Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-12

CITY Next Sunday and Monday.
| :, The anniversary of the American
| Tract Society Of the Methodist EMS.
copa Church will be celebrated in the
Methodist churches In this city next
SUNDAY and Monday. The anniversaries
are usually celebrated In the great
cities OF the country, but through the
efforts of DIR. Iulburd 1t was decided
to come here this time. DR.. Hulburd
mad expected to take an active part in
the meetings.
The meetings will be held in several
local churches and the speakers will be
as follows: The Rev. j. W. Campbell,
y. D., of Now York City; the Rev.
e. Y. Wilding, ID. D., of Jersey City,
N. D.. Z; the Rev. j. L. Hurlbut ID. D.,
corresponding secretary of the Tract
Society; the Rev. j. NJ. Freeman, ID.
", assistant corresponding secretary
Of the Tract Society; the Rev. f. L.
Nagler, ID. D., German assistant secre-
tary of the Tract Society. who will
preach to G German congregation in
Newark, N. D.; the Rev. r. X.
Doherty, Phi. D., recording secretary
OF the Sunday.school Union, and
othera.
On Sunday morning pulpits will be
supplied as follows: Asbury, r. r.
Doherty, Phi. D.; Brandywine, j. l..
Hurlbut. d. d.. st. Paul's, j. W.
Campbell, ID. D.; Scott, ). NJ. Free.
man, d. d. ; Union, G. %. Wilding,
ID. ID, In the evening there will be
three platform meetings with adj
dresses, as follows: st. Paul's, DIR.
Wilding, DIR. Hurlbut; Epworth, DR..
Campbell and Dr. Freeman: Ezion,
DR.. Doherty. Rev. W. II. Milburn, ID.
p. will also preach in the evening in
Grace Church on the subject Of tracts.
AT 1920 o'clock Monday morning
there will be tract conference at st.
Paul's Church, in connection with the
nj. y. Preachers Association, which
will hold no other meeting on that day.
The conference will be conducted by
Dr.. Freeman. The object of this con-
ference is to consider various methods
of tract distribution; the difficulties
In the work; how these difficulties
may be overcome, and other questions
of practical utility. The attention OF
pastors, OF the tract committees OF quar-
terly conferences, and of tract dis
tributors is especially called to this
conference There will be free dis
cussion OF the various suggestions
offered In which any who will may
take part. Specimens OF tracts issued
by the Methodist Book Concern and
circulated by the Tract Society will be
shown and distributed.
HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF THE SOCIETY.
The Tract Society was organized in
1862 by the General Conference, and
chartered by the New York Legislature
In 1854 and again in 1874. The charter
sets forth as it's object the diffusion Of
the blessings of education, civilian
tion and Christianity throughout the
United States and elsewhere by the
publication and distribution of tracts,
cheap publications and books" The
society carries on it's work according
to the following plan:
First. Instead of taking the financial
risk of publishing tracta, it purchases
from the Methodist Book Concern
whatever is necessary for the grants
made. The Methodist Book Concern
has in its catalogue list of more
than 1000 tracts, from which a
selection may be made by this society
for its grants.
Second. Every church taking up a
collection for this society may, on
application by the pastor, have the
value Of one.balf of the collection re-
turned in tracts for distribution under
the superintendent of the tract COM
mittee of the quarterly conference.
Many churches avail themselves Of
this privilege and accomplish great
good.
Third. Special grants are made to
weak churches which are unable to
raise money enough to send for all the
tracts needed, though it is expected
that every church will recognize the
society by taking up collection, even
though it be small in amount.
Fourth. On application, by properly
authorized persons. tracts are sent
gratuitously to prisons, poorhouses,
hospitals, soldiers barracks, and YES
sells in pert.
Fifth. The statistics for the present
year. 1896, are not yet fully reported,
but during the year 1895 grants Of
tracts were made to 2, 400 different
churches. The tracts sent to these
and to other departments of our home
field amounted to nearly IA, 600, 900
pages @
Sixth. In connection with the Sunday
school Union Of our church the Tract
Society sends out beautiful weekly
papot W eho Coiorou poopio VI lub
South. 1t is called the Good Tidings
Its weekly average during the year
1895 was 81, 300; total number OF copies
distributed during the year, l, 1899, 900;
total number of pages in these,
Z, 1865, 900.
Seventh. Great effort is made to
supply with tracts the immigrants
who come to our Shores Though not
yot able to reach all the various nations
represented, we distribute tracts in
German, Swedish, Danish, French, Ital-
ian, Spanish, Bohemian, Polish, He
brew and Chinese This distribution is
made through pastors and city mis-.
sionaries. In few instances the
tract matter is distributed through
weekly papers, portion of each paper
being used for that purpose.
Eighth. Among our foreign missions
the Tract Society has been at work ever
since the year 1864, until now there is
not foreign mission, connected with
our church which has not received
grants Of money from the Tract Society
to aid in the publication OF religious
literature in the various languages
spoken in these mission fields. Grants
have been made to Norway, Sweden,
Denmark, Finland. Germany, Switzer-
land, France, Italy, bulgaria, India,
MaIsysia, China, Japan, Korea,
Mexico, and South America. Thus
the missionaries of our church have
been enabled to preach by means of
tha n,;ntad papes t,efore thev nould