The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-12
FAMOUS BUILDINGS.
The American Bible HOuse-The Methodist
Book COncern-The Cooper Institute.

Inc American kbhDle hOuSe-Ihe meCnOulSt
Book COncern-The Cooper Institute.
"Gath's" New York Letter.
The American Bible House in New York is an
immense building six stories high, covering
three-quarters of an acre, and it cost more than
thirty years ago, over $500 000 1t probably
could not be replaced to-day for $3.50 600 1t has
a united front on four streets of ITO feet The
rents in the building bring about $40, 600 year,
The society is nearly seventy years old and it has
| received something like Sc 900 900 in subscrip-
tons. 1t claims to have three times eanvassed
| the entire United States to put Bibles where
| they were not to be found 1t employs about
five hundred persons, and prints the Scriptures
in twenty nine dialects Yet the sectarian power
of this country has too often been exerted to pro-
vide snug places for eccesiasties instead of
strengthening the general missions.
The Methodist Book Concern in New York
cost more money than the Bible House. 1t is a
lofty building, with five iron stories and base
ment nineteen feet deep and it has half an acre
OF floor. This concern started the year the
American government began under Washington
with a capital of 5000 l have myself seen in
my boyhood the old man-Rev Mr.. Cooper-who
began this Methodist publishing house. He re-
ceived one of the last letters John Wesley ever
wrote to America and that autograph letter is
in little house in the State of Delaware, not
far from Barrett's Chapel, where the American
Methodist Church was organized just about one
hundred years ago by Coke and Asbury, The
Methodist Book Concern was brought to New
-
in flicte6 a loss on the denomination of $3.50 600
1t now has net capital of over a million and
half The present building was put up in
1869 TO-
Not newspaper establishment in New York
has as costly and complete edifce as this
Methodist book house, for which every Methodist
preacher III the country is a sort of bookseller.
1t is said that the Book Concern has given ST..
800, 900 in profits to various Methodist Church
interests.
RIGHT onnoste the R;b1a bo,,sa h n ve describ he'd
is Peter Coopers institution, which, to my mind
marks the period when religious and phllan-
thropic Institutions began to yield to the rising
philanthropy and faith called science. Science
in the nature of things is either in revolt against
sectarianism or proceeds without the least refer
ence to religious systems. The whole essence of
science is to investigate and report the results
The general tendency of religion has been to be
Jealous of these results lest they might not
have been traditional. Science becomes more
concerned in the external health of man than in
his spiritual or soul relation. The Cooper Inst-
tute is huge SIX story brown stone building. to
which large attics have been recently added. 1t
cost $500, 600. Its founder old black
smith, locomotive builder and money -getter. who
thought the laboring people ought to understand
art and science. So he designed this building to
be self supporting, and under it he put huge
| hall where Abraham Lincoln and most of the
great men of our time have spoken. This hall
| is in the basement, and is therefore eminently
safe All over the buildings are other halls for
lectures, and it has a magnificent reading room
for this city, be it said to It's shame, has no
public library like the other large cities
and not even free newspaper room except
such as old Peter Cooper gave it New York is
| behind the other cities UNNECESSARILY IN minis
| tering to the intelligence of it's common people
There is indeed, no sympathy here between the
rich class and the plain people
The Cooper Institute has a rent roll OF nearly
| $50, 600 year. Thirty thousand people come
every year to read its newspapers. 1t has a
school of design for girls and women, with a