The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-10-31
A Great Fisher of Men.
Arrest of Religious Enthusiast.

philadelphia Correspondence of ". Y. Herald.
A missionary of a new type has turn
ed up among the residents of this city.
He is a man of excellent intentions, but
he has an eccentric way of manifesting
them. A long and close observation
of the methods of professed philanthro-
pists and benevolent societies satisfied
him that their managers often secured
a fair living as the fruit of their good
works. He could not see any reason
why we should not do likewise, and it
is only slight difference opinion be-
tween him and the United States Post
office authorities that prevents Mr.. Israel
H. Wood, of !, 1885 Girard avenue, from
still carrying on one of the most pros
porous schemes of evangelization yet
launched amid censorious world. The
tale he gave your correspondent this af-
ternoon is sad enough to fill midnight
mission with lamentations.
THE FISHER.
"You behold victim of unrighteous
ness. - said Mr.. od.-14The POotoffioe
people have the unkindness to call me
"a fraud and "a crank, when, as SIM
pie matter of fact, for more than two
years I have been engaged in noble
work. They object to my methods.
Well my system is an effective one, or
it would not have attracted their atten-
ton. Do you know, I believe that my
real opponents are the professional phi
lanthropists who grow fat off the doing
of good to sinners. I did great good
incalculable good but my ways were
not theirs, and they persecute me. my
occupations gone"
"What work have you been engaged
in?" asked the writer.
SIN disseminating the Truth-don't
forget to spell it with large IRE
joined the religious enthusiast. 81 was
rot as good and pure man at one time
as 1 am now. I followed the devil and
knew his ways well. Experience taught
me that there was large class of the
wicked who occupied middle ground
morally morally upright. 1i 1 saw that this class
was not reached by any scheme of re-
generation yet devised by man, and |
set for myself the noble task of appeal
ing to that particular social class, one
of which I had been myself in the days
that were past.
THE BAIT.
elbow did you 60 about this work 2"
"After much deep consideration l
framed the following advertisement,
which inserted in several of the flash
weekly papers that find their patronage
among the very class wished to reach:
AHention Sinners "A book that sport
ing men should read; better than any
thing of the kind ever printed; 900
pages and no trash. Price 50 cents.
Sent, postage free, by Wood & Co.,
1885 Girard avenue.
"This 1 felt certain would attract no.
tice," continued Mr.. Wood. cit fully
equalled my expectations. Before the
end of week l began to receive letters
at the rate of fifty a day. Soon the
number increased to eighty, then a
hundred. I was delighted. All letters
contained the stipulated sum. Some
of them also had stamps for return post
age. Correspondents in Texas and the
South forwarded larger sums, and want
ed five, ten and a dozen copies. 1t was
bonanza in the cause of good works.
sent an average of hundred books a
day for several months. l never felt
happier in my life."
THE BOOK.
"But you have not explained what
the book was. Nothing Objectionable.
it is to be hoped?"
"No, indeed. I sent to all the cor
respondents who enclosed money nea
COPY of the New Testament. bought
these by the hundred of the Bible So
ciety, corner of Seventh and Walnu
streets, and paid $4.75 per hundred
copies"
"What, less than five cents for bool
that you sold to patrons for half dol
lar? Wasn't that outrageously dear ?
"No, think not was the calm re
ioinder. "The books and postage on
hundred Testaments cost me So. l re
ceived $50. That was only net prof
of S42 on every hundred books sent out
You have always heard that it costs 81
to get 81 to the beneficiary? Yes
Well, you see it can be done cheaper
My advertising cost about $I2 a wee
or, say 81 day-so that the contribr
tors to this fund for distributing tn
New Testament only dispensed fou
; times as much as benefaction was wort
to them. Don't you think it was now
idea, this of inducing the very class th'
needs the Gospel most to pay for i
4 1;ccar,;rof;on -,