Literature Wanted for Ships in San Francisco Harbor
By A. J. BOURDEAU
The California Tract Society desires to raise a large fund with which to pay for clean copies of the Signs, Sentinel, Youth’s Instructor, Life Boat, Good Health, Pacific Health Journal, to be placed in reading racks on the following ships sailing to and from San Francisco: “Australia,” “Acapulco,” “Aurora,” “Alameda,” “Apache,” “Columbia,” “City of Pueblo,” “Corona,” “Capt. Weber,” “J. C. Corcoran,” “Curacoa,” “City of Pekin,” “City of Sidney,” “Colon,” “City of Para,” “Contoura,” “Gen. Frisby,” “Geo. W. Elder,” “Str. Gold,” “Monticello,” “Mariposa,” “Modoc,” “Newport,” “Pride of the River,” “Peru,” “Pomona,” “Queen,” “Sunol,” “Santa Rosa,” “Sonoma,” “Sierra,” “San Jose,” “San Juan,” “State of California,” “Unalita,” “Zinfandel,” “T. C. Walker,” “Ventura.” Brother Milton St. John, who has charge of our San Francisco Ship Mission work, reports that racks have been placed on all the vessels named, but that he is practically out of papers. He says:— “There are about forty vessels in all. We should supply these vessels with fresh, new, up-to-date papers, and about half of them should be supplied every week; because they leave port once a week.
“I could use to good advantage two hundred and fifty of each of our different periodicals every week. The Signs, Life Boat, Health Journal, Sentinel, and Good Health are all well adapted to this kind of work, I believe.
“We are sure these papers are read, for when I return to the vessels to refill the racks, I find they are almost always empty. This, I think, is a good indication.
“We are supplying the sailing vessels with bundles of one hundred papers of our different periodicals, and we use about two hundred monthly in this way. Older papers can be used very well for this purpose, but are not at all suitable for regular passenger steamers.”
Let all who can, send money to the tract society at once. Others who can not contribute cash will kindly send clean copies of the papers mentioned above. We would suggest that churches interested in this important missionary work arrange to donate a certain number of copies of the Signs, Sentinel, Life Boat, or other papers, regularly, making it a part of their church missionary work. How many churches will contribute twenty-five Signs each week to this work, in addition to those needed for their own local work? How many will contribute twenty-five copies of the Life Boat, Health Journal, or Sentinel, or Good Health? Perhaps some smaller churches will be able to contribute five or more copies each week. It will cost you only $2.25 to contribute five copies of the Signs each week for six months, or $4.50 for ten copies; $9 for twenty and $11.25 for twenty-five copies for six months. Clubbing rates on other papers will be cheerfully furnished all applicants. Mail all papers to M. H. St. John, 2315 Jackson St., San Francisco, Cal., but send all cash contributions and orders for clubs to be used, to the California Tract Society, 306 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, Cal. A. J. BOURDEAU, Secretary.