Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-02-28
TWO SCOREANDTEN
Records Of the Kent County
Bible Society
FROM EARLY PIONEER lays
psuaguishsd citissns VIE Have Been
In ofheen-How he Gospel Was
Given to Every Living Creature

ciety will oelebrate IL ilftieth birthday
The society, oi nhich one hears but
little in these days OF higher ednca'son.
many books. aud debating ciuis IN
Grand Rapids. appears 70 have bern or
gained. and Ieeognsxed by the l.Arent
Amerissn Bahis socsvty OF New York
city. in las2. although ne ofhc,ai rec
ord OF lie proceedings before the year
1876 have been preserved.
The oll-ct vi the society has always
bern TO supply islbles u eli xho can not
afford 10 buy then, Tor themselves. aud
~ sell tn. n, ~ the lowtst possible price
TO all others. Bl..i~s written ia every
Language, bibles With Boies aud with
out nots.s. zig b's.les, little bibles. costly
b.iiles, cheap tils.ss. hsblss al every edi-
Iion--ali are tbus bfougal within tire
reach uf those vino wish them Tor
themselves or to give 20 others The
fundr OF the society are kept MP by
contributions. church collections aud
the sale OF tooks. aud considerable
money has passed thfonxa ats hands in
It's half century OF existence.
The hook OF records n " IN possession
OF l.. x. Atwaser is very interesting.
not only FOR the facts il contains, bul
for the history written between the
lines Ut the village" of Grand Rapids
ana her good men and true" 10
front 10 posted the certificate gwen by
the parent socisty in New York g. the
Kent county auxiliary, dated july %,
1912. Secretary Tsylor's
Fine Oid-s sshien~d hand writing
covers the first pages. now yellow and
dlsco.ored with time, and al which tie
ink is SO faded "a to make the words
scarcely drclphersble. Following Mr..
Taylor's reports Came those OF Judge
). l.. Whitney. woo WAS elected secretary
III 1873, and continued IN Office four
years. Judge Whitney wrote the typical
hand OF the day. and didn't spare the
Ink, although ne seemed TO be . little
economical about the paper. The Rev.
&. Smith. who served as secretary for
some years, spared neither ink nor,
paper, aud xgote all over the page.
paying no attention whatever to the
lines. One secretary, with an eye Il
variety in his Teports, wrote some oil
them in blue INK, some in black ink,
and the rest with lead pencil.
Tie prevailing fashions in penman'
ship can be as distinctly traced IN the
book as il il had been written for nc
other purpose than 10 show them. La
spite of the boast that the preeen
| eystem is so much ahead of the past il
educational advantages. an examina
ton of the old records would not con
vince one that people write any NOR,
legibly than they did fifty years ago.
The first recorded meeting 1T the so
ciety appears to have been held in thu
NJ. Z. church July 20, 1916. ut which
time the following officers were eiectea
President, the Rev. James Ballard; vic,
president, l.. X. Atwater; secretary, A
b. Taylor: treasurer. a. Luther; ex.
+, ecutive committee, 4. n. Faxon, q.
Deanc, w. q. Henry. Henry Stone ans
VIM. Haldane. OF thesc only thre
are now living.
| They Explored the village.
| In lS49, il was Resolved, That tn
executive committee be instructed to ex
plore the village of Grand Rapids and
the county of Kent. 60 far as they Cal
without incurrlng expense to the SOC
ETY., to the end OF aecertaining tn
amount of restitution. and supply o
the Bible 10 families unable 10 pul
chase Ms we'll as those able 70 purchase.
Soon after a committee was appointe,
"to district the village of Grand Rapid
and employ suitable persons to expIor
the village and distribute Bibles to tn
destitute" 1t seems that this comm
tee agreed tn gather the foIlowln
facts: How many families are withou
the Bible? How many Bibles and Test
amenis in the village: How man,
Catholics who refuse to receive = cop,
of the Protestant Bible, Unfortun
| aCely. this committee never made q ful
| report, but it is recorded that in on
district there were "fouud four per
cons destitute and unable TO purchase
| Bible. who were rendered q supply.
In 1858. the society employed the Rev
E. Prince. of Cascade, TO superinten
the exploration" OF the county 70
| such destiiution. at salary of $50
month. In 1860, Jairus JOY was PAL
81 so per day T. r dong the same work
There il no record OF any mcetln
whatever between 1861 and ls55-why
it il not hard TO imagine. Kent count
was explored for other purposes thos
yearsthan to find families who wer
destitute OF Bibles. II is hard TO ar
derstand that life went on at all, eve
ever 20 fitfully, during those dreadft
years.
An incident connected with the Mo-
ton house is recorded which will anus
many. From the report Of the annus
meeting Of the society in 1875. il al
pears that the treasurer. Z. w. EatoI
stated that in accordance with q reoueI
made Of him, he had written 20 I'll
parent society in New York. asking 9
what terms Bibles could be furnished I
the hotels in the city, and had been az
visei that the society would Civ on
half the price Of the Bible. HE Z
| etated 10 The propnetors Of the Mo
ton but they declined 70 take an,
unlesa the society would make them |
q Donation
For long time the headquarters ,
the aociety were in VIC. Henry'f boo
etore. Since HE resignation ~ depos
; tory. Henry NJ. Hinedill, c. W. Eatol
| l. +. Patten. and Frank ". Hulse
| have served succc.s vely. The presei
officers are: President, /. K. Atwate
secretary, NJ z. Tomlinson, treasure
r NJ Hulawif