Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-21
BABE RUTH WRITES
VERSE IN Bible
FOR PORTLAND man

] VII ] Ost hFtssO HsSN
Babe Ruth has written verse in
the Bible.
In doing this, he is sharing an
honor with President Coolidge, the
former Governors Of Maine and
thousands of men, women and school
children.
The Bible to which the famous ball
player has contributed is written
copy of the Holy Book now being
prepared by E. T. Garland of Port
land, secretary Of the Maine Bible
society. Mr.. Garland is now in Au-
gusta in attendance upon the sessions
Of the Maine Council of Religious
Education, formerly the Maine Sun
day School association.
The Bible he is preparing is a
monumental work. There are exact
ly 31,102' verses in all the books OF
the Bible and 1t is Mr.. Garland's
plan to have a different person write
each verse; He has started in on his
work and already he has thousand
verses written by as many different
people. Every walk of life is rep
resented.
Tuesday, Babe Ruth played base
ball at Bayside Park in Portland. Mr.
Garland who had been in Augusta
Monday in preparation for the con-
vention here returned to the Forest
City for the especial purpose of get
! ting the signature of the sultan of
swat. He succeeded and also had
/ pictures taken of the event.
| The baseball player copied the last
verse of the Book of Ruth. which
reads:
And obed begat Jesse. and Jesse
begat David"
! There are only IS verses in the
whole Book of Ruth. Every one Of
them except the last was written, in
by the name of Ruth. George Herman
Ruth, otherwise known as Babe"
! is the only man to be represented
! and to him was given the honor Of
| writing the last, or 22nd verse of the
| fourth chapter.
| In this monumental work which
Mr.. Garland is preparing, President
| Coolidge copied the first verse of the
| first chapter of Genesis. Then fol-
| low verses copied by the living ex-
governors of Maine. Senator Fernald
| transcribed his shortly before his
last illness. All of the living ex-
governors have done their bit OF
copying except Hon. Frederick w.
Plaisted, now in California With
! whom Mr.. Garland is in cores
-, pondence.
Another copyist of this Bible is the
Rev. Edward Stewart Best of NAL
! den, Mass, who, at the age Of 102,
| Transcribed a verse.
Mr.. Garland's call on the Rev. Mr..
Best was an interesting one. From a
! friend, he inquired where Mr.. Best
could be found.
He is clear as to his brain. but
I don't know how you'll find his eye
and his hand" the friend remarked.
Mr.. Garland went to the Best room
and was met at the door by the
daughter of the aged minister.
Father will see you presently"
! said the daughter. He's upstairs
shaving now getting ready to marry
couple"
81 found that not only his brain
was clear, but his eye was clear and
! his hand steady" remarked Mr.. Gar
land in telling of the incident
Another interesting feture about
A., the unique Bible now in preparation
is the number of verses. Mr.. Gar
land checked them and re-checked
| them by the use of the adding ma
31,102. All encyclopedias give a
| somewhat larger number. Mr.. Gar
I land traced down the authors of the
| various articles in the books OF
reference and learned that the older
and incorrect figures had Just been
| accepted through the years without
any checking.
This personally written Bible is
! the second great work of the kind
Mr.. Garland has prepared. The other
| is also handwritten Bible, but in it
each page was copied by a different
| person. The pages were made % by
2S' inches so that no matter what the
handwriting, each copyists would be
sure to have room enough for
/ transcribing a page of the Bible
This work has been completed and
| is now IN Mr.. Garland's office in
Portland. 1t represents the work of
over 1900 people and is the largest
Bible in the world. One page was
written by a woman past 81 years of
age and another page by a child of
6 IL. one page was written by a coll
lege president and another by man
whose whole school life was but a
few. weeks Other pages We're by a
millionaire and by an insolvent debt
or, by Governor of Maine and by a
lie prisoner in prison.
Mr.. Garland himself Is one of
Names most lovable and most in
teresting men. He formerly lived In
Lincoln, Nebraska In the same
building where he had his office was
William Jennings Bryan, then a
young and unknown attorney. Across
the street was the office of Charles
G. Dawes, now vice president of the
United States, but then barely max |
ing both ends meet as a lawyer. At
the university, John j. Pershing. a
young army officer, was teaching the
students how to march.
Think what change In a few
years" said Mr. Garland. Think
how these three men, all unknown /
then have risen to the greatest of
heightSN -