The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-01-28
Rellglous
Bible Doomed by War.

Bible Doomed by War.
For the first time in the history of
Bible printing and selling, and solely
because Of the wal in Europe, Ameri-
can Bible publishers are making Bibles
and Testaments to sell in the British,
European, South African and Austria
liam markets. A result is Il Bible BUSH
ness unprecedented in number Of vol
umes' issued and in value Of sales.
This situation is not that of the MIS-
sionary and Bible societies, but Of BIZ
bles in the regular trade. A partner
In one of the largest Bible houses in
the world, with Offices in New York,
said that the war has affected Bible
making and selling in marked degree.
Bib makers and sellers say that
when other business is bad the Bible
business is good. This year, because,
of the war, the Bible business of the
world. save only in Germany and Aus
tlia. is larger than ever before. The
excess will reach 80 per cent, it is es-
timated. OF the nations at war Eng
land is affected hardly ut all in abil-'
ity to purchase Bibles, but in inability
to manufacture them it is handicapped
and has had to call on America for
supplies. Scotland is affected in the
same way. France has taken to Bible
buying, and so has Russia. Even the
Eeleians and Servians have kept up
their purchases.
The largest single customer in the
Bible trade in America are the Gideons.
These are now buying. so the trade re-
ports, $4,000 Bibles a year. Since they
began buying. six years ago one. e
York firm has sold to them 100000
Bibles. Gideons are commercial trav-
elers who buy Bibles and place them
in hotel rooms. They get the money
with which to pay for Bibles from
churches in which they speak when
; stopping over Sundays in towns. In
part they get money also direct from
customers.
, For the American trade five firms
!, now handle almost all Of the Bibles.
: Testaments, prayer books and hymnals
, that are handled on a strictly CONNER
: cial basis. apart from publication So
r cieties of the religious bodies. The
) largest of the Bible houses. with head
T. quarters in this city. reports tine manu-
t facturc and sale of 100000 Bibles Il
year. a larger number than in any pre-
vious year. One man estimated the
i Bible and prayer book trade in the
. United States at S 2.SO0.OO Il year.
Bibles for the Christmas trade this
year are sold in $50 different styles.
and they sell at from 20 cents to $50
! a COPY. There are go different styles
of ,,,., ~ lnn1-c on1 hy,nnOtS nrpn1 rod
n solely for the commercial trade, apart
q from the publication societies OF the
religious bodies, and they sell at retail
$ at from i cents to 500 a copy. Apart
from the Bible sales in the regular
d trade the American Bible society made
l. last year 100000 Bibles. 47S.0OO Testa-
q ments and about 100000 portions. or
d more than 2,2jO,GW in all. In addition,
large numbers of Bibles We're made
= abroad for the society.
Q .
Moravian Missionaries Freed.
Eight Moraviun missionaries OF Ger
man birth. who We're taken to st.
Johns, y. f., for internment some time
ago, are now back at their stations Oh
the Labrador coast, under supervision
of members Of the Newfoundland con-
%stabulary. The men We're ordered to
90 to st. Johns at a time when The
government feared that it might be
possible for them to transmit informa-
ton regarding coastal conditions to
German vessels which it was suSpect-
ed might have reached those waters.
Upon assurances being given by the
missionaries that they We're not ems
gagged in any illegal acts II that they
were willing to have their mail exam-
med by the authorities it was decided
that they should be permitted to re-
turn. They We're accompanied by four
members of the constabulary, who
We're instructed to supervise their mail
and all their communications with
shipping. After the last fishing vessel
has left Labrador waters for the sea-
son the constahles will come out on
the final trip of the mail steamship.
During the winter the mails from
Labrador, which are brought south to
Belle Isle strait and transferred across
to Newfoundland, when the ice condi-
tions allow, will be censored in St.
Johns.
Selecting Names For Churches.
MethodiSts have not been given to
invention in selecting names for their
cEurrhnS Worry fnw- nrn col]ol hv tho