The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-20
SAVANNAH BIBLE SOCIETY CELE-
DRAFTED IT'S ANNIVERSARY.
DR.. RAMSAY THE SPEAKER.
REPORTS MADE BY PRESIDENT
AND TREASURER.


New Members and Donations Sc
cured at Close of Service.
The Savannah Bible Society held its
sixty-fourth anniversary exercises in
the Independent Presbyterian Church
last night. The services were conduct
ed by Rev. DR.. ]. Y. Fair, pastor of
the church. while the address was
made by Rev. DR.. David Ramsay, pas
tor of the Citadel Square Baptist
Church of Charleston.
Reports of the work of the society
for the year ending April 1 were made
by President F. B. Shepard and Treas
urer w. M. Coney. The report of Mr..
history Of the Bible Society, gave the
following facts in connection with the
work of the society in Savannah:
when the representatives of the va
rious churches of this city responded
to a called meeting in April last for
the purpose of recognizing what was
known as the Savannah Bible Society,
we little realized that we were resur-
recting an organization whose birth
antedated that of any member pres
ent. That there had been a society
in more recent years we knew, and we
found a brief record covering this pc
Rod, but apart from this our efforts
have revealed to us the name only.
Our report must, therefore, be limited
to our present organization.
Sketch of Society.
"On the oath of April, 1902, the soci-
ETY. was organized, directors were chos-
en- from seventeen Protestant churches
of our city, a constitution and bylaws
were adopted, officers elected and COM
mittees appointed. The question of
finances was the first to claim our at
tention. Following a provision of our
constitution, we had issued certificates
of membership, calling for an annual
fee of 81 for each adult member, and so
cents for all under 10 years of age;
said payment to entitle each certificate
holder to one common Bible in return.
"In this, our purpose was two-fold.
First, to create a membership, and,
secondly, to make each member a dis
tributing agent to the extent of finding
at least one person in need of Bible.
Again we endeavored to interest the
churches in our society by requesting
that they allow their usual annual
contribution to the American Bible So
ciety to be paid over to this society; a
suggestion that had been Endorsed by
the officials of the parent society and
approved by their Southern representa-
tive. Our success on both of these
lines has been somewhat disappointing.
We are confident, however, that when
our mission is better understood by the
good people of this city we shall not
lack for contributing members, and
we have reasons to hope that the
churches will become more closely
identified with us in this work.
There are in this city quite num-
Der of persons holding life member
ship certificates in the American Bible
Society; some of them of long standing.
These friends can encourage us and
give added strength to our society by
sending to our secretary their names
and addresses to be enrolled upon our
records; and we can reciprocate by
supplying them with such Bibles as
they are accustomed to draw annually
from the parent society.
Summary of the Work.
The following is a summary of the
work of the Savannah Bible Society
for the past year:
Finances-Received during the year
from membership and donations
$1O5.61. Received from books sold
$685.. Of this amount there has been
Amer
lean Bible Society," $50.
Observation-Disclosures are at present
three repositories in the city, located
as follows At the Y. M. c. A.; at DR..
Shuptrine's drug store on Congress
street, and at the Thirty-ninth Street
Pharmacy, where Bibles and tesla
ments can be purchased at cost, rang
ing in price from twenty cents and
upwards for the former, and five cents
and upwards for the latter. We ven
ture the assertion that the average
citizen would be amazed if they will
take the trouble to investigate the
quality and prices of these books. At
the Central Depository at THE Y M. C,
A, can be found Bibles in the follow
ing languages: English, German.
French, Italian, Swedish and Norweg-
ian. Number of Bibles on hand in the
several repositories 558, valued at
$l6S62; sold during the year 179, val
ued at $47.63. Donated 46, valued at
$1S69.
Free Distfbution-Our committee on
free distribution have addressed com
mumcationS to the ministers and lead
ing Christian workers of the city. ask
ing their cooperation in supplying the
needy, and all who are without Bibles
and unable to purchase them; assuring
them that if they would furnish the
AStIIGS anu addresses OF SuCn persons
that the committee would undertake
to see that they were provided for. We
regret that so few have responded. We
are hoping that at no distant day our
finances will warrant us in employing
colporteur to follow up and extend
this work.
Membership.-Our present member
ship is ninety-six, this should be null
tphed by ten during the coming year.
Public Institutions.-Our committee
on public institutions have supplied
Bibles to the following institutions:
The county Jail, the Savannah Hospi-
tai Park View Sanitarium the Crit
tenton Mission, and are arranging to
place them in hotels and other public
places.
Marine.-Rev. II. Iverson, chaplain
of the Savannah Port Society. as
chairman of this committee, has done
most efficient work in distributing
Bibles among the seamen. Aside from
distributing upwards of a hundred
English copies, supplied by friends of
that society. we have furnished him
ninety-six copies in the following lam
guages: Italian, German, Spanish.
Swedish and Norwegian These have
been donated to those unable to pay
for them.
Trensurer's Report.
The treasurer's annual report for the
year ending April l is as follows: