The Portland daily press., 1898-10-24
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.
Address by Rev. G. G. Wilson on the Work
of the Bible Society.

At st. Stephens church yesterday
morning, Rev. Gowan C.Wilson, superin-
tendsnt Of the Bible. Society of Maine.
made an address giving some interesting
facts and statistics.
The Bible society was incorporated in
February, 1910, with Rev. DR.. Samuel
Deane, first president; Rev. Elijah Kel-
logg, vice president Hon. Samuel Free.
man, corresponding secretary and treas
urer; Rev. DR.. Payson, recording score
tary. It was for time the first and only
society of the kind in the State and de-
rived it's title from that fact. Others were
later formed in other parts OF the state,
making this, until less than 20 years ago,
practically local society,s confined to
Cumberland county, but since 1T started
tho custom of sending out missionaries to
canvass the state, town by town, the
other societies have disbanded. leaving
The Geld to this, thu. parent society, an
auxiliary to the American Bible sooiety.
but dependent for its support on coiieo-
tions made in its own field.
There have been seven good and faithful
colporteurs in the Held the past year.
two more than in she yearsspreceding.
Four of the old ones remained, l. l..
Brown of Maple, 2. n. Vaughan OF
Strong, Miss Leila B. Morse Of kowhe
gan and VIM. B. Snow Of Waterville. TO
these were added Almon B. Sandford OF
Canaan, Edwin s. .Longley of Norridge-
| wock. and Rev. Flav1us v. Norcross OF
Newcastle, Tho work IT the year has
touc he'd eight different counties and
reached widely separated towns. A large
DOR ton OF the work has been done In
Aroostook county. A careful canvass
was madesof the French spsakingl towns
containing ASA large families. The
Bible in the French lang uage was sup
piled to all who desired 1t aud many
wanted the New Testament. There were
II towns and plantations convassed, in
cluding the cities of Oldtown, Bath and
Biddeford; 20 03o families were visited
against IL, $50 the year previous. The In
GREASE was due IN part to Roman Catholics
visited, but sales to them were few.
Theirs were s, 061 volumes sold, 1,S40 given
to the poor, or 80 less than last year sold,
but a7i more given away. The 50 vol
umes were sold at an increased cost OF
ss73. 81; the value of all the volumes sold
was 1855; value Of books donated,
s495. n; more than $500 worth Of teacher 9
Bibles were sold. There were 5o2 homes
found wholly destitute. or elevsn moro
than the year before. This does not in
olude the 5000 or more Roman Catholic
homes found destitute, but. gould not be
supplied. The others were all supplied
but one and in that case the father said
that he would tear it up if left. A lady
said she would gay for the book ii left,
for II thu man tore up the book, later his
conscience might be awakened and ne
might read the tesn leaves.
The number Of .non-church goRrs In
Protestant families was reported at 1854
and 6, 1877 children do not 60 to Sunday
school. Only ten towns are churchless
and without regular Christian worship.
The total cost Of the years. work was
"a, 400. 48. This does not cover the cost of
books given away. % The amount contrib
uted by churches and benevolent individ-
uais was s3,523l2, and the receipts from
other sources will bring .theiyearly in
come to within a few hundred dollars OF
the entire expenditure.
The superintendent has given the work
his hearty support. He has induced
each church to have it's own agent COLLECT
the funds from that church for the
society and has every Sunday at some
church explained the work done and it's