THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.
This society has recently made public its eighty-sixth annual report, from which it appears that the total issues of the year, at home and abroad, amount to 1,723,791. This is an increase of 169,663 over those of last year. Of these, 686,755 were distributed in the United States, not counting the Philippine Islands, and 1,037,036 in foreign lands. This means an increase of 63,421 in the foreign field and 106,242 in our own country. One-half of these issues were manufactured at the Bible House; of the remainder, a large part were printed in China, Japan, Siam, Syria, and Turkey. The total issues of the society in eighty-six years amount to 70,677,225 copies. The Bible has not lost its hold on the mind and heart of the world. There are abundant evidences that more than ever it arrests the thought and compels the homage of men of every kind and degree, and especially the more intelligent classes. The publication of the English Bible in various literary forms, and with ingenious accompaniments to illustrate its meaning, attests the interest of this generation in the Book itself. A Methodist minister in Korea has recently testified: “At the lowest estimate, nine-tenths of our successes are the result of Bible Society work;” and a Presbyterian minister adds, “Indeed, nearly every encouraging case brought to our notice shows some connection with the colporters.” The society has established a special agency among the colored people of the Southern States. The Rev. J. P. Wragg, B.D., has been appointed agent, at Atlanta, Ga. Under his superintendence colporters have been sent out into a number of the Southern States, to go from place to place and visit the people at their cabin doors. Special depots have been opened in connection with some of the leading schools for the colored people.