Smyrna times., 1886-11-10
For the Smyrna Times
Kent County Bible Society.

!
of last meeting the President delivered
his annual address as follows:
TO THE KENT County BIBLE So
CIETY AS your president I beg leave
to present to you at this time a brief
statement of the operations of our So
ciety during the past year, and to call
your attention to the present condi-
tion and demands ofour work.
AT our last meeting instructions
were given to the Executive Com
mittee to continue the work of thor
Oughly canvassing the county and sup
! plying all cases of destitution of the
word of God. The territory to be so
canvassed during the year comprised
the hundreds of East and West Dover.
In accordance with the instructions
this territory has been looked after.
As in the case of our work during
the previous year in the northern part
OF the county it was felt to be neces-
sary to employ an agent who should
make it his special business to make
thorough canvass. Having been sat-
istied with the labOrs and qualifications
OF Mr.. John e. Franklin last year we
again secured his services, agreeing to
give him therefor the sum of 500.
The same instructions were given him
as when he was employed before. He
was to visit every family in the terri
tory assigned, asking a donation for
our work from those supplied with the
Bible, and supplying those destitute,
by sale or gift. 2nd-To consider as
destitute families possessing only a
New Testament or a Bible illegible
| through age or use. 3rd-TO sup
ply unmarried persons separate from
their families, employed as laborers,
&c. 4th-TO give the Bible gratuit-
Ously in no case where the cost price
or part of it could be obtained. 5th-
To keep full and careful and separ-
ate record in each hundred of the fam
lilies and persons visited and supplied,
! and whether white or black, and of the
kind and price of books sold or donated
and the moneys received therefor.
These instructions we think were
c0nscientiousIy and faithfully COM
piled with, and in consequence we feel
that the East and West Dover hun
dreds may now be said to be we'll sup
piled with the Bible.
From the returns made bv Mr..
Franklin, (which will be preserved for
| the guidance and instruction of the So
ciety its future work in this territory
it appears that he visited ,218 families.
942 of them being white and 276 col
Ored. OF families destitute of the
Word Of God there were 159, 81 of
these being colored and 6S white. OF
individuals destitute there were %, 10
OF the being cOlOred and IS white.
Eleven families in the district refused
to either buy or receive as a gift one
of our Bibles. AZ Bibles and Is Testa-
ments were sold at cost price, and %
Bibles and Testaments were sold at
part price, the amount realized being
$500 less than cost. 115 Bibles and %
Testaments were given away. And
S44.55 were received in cash con-
tributiOns.
Thus through our agent we have
distributed in East and West Dover
hundreds 225 Bibles and Testaments
worth S7099. For these and in cash
contributions we have received 500. Is.
or Sl.S4 less than our books cost. To
supply the district canvassed during the
year has therefore cost the society
$101.S4.
What has been done through our
repositories | am not able to saw. as
our DepOsitary has been unable to
make out his report.
What has been received during the
year for its work will doubtless appear
IN the Treasurer's report But special
mention may here be made of beuuest
to the society of $50 by the late Mrs.
I nF
who truly loved the Bible and felt the
Importance of its being in the hands of
the people, and the sincerity of whose
feelings in this practically manifested
itself in this helpful benefaction. Ap-
propriate recognition of this should be
made by our society.
And now it but remains for me TO
add word as to the work vet to be
done to complete the canvas of our
county.
" North and South Murderkill hun
| dreds We're canvassed in '77-'78: Mil
ford hundred in 1879; and Mispil-
lion in 1880. For the canvassing of
these $500 were then paid. According
to the census of 80 they had within 184
as many inhabitants as the hundreds
wa have canvassed and supposing
them to have grown at about the same
rate, 1t will be seen that we are prob
ably just little more than half done.
Though the former canvass in the
southern part of the county has been
more recent than in the northern, the
destitution may probably be fairly'es-
tlmated as not much less than that
which our canvass has revealed in the
northern part. And to meet it will
probably require almost as much as we
have already expended. In round
numbers it will probably take 500 to
pay Tor the books which will be given
away, and 5000 to pay for the work of
canVassing, in all $500. From these
facts and figures then we see what we
have before us to do. And from the
great number of cases of destitution of
Gods word which we have found we
see the urgent necessity for speedy ac-
| ton.
In view of these things then what
shall we do?
II our treasury were full the prob
lem would admit of an easy solution.
But unfortunately it is not. Can we
not, however, trust the good people of
our county to supply us with the need
ed money in due time, and 20 on at
once to complete our canvass during
the coming year? Possibly the money
cannot all be raised during the wear.
II not, our agent, who has been deepIv
interested in the work and would like
to go on and complete it, as he might.
during the coming year says he would
walt for his smOney. With this arrange
mientthen it would seem we might safe
ly go on at once. And this / would
therefore respectfully recommend. At
the same time, l desire the society to
carefully consider and decide for itself
in this matter
" To the end that we NAV not be
hindered in our good work let everv
friend of the Bible be urged to renewed
activity in helping us. Let special and
earnest appeals be made by pastors To
their people for contributions to our
work. And let us rs a Society. feel
that to us is committed work second
to none in Importance and urgency /:
and go forward.
J. F. SToNECIPHER, President.
The following resolution in regard to
Mrs. Layton's bequest was then
adopted,
! ResotUed, That we will ever administer
this fund in accordance with her last will
and testament and thus by the increased
| distribution of the sacred Scripture wher-
/ ever possible and bV her ganaroe;f,, o,.;,e