p. 18 | Notes of Progress by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 14, 1906

Notes of Progress

By E. R. Palmer

A FINELY illustrated appendix of thirty-two pages dealing with the San Francisco calamity and other striking signs of the times throughout the world is being prepared for “Heralds of the Morning.” This will bring the book well up to date, and will doubtless help its sale very materially. Further announcements will be made later.

The canvassers at the Healdsburg institute recently enjoyed what they termed a “field day.” They had a good experience in the sale of our books even in Healdsburg where the territory has been worked many times. Sixteen agents sold sixty copies of “Heralds of the Morning” and “Great Controversy,” amounting in value to $115.

The sale of the Earthquake Special of the Signs of the Times in the California conference has already reached the splendid total of one hundred and six thousand. Thus in three weeks all past records with the Signs have been broken, and the missionary secretary has set his stakes to circulate two hundred thousand copies. If this is accomplished, California will have sold one fifth of the one million copies which we hope to circulate.

Brother C. G. Bellah, State agent of the Missouri Conference sends us an encouraging report of the success of canvassers in that State during the first months of this year. According to his report eleven agents working wholly for our large books in 1,550 hours have sold 747 copies, amounting in value to $2,227.95. This gives a general average of $1.50 worth of books an hour. Thus it appears that the workers in Missouri are likely to keep up during the present season the excellent record made last year.

A little note on the last page of the Earthquake Special of the Signs of the Times announced several days ago that an illustrated booklet would be issued for twenty-five cents, showing some of the best earthquake cuts and giving a brief statement of the meaning of such a catastrophe. The Pacific Press informs us that they have received orders already for about six thousand copies. This booklet has been placed on the forty-per-cent list, and affords a splendid opportunity for our people to sell the truth in an attractive form. The booklet sells very readily, and is greatly appreciated by the public.

The sale of the Earthquake Special of the Signs of the Times has gone far past the half-million mark, and orders are still coming in at the rate of fifty thousand a week. Hundreds, yes thousands, of our people who at first took only from five to twenty-five copies are now ordering larger quantities as they find the demand so great. Let us keep the work going strongly until the Signs has at last reached the million mark. What a grand thing it is that we can receive such a blessing in the circulation of the Signs out of what has been one of the greatest calamities of modern times.

Brother R. L. Pierce, manager of the Western Branch of the Southern Publishing Association, at Fort Worth, Tex., in a private letter gives an interesting report of the prospects in that union: “You will also be interested to know that there is quite an interest in behalf

of the canvassing work among the students of Keene Academy. The principal, Prof. C. B. Hughes, has lent his influence in this direction, and our State agent, Brother W. W. Eastman, has met with the school occasionally during their chapel hour. Last Thursday morning Brother Eastman asked all those who were interested in this work to meet him in one of the class rooms at five o’clock that evening. To his surprise, the room was crowded, there being over fifty present. He then asked those who had already fully made up their minds to enter the field, and had decided on their book, to raise their hands, and there were twenty. Although an institute was held at Keene only a short time ago, we are planning to open another soon for the benefit of the students. How many more will finally decide to take up the work, and how many will prove successful, of course we can not say at this time. However, some have canvassed in the past, and Brother Eastman stated that all those who met in the class room manifested a most encouraging degree of enthusiasm; so that, altogether, we hope to have our forces in this union materially strengthened at the close of school by a goodly number of additional recruits from among this company of students. We feel grateful to God for the degree of prosperity with which the book work is opening up this year in the Southwestern Union Conference. One of the most encouraging features is that a number of the “old hands” who have been out of the work for several years, are now taking it up again. The last week included in the enclosed report there were five of the workers in this State whose sales ran from $110 to $166, while a report received for the week following from one of the agents shows $170 worth of orders in four days.”

E. R. PALMER, Sec. Gen. Conf. Pub. Dept.