OUR TRACT DISTRIBUTOR by B. L. Whitney

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 22, 1877

OUR TRACT DISTRIBUTOR.

By B. L. Whitney

Those who attended the Rome camp-meeting last season will remember the ornamental frame for holding tracts and papers, which hung near the entrance of the grounds. Jan. 1, 1877, it was placed in the Union Depot in this city, the railroad officials removing the customary railway advertisements to make room for it in a prominent position near the Y. M. C. Association’s reading table. A brother volunteered to keep it supplied with tracts and papers, and we have watched with considerable interest the result of the experiment. I thought perhaps a brief description and a report of its workings thus far might interest our missionary workers generally.

The Distributor itself is an attractive piece of workmanship. A frame of black walnut, about four feet square, supporting at the sides receptacles for papers, and at the bottom for tracts, and surmounted by a scroll work which forms an enclosure, or frame, for the Bird’s Eye View at the left and the reverse side, a catalogue of our publications at the right, neatly framed. The scroll bears the motto in ornamental letters of carved ash, “Whoso readeth, let him understand.” In front of this and resting on the frame is a rack for the Bible. The base bears the inscription in black walnut letters set on ash, N. Y. and Pa. Tract and Missionary Society. Its general appearance attracts attention, and were there not a tract or paper placed in it, it would be the means of calling the attention of hundreds to the fact that there are a people who are publishing works on the prophecies and other subjects connected with the present truth, and would show where they could supply themselves with these publications were they interested to read.

But now as to what it has accomplished as a distributor. I have to-day examined its record, and find that there have been taken from the Society supply here 5,468 pp. of tracts and 101 periodicals, besides some tracts and papers that have been contributed by individuals. The tracts were nearly all penny tracts, but few of the larger kinds being furnished. The periodicals were mostly SIGNS OF THE TIMES, but all of our periodicals, both in English and in foreign languages, have been represented, and all kinds taken.

The inquiry will naturally arise whether the publications offered in this way are not wasted. We feared this might be the case, and so have taken special pains to watch for anything of the kind, and I have yet to find the first paper or tract that has been wasted or even left lying about the depot. The brother who has charge of it reports the same. On the other hand, we have repeatedly observed individuals after having read a paper intently for some time, carefully folding it and replacing it in the Distributor or as carefully placing it in the traveling bag for future use. The depot often presents the appearance of a reading room, as the passengers supply themselves with reading matter and thus pass away the time while awaiting the arrival of the train. In fact, one can hardly go into the depot without finding some one either studying the Distributor, or reading something taken from it. Several copies of the REFORMER AND BATTLE CREEK COLLEGE have been placed in it, which have been readily taken. We see no reason why this might not be used as a successful medium for advertising our school and Health Institute.

We are pleased with the experiment thus far, and see no reason why it is not a successful means of reaching a class that would not be likely to be reached in any other way,—the traveling public. It certainly is quite different from an indiscriminate distribution of publications in a depot or on the cars, but a small portion of which would be likely to be read. A person who has no disposition to read takes no tracts to throw aside when out of sight of the one offering them; and, at the same time, those who are interested have the opportunity of supplying themselves, and that, too, under circumstances when they would most naturally employ themselves in reading.

We expect to place a number of these in the large depots of the State this season.

B. L. WHITNEY.

Rome, N. Y., Feb. 14, 1877.