The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-28

cietv which sells Bibles below cost ana
gives many away. does not injure the res
ular trade The reason IS tlat IL nahuie7
chiefly the cheap variety, and those that
are printed abroad or from plates MADE
abroad.
Years ago most Bibles bought by the
American rublic were made in England.
Now almost all of them are made IN
Connecticut or New Jersey. There mas
been a recent raise in Bible prices, espec-
ially on the part of the jObber, made nee
essarv by the agreement between makers
and by the rise in prices of material. Nnen
American workmen made up their MINDS
that they could make Bibles, and got over
the tradition that good Bible must pear
the Oxford imprint, they readily ouldid
the foreign handwork in every particular
and now Americana made Bibles are gong
to Englisl1-speal>ing people in many parts
of the world. The American Bible trade
is among the most enterprisnS IN the
world, and is rapidly gaining control OF
the Bible market.
PRICE OF BIBLES.
The American Bible Society co-operates
with the British and Foreign Bible So
Getty. If azBible is wanted for some odd
dialect in Africa it is manifeStly unecon-
omic for two societies to prepare the
same This rule holds in most of the mis-
sionary Bible work OF the world. The Bi-
bic Society here will sell its building in
New York when it gets its price, but if
it does so it will in no way decrease ITS
activity. The prices of Bibles to suit the
public fancy continue at an average OF
about 81. There are Bibles made costing
$500, and New Testaments sell as low as
4 cents. The average, SO the trade says,
is about 81 Hence the public eNpends
about 100000 a year for its Bibles at
tbiS eu5 of tnS nineteenth century.
In very limited numbers people other
than F,piscopalians are beginning to absorb
the Book of common Prayer. Baptist and
Presbyterian book stores now keep these
books for sale. They say they sell them to
Episcopalians chiefly, but that some mem
bers of other religious bodies take them.
3 half dozen Presbyterian congregations
are known to be using them in their Sun
day-morning services. The trade absorbs
about 900 a year. There are prayer
books and hymnals that retail at, $3.50
a set, and there are others that sell as
low as 50 cents. The hymn-book costs a
little more than the prayer-book on the
cheaper editions because there is a roy
atty going to the Widows and Orphans
Fund of deceased Episcopal clergymen.
The prayer-book trade is in the fau, and
its money value is about $4,000 year.
The trade is a very steady one.
SUNDAY-SCHOOL LITERATURE.
1t casts $4,000 a year to keep all
Sunday-schoo!s in America in literature,
apart from Bibles. There are H,32l, S5S
scholars, and it is found that each schoi-
ar, on the great average, uses up go cents
worth OF printed matter q year. This is
the lowest priced religious instruction the
world ever saw. 1t is made possible by
uniform lessons. which afford large tedi-
tons. There are thirty concerns making
n ifov- t,,ra I,1,f tJ,n 1or,
ones lumber half dozen, and Ill but two
are UNCONVENTIONAL agencies. The quality
OF the literature, in its material make
up, has advanced as has public school
literature, and never was SO high as now.
Likewise has advanced the quality of the
comments on the lessons.
Experts may say that Sunday-school
lesson papers are dry and Sunday-school
teachers may find them so. but very high
salaries are paid to the men who write
them, under the telief that they are very
able. One commentator receives $4,000 a
year, and another $4,000, and several who
give only part Of their time to the work
receive salaries for that part approx
mating $4,000 a year. More than this
high-salared experts are trying all of the
time to invent material helps, the annual
voue CT which, when sold to schools as
they are in vast quantities, runs into the
scores OF thousands OF. dollars.
The hymn-book trade is a less certain
one than any of the four departments of
Christian literature named One of the
Episcopal publishers has sold &c., coo of his
tune book, and has celebrated the event
by presenting a charity of his church with
LOCO copies. The hyrnnal that is generally
used By Consregationalists and Presbyte-
Tlons has reached a sale of !, 600 eco COPIES.
The Methodists publish their own hymnals
2 NTatb SiStz0 -
~ 100, coo copies
The great hymn-book trade is how
ever, in the paper-covered books edited
by the song evangelists. Everybody is
familiar with the Sankey books and
knows the great work they have done nv
their ROYALTIES The books owned by Mr..
Moody have gone a long way to make the
schools at Northfield possible But these
are only a small part of the tymn-hool,
trade of this country No evangelist who
is also a singer considers himself first
rank, professionally speaking. until he has
edited song. book and gotten somebody tn
publish it Christian people pay annually
for hymn and tune books $4,000.
Whether church attendance is falling OFF
or whether it is not. the trade declares
that Bibles, prayer-books, Sunday-school
literature and hymn and tune books in
crease in their sales steadily Some men
dn the trade say the increase is considera-
bly, faster than the increase In popula-
ton.
NEW WoMAN's COLLEGE
I. The new Young Wo1nan's Methodist Col
lege. Rome, which was erected by the
Methodist women OF Chicago and the north
west, is completed and is to be opened ten
days hence. It is a splendid marble buiid-
Ing. imposing on the outside and arranged
with every convenience on the inside. It
1t 10 b. known as Crandon Hall, hut It's
inaugurat!on Is II great part due to the
hard work OF Miss ". Ella yickery. AZ.
ready more applications for the student
list have been received than It's projectors
dared hope to expect a majority of
3 than are Italians. coming from all parts
Of italy, from Sicily and Sardinia At
stracteds TO Rome hy the superior sdnca-