The Newtown bee., 1897-02-12

bound. MT Atwater went out to visit
 his old parishoners and reported that they were getting into good houses and prospering. But it required tNew Eng land grit to fell the mighty forests of northern Ohio, Michigan, Iowa and
 other states in which our people isettled.
 One said, ''I mean to clean up one acre of forest each year." They would
 select trees in row and cut them half of. Then, when the wind was right, chop through the last, which would fall
 upon the next and that upon the next,
 till all came down together. So dense
 were some of :the forests that people
 often got lost in them. One of our
 people was within five miles of certain
 family and started for it. After long
 walking, he came right back to his start
 ing place. This he did a second time.
 It was a terribly cold day. He tried
 once more but, finding a hollow log. crawled into it. There
 HIS PRoTRUDING FEET WERE FROZEN. Next morning he happened to hear wood choppers and, crawling to them, was
 helped to his destination. His limbs
 had to be anputated, but he is alive to- day. God raised up, in many 8 retired New England town like thiq, men who
 have done good service in the great Northwest. This church did it's share in building the good institutions so
 promising to-day in that section of the
 land. One of our oldest citizens tells
 me that he should need half a day to describe the families who went West from here since his remembrance.
 After doing it he said that I should
 wonder that any were left. Thus God
 gave fruit. to our church first. We
 naturely turn from this usefulness, by sending out workers, to the matter of benevolent giving. Before 1928, I do
 not find record of any system in ben
 eYolences. The church had given oc-
 casionally, but in 1919 committee was
 chosen to consider this subject of giving.
 They were given the question, "Is it the
 duty of the church as body to aid, by pecuniary contributions, the benevolent
 exertions now making to spread the
 gospel?'' If it was deemed expedient
 they were asked to devise some plan of
 operation to be laid before the church.
 They reported that it was the duty of
 the members to give to this object and
 suggested that each member of the
 church, from time 0 time, lay by such
 sums as he may be able to give and, at
 the communion season, bring them into
 the treasury of the church. But, in
 1928, our fathers began to take hold of
 beneyolent giving with more system.
 They cs He'd meeting of the inhabitants
 of the town to form benevolent associ-
 ation. This call shows that, at that
 time, this church occupied very large
 part of the whole community. This new
 organization framed it's constitution and
 bylaws, elected officers and appointed
 collectors for the different neighbor.
 hoods. Once month, officers and mem. bers were to meet for consultation and prayer. The secretary was to cores. pond and, in other ways, secure informa- tion for the use of the members. Each year, on the second Monday of January, the annual meeting was held to hear a report of the previous years work, elect new officers and plan for the coming year. The collectors were furnished books, calling upon every individual favorably disposed, within their limits to solicit gifts to the sI acified objects and enter the names and ims on theil books. This set of bot bears date from 1928 to 1856. Let us zee how tht t plan worked look into the collectors book for this Center district in 1882.
 a IT SHOWS NUMEROUS NAMES
 with sums set against them. Thel
 amount to $33.46 for Home Missions
 $19.36 for Foreign Missions and $14.7
 for the Tract Society.
 Now we will turn to the next year bu
 one and see if there has been any in Q crease, it beir 2 the third year of thi e method by district collectors. We find ;. that year, twice as much given for Hom 7 Missions, once and half as much fo n Foreign Missions and three times tn e amount for the Tract Society. In 1882 v there were AZ givers in this Center dis Il trict, but in 1884 there were 93. Wa t not that grand advance? How it em it phasizes the value of system and | h enlisting actively good many prom d inent members of the church, in lookin .e after the collections. This method wa .s carried out successfully for about 3 X years. Then came slight alterations { le plan. To-day we shave free pews an d support our work by the weekly CT st velope system. For the first six month k of the year, on the second Sabbath { ,e the month, all these envelopes. uniel Y otherwise specified, go to one or anoth' a of our six benevolent societies. Durin st the rest or the year, a box receives ape Id ial gifts to other objects, on that secor