The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-21
MAINE BIBLE SOCIETY.
The Saith Anniversary at Free Street
Church Last Night.

| Interesting Services-Dr. Dunn of Lewis
ton Presides-The Trustees Report
The Financial Condition Better Than
| Ever Before-Annual Address by Rev.
Martyr Summerbell
The interesting services of the Saith an
| niversary of the Maine Bible Society
were listened to by \ large congrega-
tion at the Free street Baptist church
| last evening.
Rev. DR.. Dunn of Waterville, formerly
pastor OF the church, and president of
the Bible Society, opened the services
with brief mention of the main facts
| of the history of the society. On the
| platform with him were Rev. DR.. Dali
| ton. Rev. Mr.. Samson, pastor of the
church, Rev. George G. Lindsay and
| Rev. John Carroll Perkins
Rev. DR.. Dalton offered prayer, Rev.
| Mr.. Perk ms read from the Scriptures
and Rev. Mr.. Lindsay offered prayer.
DR.. Dunn, who was the chairman of
the evening, spoke feelingly of the late
Deacon William Gould, and said that
one was better fitted than DR.. Dalton
to pay ribute to his memory.
DR.. Dalton responded and spoke with
much effectiveness of the influence of
Deacon Gould's blameless life for good
| in the community, and in the Bible So
| iety. He said that his qualities were III
tegrity, simplicity, frankness, kindliness,
| humility, generosity and wisdom. His
| counsel was always sought in this soce-
| ty as we'll as in other circles where he
| was prominent. He was type of the
| able, honest men who have come to
| Portland from the country especially
| during his generation. Shall we have
more like them, pillars of the church
and community? We may not if the
custom increases of sending children to
! Sunday school and not to church. Dea-
con Gould's devotion to the church SER
vice as a man was certainly partly due
to his having been a curch- going boy.
The report of the trustees was read by
State Superintendent E. B. stillson. 1t
was as follows:
1t is with greatful recognition Fof s.divine
favor, that we review the S5th fiscal year
of the work the churches have been led
under God to do through the Bible Society
| of Maine.
| The Importance of the work this organi-
Zation is doing the homes out upon our is
lands, in the churchless towns and neglect
ed districts, cannot be oversestimated. The
| children in these destitute sections into
whose hands and whose homes the Society
should year by year be placing the Scrip
lures are going out into our cities to act
as leaders of corrupt rings of thieves and
criminals, or, as leaders of the mighty re-
! formers of the age. Solve therefore the
problem of. the country by making pIayerful
| Bible students in these homes, and we have
| solved largely the problem of the cities.
| The majority of the leading teachers and
| business men of Maine, and of all the cities
upon this continent, have come from farm
homes. We review with gratitude the won
derful galaxy of business men, teachers.
| editors. statesmen, generals and historians
| whose names will remainsforever luminous,
and who have come so largely from farm
| homes in this state of ours.
| We have had twelve laborers engaged in
| this work for different periods of time dur
| ing the past year. They have toiled in six
different counties, visiting 1o2 towns and
cities They have entered 24,012 homes, re-
presenting about 100000 persons. They
found and supplied AS Bibleless households.
We have sold and donated 1858 copies of the
Scriptures amounting to S3013.6l. From
the books sold we have received an amount
| about equal the cost. During the last three
months of the year, notwithstanding the
financial depression, there.was surprising
response to our request for increased con-
| tributions. Offerings came from churches,
| Sunday-schools, Young Peoples Societies,
| and individuals of different denominations
from every part of our state. We are now
able to report the Society's finances to be
in far better condition than ever in all
it's history. The collections from all sources
amounted this year to $6694.51e income from
invested funds including 500 from a legacy,
$412.74. A donation of S50e.5s of books from
the York County. Bible Society," Total 81
613.S3. Being $780, 36 above the receipts OF
any former year. The expenditure for sal
aries and expenses of those engaged in the
work S4763.T. Cost of books donated
printing and express bills $86S.75. Donated
to the National Society $500. Total $5732. So
Leaving balance for the year in favor OF
the Society $1Ssl.3l.
Most cordial resolutions have been passed
| at the state gatherings OF the MethOd1StS
Congregationalists. Baptists, Free Baptists
and other denominations of Maine, many of
them suggesting that the pastors unitedly
bring this cause before their congregations
on the last Sunday in September, that on
that Bible Day special thought, prayer and
offerings might be given to the work.
An imperative need, of this venerable
State organization, is Bible House, that
we may have a home for our business meet
ings. 1t is needed to save the necessity
of hiring place for a depository. 1t is
needed to give yearly income from rentals
Needed to give permanency and prominence
to the work Needed in this material age as 8
commanding witness to our faith in the
Book and work we are doing. Needed as
proof of the public spirit of the citizens Of
Maine that we be not behind other states
of the Union in this respect. We have {
most aggressive organization.
From the Annual Report of the American
BibleSociety it appears that the Bible Societ,
of Maine has averaged during the pas
three years mere men under commission
more families visited, more Bibleless homes
found and supplied, more copies of the
Scriptures sold and donated from house III