boardin
, six hundred and seyenty-two; other adul
e under instruction. two hundred and sevent
4, eight; total pupils, twenty-one thousan
] eight hundred and thirty-onc
= The total receipts Of the Board for the pa
< year were si7s,25G,jl, and the expenditure
1 SlS2, 6l1.33-leaying deficiency in the ire
] sury, including the Indebtedness at the col
e mencement OF the year, of S30,ill.07.