St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-23

| ing it the publicity of your columns
We wish to provide an easy means by
which the people in the far off and iso-
lated West and South, and along the
lines of the lighthouse and signal SER
vice stations on the Atlantic coast, may
secure current literature after it has
been read and laid aside, and to see if
we can get your readers to aid US in this
little philanthropic movement.
The reading world is divided into two
classes-those who have access to more
literature than they can well aSSimilate,
and those who are starving for good
reading. The rapid development of the
newspaper and magazine, and the cheap
eEing Of the cost Of their production has
brought an overfuxsof reading matter
to those of us within easy communica-
ton of the great cities, and it is hard
for us to understand that there is a
class of people in our undeveloped West
and South whose lives are as barren of
the influence of literature as in the
days when the magazines of the coun-
try could be numbered on our fingers
and the Sunday newspaper was only a
possibility. Many of these people do not
see magazine once q year; they are
hardly able to provide the necessaries of
life much, less these which they call it's
lUXurieS. A careful study convinces us
that there are over a million fairly well
educated people in this country, often
parents of growing families, who are
completely out of touch with the
thought of the day simply because they
are unable to buy or borrow in any way
the current papers and magazines
which come to us in such profusion. We
know of one family in Oklahoma, SO
miles from a railroad, which receives
one of the cheap magazines at the
hands of a kindly New England woman.
They all read it, and every neighbor
ton, s(cix- fr,, Toe in oil
regularly takes a turn at its columns.
The woman to whom this magazine is
sent is educated, and her letters, could
we reproduce them here, would make
this one unnecessary.
We have hundreds of such names; in light
houses, signal service stations among pio-
neers in the New West, in the piney woods
of North Carolina the bayous of Louisiana
and Mississippi; and yet the average Ameri-
can home in the Middle and New England
states is overlooking with the accumulation
of daily. weekly and monthly periodicals.
One may talk of the influence of religion in
the development of people, but the in
iuence of good reading. of Sthe educative
process, is of but little less Importance. and
here at our land is an opportunity for much
of this sort of usefulness.
The Newspaper Sermon association wishes
the names of all persons who will give
their cooperation in the following manner,
viz: To agree to send to some one-or more
if you wish-of these far-off places, for one
year. a periodical of some character-Sunday
paper. magazine or weekly-to the name and
address of worthy Individual which will
be furnished them by this association. Great
care will be made in the selection of names,
and all persons sending periodicals will
ceive letter from the recipient of their
kindness acknowledging the same
Now. though this may to you small
philanthropy, do not let that idea of it
tempt you to leave it TO your neighbor. You
do not know how manv lives you may touch
and how much you will brighten them; peo-
pie who cut off from manv of the
privileges of civilization. whose lines are
cast in dark and pathettc places.
1t is the hope of the Newspaper Sermon as
snciation to nresent plans of this sort occa-
sionally. believing that the world is full of
men and women who are anxious to give
something of themselves to others when the !
opDortunitv comes TO them in a simple and
practical manner. Nav we have your help?
All letters or postal cards will he courteous
lv acknowledged. and every effort will be
made to make this a pleasure to you and a
benefit to the participants of your benefac-
tinns.
Periodical Department Newspaper Sermon
Association 10 School Street Boston Mass