Evening journal., 1896-11-16
M. E. TRACT SOCIETY.
It's Forty-fourth Anniversary
Celebration Held Here.
MANY PROMINENT PREACHERS

MANY PROMINENT PREACHERS
SERVICES AT THE VARIOUS M. e.
CHURCHES YEsTERDAY-PLAT-
FORM MEETINGS AT NIGHT.
MEETING TO-DAY.
The Tract Society. OF the NJ. e.
Church, celebrated its forty-fourth an
niversary yesterday, and some of the
most prominent Methodist ministers of
the country were In this city and filled
the pulpits of local churches. The ex-
ercises yesterday consisted of sermons
In the various churches la the morn
ing, and platform meetings at night
AT st. Paul's M. E. Church yesterday
morning Rev. J. w. Campbell. OF New
York city, addressed large congrega-
tion. AT Asbury NJ e. Church, Rev. r.
preached an eloquent sermon on the
Philosophy of Spiritual Growth" Rev
j. M. Freedman, ID. d., assistant CORE
spending secretary OF the society, spoke
at Scott NJ Il. Church. At Brandy
wine NJ. e. Church, Rev. j. l.. Hurlbut,
ID, d., spoke, and at Union M. y.
City spoke.
At Grace NJ. e. Church last night a
large congregation heard the sermon of
Rev. W. II. Milburn, ID. d., on the good
of tract distribution. At st. Pauls M.
r. Church platform meeting was held
and Drs. Hurlbut and Wilding spoke
on the work of the society. Platform
meetings were also held at EpwOrth
and Ezion churches.
The program Of the meetings con-
tains this description of the society and
its work.
The Tract Society was organized by
the General Conference in 1852 and
chartered by the State OF New York In
1854 and again In 1874 The organiza-
ton receives grants for its work from
the various M. e. churches, and pur-
chases whatever tracts II may need for
it's work from the Methodist Book Con-
cern. This avoids any risk OF printing
matter for which it cannot pay. In
case a church so desires, one-half of
the amount collected in its congrega-
tion for the work can be returned In
tracts for distribution under the tract
committee tsquarterly conference. II
church is not able to raise the money
for all tracts needed they are sent to It
On application of proper persons tracts
are sent TO persons, houses, poor
houses. hospitals, soldiers barrickE
and ships in port.
While the statistics for 1896 are no
yet complete il is known that grants o.
tracts were made to 2,400 churches, anG
that the tracts sent out in the homl
field amounted TO $4,000, 900 pages. II
addition to these the society publishe
a paper called Good Tidings for colore,
people, whose weekly average, In 189g
was 81 200 copies. Efforts are ais
made to supply tracts to the immi
grants who land, and for that reasOl
they are printed in a number Of for
eign languages, including Polish, He
brew and Chinese. Since 1854 work ha
also been done in foreign mission fields
Missionaries, by means OF the tract
printed in foreign languages. hay
been able to preach TO the people befor
they could speak the language.
To-day's anniversary exercises OF tn
| Tract Society we're held in ST. Pauls N
E. Church this morning.
The conference was called TO orde
by DR.. Freeman, with Rev. Vaughan
Collins as secretary.
The following preachers took part II
the discussion: Rev. J. W. Campbell
d. D., OF New York city; Rev. G. c
Wilding, ID. d., Of Jersey City. N. j..
Rev. J. l.. Hurlbut, ID. d., correspond
ing secretary of the Tract Society
Rev. j. NJ. Freeman ID. d., assistant cor
responding secretary OF the Tract SO
ciety; Rev. +. L. Nagler, ID. d., Ger
man assistant secretary Of the Trac
Society; r. r. Doherty. Ph. d.. record
ing secretary of the Sunday Schoo
Union.
These were followed by Revs. Mur
ray, McCurdy, Tinter. Ais and wa
ters. Mrs. Irwin and Mrs. Watkins ais
spoke.
After prayer by DR.. Hurlbut, th
meeting adjourned.
Rev. ]. l.. France called the preach
ers attention to the regular preacher
meeting next Monday morning, when
report will be made by the Hulbur
memorial committee.