The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-08
Cast-on Literature wantea.

To Readers Of the Sunday Journal:
We are requesting the privilege of using
these columns for a purpose with which
we think every reader will feel a. thrill of
sympathy. We want the names of all who
are willing to send to some poor family in
isolated or newly settled portions of the
country a part of their surplus reading
matter after they have finished with it.
The Newspaper Sermon Association, or
ganized to bring about a better understand
ing and greater sympathy between the press
and the pulpit, and to promote various phi
laHthropic plans, opened a year ago a de-
partment for sending secondhand literature
to those who live in out-of-the-way places.
especially in the West and South. Through
the generosity of the newspaper readers of
the country we are now supplying over four
thousand worthy families with periodicals,
ana arc constantly receiving applications
from others anxious for seine kind of read
ing, but too poor to buy it.
Our plan of distribution Is as follows:
We agree TO furnish to each reader who is
willing to send such periodicals the name
OF one or more persons, carefully selected
from q large lumber with a view to the
sort Of reading offered. The recipient has
previously agreed to acknowledge the re-
ceipt OF the first installment, that the send
er may know the matter arrives safely.
The sender agrees that for a year, once in
every two weeks. or monthly If more con-
yenient, he will send the matter to the adj
dress furnished.
Our plan so far has succeeded admirably.
Hundreds Of homes are filled with the cheer
OF good reading which otherwise would
have been devoid of this privilege. We are
constantly receiving grateful letters of
thanks, and the generous patrons have
doubtless received as many more. Invalids,
especially, have derived much pleasure
from the opportunity of doing this little
act of kindness, and 1T is our hope to en-
large the work as our funds warrant to a
broader scale than has heretofore been pos
sible. Just now, however, we have several
thousand people on our lists from whom
the appeal has come for reading, and we.
cannot put the matter off any longer. Fhe
names come from lighthouses and signal
service stations, from pioneer districts of
the West, the backwoods of Arkansas and
Wisconsin and the bayous of Louisiana and
MisSissippi-in fact, from over the SWhoIe
contiguous to the large cities is overlooking
with the accumulation of daily, weekly and
monthly periodicals.
We have, therefore, asked the help of this
paper in soliciting the names of all of its
readers willing to aid us in this little work
OF philanthropy, which, small as it is. will
bring far more joy to the household thus
helped than could we'll be imagined from
clusion that this is perhaps a good thing
but insignificant tempt you to leave il to
your nelghbor. 1t is strictly a personal ap-
peal. Send us your own name, with facts
as TO the kind of literature you wish to
send, and we will promise two homes will
be graced next year-the one supplied by
the educational development which comes
from good literature, and your own through
the growing consciousness of the real value
of the work in which We seek your COOP
grafton. WILLIAM E. HARMON,
PRESIDENT Newspaper Sermon Association,
IL School street, Boston.
For above purpose address Periodical
Department, N. S. A." Box r, Lexington,
Mass.