The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-10
BIBLE AGENTS REPORT.

Note for books Observation-Disclosures 3iS 20
Pennsylvania Bible society .,..... 2jG 60
BIBLE AGENTS REPORT.
Rev. II. G. Harmed, who was recently
elected Bible agent for six months.
submitted the following report:
I am truly honored in being the sac
Ccssor of the late Rev. ). S. Kennedy in
such grand work--the scattering of the
"leuvcs for the healing of the nations.
which work lac most dearly loved because
of is far-rraching results. | was engaged
in this work one year in Wayne county
twcntY"siA years ago, and during all of
the twenty-five years of my pastorate
since that time, have looked back upon
that period as one of the most useful
years of my life. having placed sixteen
hundred and tifty-livC volumes Of Gods
word inlo the h9nds of the people i'm tnat
one year, ana having supplied one hum
dred and twcnty-fOur families that had
no Bible.
Within "A little more than five months
of this year we have found nincty-cIght
families destitute - the Bible and have
supplied siXty-fuur Of them.
We Lave made special effort to supply
members Of the Sunday schools and have
placed two hundred and twenty-siN Bibles
into tho hands of those who had none.
besides supplying sevcuty-tiNe indivii-
ualS Tho were not members of SUNDAY
schools We have distributed eight hum
dred and hfty-one volumes in Lacka-
wanna ana Wayne ounties during these
five months and ne were Obliged to leave
many but poorly supplied who desired
more Bibles, hut had no money with
which to purchase them.
We visited nearly all of the families IN
Newton, Ransom, Nandling and Ricn-
mOndale and a part Of those i'm GrC1n-
field and Scott townships.
ON sundays we visited the churches of
the different denominations delivered
seventy mine sern OnS and addresses in
the interests of the Bible cause, and,
when the pastors desired our help we aS-
sited them in securing subscriptions ana
offerings for the benevolent work of our
societies and thus securing pledges and
collections to the amount of three hun
dred and eleven dollars, mostly in Wayne
county, as we put in more tin" there.
We are now beginning to look about here
in Scranton for the Lords dollars which
we think He has use for in this depart
mcnt of His great work. We have been
greatly surprised in finding SO many peo-
pie in need of Bibles Many families
have only very large Blblcs-too large Tor
convenient reading or only very small
ones with prints so fine that some mem
bcrs of the families cannot read them
with comfort.
TOUCHING INCIDENTS.
Many touching incidents have come ur-
der our notice. a mother had no Bible.
She lacked twenty cents of having enOuSh
money to purchase the book she desired.
She was poor. We left the Bible with her.
Her little boy ran to the house OF
neighhor secured the money To pay the
balance ANA ran after me and paid Il,
The interest ana spirit which the Dov
manifested i'm helping 10 provide a Bible
for his mother deserved reward and we
gave him a small Riblc.
a Sr of fifteen years had earned "A dol
lar by working away from home. Her
mother had no Bible. The girl used her
dollar to purchase suitable Bible for her
mother. We donated Bible TO her for
she had rome.
After our experience in this work as
well as in the pastoTate We have con-
cluded there is no more important mis-
sonary work either ut home or abroad
than that done Dy the American Bible
society and its auXilaries, and that these
is no more important place for its opera
tiOns than right here in LackaNannl
county.
| have visited seventeen hundred and
twenty-five families since the first of last
May, five hundred aud fifty-one of which
are in this county. More families were
found destitute of the Bible in L.aCNa-
wanna than in Wayne in proportion to
the number visited.
I love the work aud become more and
more interested in ii as l become better
acquainted with the operations of our
great American Rible society through its
auNiliaries and missionaries at home and
abroad. The last day ! was out with
Bible ] supplied four destitute families,
one Of which was q newly married couple
and had been keeping house only few
months, one was a family in which
were grOwn-up children. They had
Smrll Hihlc, hut 4 daughter had gone
away 10 schooi and had taken it with her
Another was composed of a man and his
wife and two small children. And the
fourth family had lost their Bible lry the
burning OF their house some years ago
ana secured none since.
II. O.. Harmed
COlDorteur ana Solicitor.
nANVr, an