Selling Literature

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 26, 1908

Selling Literature

FOUR workers from California have recently gone to Mexico to engage in the sale of our literature in the Spanish language. Not being able to speak the Spanish, these workers were compelled to commit to memory a general statement concerning the books they proposed to sell, so that they might be able to make an intelligent statement to the people concerning the contents of the books. In writing of their experience, Brother H. H. Hall speaks as follows:—

“I have seen canvassing classes who thought it was hard to memorize an English canvass. How I wish they might have been with us as we struggled with this one in Spanish. But in the ten days we had practically mastered it, and were able to apply it to the Spanish book very intelligently.

“While learning the language, and getting familiar with the best methods of entering the Spanish homes, the English-speaking portions of the city will be worked. Brethren Marchisio and Schulz, who have been doing colporteur work with the papers and tracts, will continue in that line for the present. They have gone out on a trip that will probably last six months.

“Just before I left, Brother A. G. Nelson, of New Mexico, sent in a list of over fifty subscriptions for El Mensajero, the Spanish paper, which had been taken in connection with his other work in a week's time. This makes something over six hundred subscriptions he has sent in this year. The record for another colporteur was over one thousand subscriptions in a year. Brother Bowers, who is working near Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast, has sold books during the past three months to the amount of four hundred ten dollars Mexican.” Thus is the light of the gospel being caused to shine upon those in the darkness of superstition.