CLOSE OF THE VOLUME by James White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 21, 1875

CLOSE OF THE VOLUME.

By James White

With this number closes the first volume of the SIGNS. The first number was issued June 4, 1874. The volume of forty-eight numbers covers seventeen months, in consequence of the paper having been issued only once in two weeks for a considerable part of the time. In many respects the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has been an excellent paper; but under the circumstances, having been called from the Office to attend Eastern Camp-meetings, and subjected to the embarrassments, cares, and perplexities of establishing the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association when at the Office, we have not been able to make the paper all that we intended, and what it must be in the future. It has accomplished great good, the full sum of which cannot be known until the day of final decisions and rewards.

POSTAGE PRE-PAID.

It was before the change in postal arrangements that the proposition was made to give fifty-two numbers of the SIGNS for the small sum of $2.00 a year. And when the change was made requiring the pre-payment of postage on periodicals it was thought the better course to reduce the number of copies in the volume, than to charge an extra sum for postage. In fact, we are rather pleased with this item of postal law which offers a good excuse for cutting the volume short, to give editors and printers a chance to breathe once a quarter, to go to camp-meeting, and otherwise enjoy something of the outside world as well as other good people.

PRESENT CONDITION OF THINGS.

The report of the Pacific Mission given on another page, shows the financial condition of our young Publishing Association, and of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. It states the sacrifices made by those connected with this work, and shows that they deserve the sympathy, and must have the support of the friends of our general cause in order for the work to go forward. It is conceded that the action of our people in this State has been liberal in purchasing the site and putting up a fine building at the cost of $14,000, and that the action of our eastern people has been very charitable in raising $10,000 to furnish presses and material for a complete Office. One thing more, with the blessing of God, and only one is now needed, that all the friends of the cause East, West, North, and South, unite in giving the SIGNS OF THE TIMES their cheerful and hearty support until the cause on this coast shall grow, and patrons shall be gathered to make the paper self-sustaining on this coast. This accomplished, it will then be time to plant a third office of publication on the Atlantic.

TERMS OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

The regular price for the SIGNS one year, embracing a volume of forty-eight numbers, postage paid, will be $3.00. Those who wish to send it to their friends can have it, postage paid, at half price. Tract and Missionary Societies can also be furnished with our paper for half the regular price. We are in want of cash. Those who are able and liberal are invited to donate to make up arrears. We send out large quantities of the present issue and of the previous one, to officers of the T. and M. societies, and to others, to inform them of the debt on the SIGNS, and of our future plans. We ask for immediate action on the part of all our friends, and the co-operation of the T. and M. societies.

WHAT THE SIGNS MUST BE.

On the very start we designed that our paper should be a pioneer sheet, adapted to new fields, to go in our country and in others, wherever the English language is read. The Review and Herald is our church paper. And while we recommend its circulation as such on the Pacific Coast, we do urge that the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, being more adapted to the household, and containing general religious and secular news as well as the doctrines of our people, should share the patronage of our eastern people, and of all our Tract and Missionary Societies. Great care will be taken to make our paper such as can be recommended everywhere as a family religious and news periodical.

In the next volume we shall commence sketches of life incidents since our connection with the cause, and other matter of deep interest to our people and the reading public. Those who wish to commence themselves, and for their friends, with the volume should lose no time in responding to our call for a large list of subscribers. The very time to help is when help is most needed. We wait in hope for thousands of prompt responses. J. W.