Selling Our Periodicals in Spain by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 28, 1909

Selling Our Periodicals in Spain

By A. J. S. B.

DURING the first nine months of the present year our five native colporteurs in Spain sold 30,289 copies of our Spanish paper Señales de los Tiempos (the Signs of the Times), 1,288 tracts, 167 copies of “His Glorious Appearing” and the Bible. These sales were made in 5,662 hours of work, the total value of literature disposed of amounting to 3,452.05 pesetas, or $690.35.

Our brethren in the Spanish field write that they have printed editions of 10,000, 15,000, and 25,000 copies of our Spanish quarterly, the Señales de los Tiempos. In writing of the progress of the periodical work Elder Walter G. Bond says: “A few days ago an official in the Spanish army subscribed for the paper, paying for sixteen years in advance. Two of our five canvassers sell an average of about one thousand papers each a month. The others sell less. One of our canvassers has just written me that four or five persons have begun to keep the Sabbath where he is working. From a number of places invitations come to us to go and teach the message, but there is no one here to go.”

In an interesting letter written from Barcelona, Spain, under date of September 29, Elder N. Z. Town relates the following incident illustrating the influence

of our periodicals in that far-off field: “A young Oxford student, an Irishman, called at the office of the British Bible Society here, and saw on the counter a copy of our Spanish paper, Señales de los Tiempos. He at once became interested, obtained Elder Bond’s address from the agent of the Bible Society, and went to visit Brother Bond. He told him he was going to take a trip to the island of Majorca (Balearic Islands), and that he wanted five hundred of those papers to circulate. He paid cash for the papers, and took them with him to sell.

“He took very little extra money with him for expenses, so that he would be obliged to get the money out of the papers. After landing in Majorca, and before leaving the beach, he thought he would have a swim in the sea. He accordingly walked down the beach to a retired spot to take his plunge, and there found an artist painting a landscape. Before he left, he gave the artist one of his papers.”

“The artist was so deeply interested in the paper, and so pleased with it, that he wrote Brother Bond that same day, sending him the subscription price for one year. He said that it was the best paper he had ever seen, and also asked for other literature. Later on, when Brother Bond visited the island, he met this gentleman, and learned that since beginning to read the paper, he had given up both his wine and his tobacco. Since I have been here, another letter has come from him, containing ten pesetas (about $2) to pay for more literature.”

The sale of our periodicals is truly accomplishing a great work for many people at home and in foreign lands.

A. J. S. B.