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Roe and G. H. Funk; 1873, Hons. A. E. Stewart, T. F. Rogers and John Cassedy; 1875, Hons. A. E. Stewart, T. P. Rogers and John F. Winter; 1877, Hons. T. F. Mitchell, T. P. Rogers and John F. Winter; 1879, Hons. T. P. Rogers, T. F. Mitchell and H. A. Ewing.

COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.

At a meeting held in the Presbyterian Church in this city in September, 1852, the McLean County Bible Society was re-organized, and the following Constitution adopted:

CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE 1. This Society shall be called the McLean County Bible Society, the object of which shall be to promote the circulation of the Scriptures without note or comment.

ART. 2. This Society shall be auxiliary to the American Bible Society, and, after supplying the destitute within its own limits, shall pay over its surplus funds to that Society to aid in supplying other places.

ART. 3. The payment of any sum annually shall constitute membership. Those contributing $5 at one time shall be members for life, and entitled to one common Bible annually for distribution.

ART. 4. The officers of this Society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Depositary, and three Directors who, together, shall constitute an Executive Committee, for the transaction of business; and Pastors co-operating shall be Vice Presidents, and each Church shall be entitled to one Director.

ART. 5. It shall be the duty of this committee to meet as occasion may require, to appoint local and traveling agents, to see that funds are remitted and books procured, to make arrangements for raising funds and circulating books annually in all parts of the county, and to perform any other acts in accordance with this Constitution which they may deem calculated to promote the usefulness of the Society.

ART. 6. Any branch organization agreeing to purchase its books of this Society and place its surplus funds at its disposal shall be recognized as an auxiliary, and its members shall be considered as also members of the County Society.

ART. 7. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society on call of the officers, when an address shall be delivered, reports presented by the Secretary and the Treasurer, officers elected and such other business transacted as may be necessary. Immediately after this meeting, the Secretary shall transmit an account of it, together with an abstract of the reports, and the names and post offices of the officers to the Secretaries of the parent society at New York, and to the agent of said society for this State, and also offer the same for publication in the county newspapers.

ART. 8. This Constitution may be altered at any annual meeting by a vote of a majority of the members present.

The Society then elected Rev. F. N. Ewing, President; Hon. J. E. McClun, Vice President; Prof. D. Wilkins, Secretary; Mr. John Magoun, Treasurer; Mr. John Ewing and Mr. Coleman, Directors.

At the annual meeting of the Society, September, 1853, very little business seems to have been done other than the election of officers and listening to addresses.

At the annual meeting, December 3, 1854, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Society was addressed by Rev. Mr. Lord, State Agent, and by other gentlemen. The reports of the Secretary and the Treasurer are not attainable just at present; but we learn, incidentally, that about $100 were raised and expended annually by the Society until 1857, when an agent was employed, and the Society commenced to employ more efficient means to effect its purposes. Substantially, the same officers were continued for the current year, except that Mr. Linas Graves was chosen Secretary.

At a

subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee, the same month, quite a number of local agents were appointed to solicit aid for the Society.

At the annual meeting, November 4, 1855, the usual devotional exercises were had, there were some interesting discussions, and about the same officers chosen, except that Mr. O. T. Reeves was made Treasurer, who resigned, and was succeeded by Mr. O. Rugg before the close of the current year. At a subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee, June 9, held at the request of the State Agent, Rev. Mr. Lord, the Treasurer was authorized to procure a sufficient supply of Bibles and Testaments for the county, and Mr. Lord was authorized to procure an agent to canvass the county the next year.

At the annual meeting of the Society December 7, 1856, an eloquent address was delivered by Rev. A. Eddy, the Treasurer made his report, Hon. John E. McClun was chosen President, and the other officers were continued.

At the fifth anniversary of the Society, at the Methodist Church, December 7, 1857, Rev. F. N. Ewing presided in the absence of the President, Hon. J. E. McClun. The County Agent, Rev. Joseph Messer, made his report as follows: During the current year, he had labored eighty-five days, and held annual meetings of branch societies at Randolph Grove, Le Roy, Cheney's Grove, St. Clairville, Old Town Timber, Money Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lexington, Hudson, Concord, White Oak Grove and Johnson's Precinct. He had lectured 35 times, and visited 1,048 families. He had received from the county depository books to the amount of $157.08; had deposited with the branch societies, sold, donated and returned books to the same amount. He had received from the branch societies $412.66, and paid to the County Treasurer $250.62, and the balance paid his own wages and expenses. He had obtained new subscriptions to the amount of $228.71, there remaining $588.09 due on old subscriptions; books now in branch societies, $620.03; receipts of societies the past year, $466.72, and books circulated during the year, $249.34. He had found 40 families destitute of the Scriptures. The report of the agent was received with the thanks of the Society. The same officers were rechosen, except that Mr. John Magoun was made Treasurer. Twenty German Bibles were donated to Rev. Mr. Andre for the benefit of his Bible class; the agent was instructed to forward the surplus funds to the parent society in New York, and measures taken to canvass more thoroughly the city of Bloomington.

At the annual meeting, in December, 1858, the weather was very severe, and but few were present. The reports of the Treasurer and Agent were adopted, and the officers of the Society retained.

The seventh anniversary was held at the Methodist Church, December 18, 1859. The new Agent, Rev. Mr. Ansley, and the Treasurer, Mr. Magoun, made acceptable reports; Mr. L. W. Capen was chosen President, and the other officers retained. The Society was addressed very interestingly by Rev. Mr. Price and Rev. Mr. Knowlton.

At the annual meeting, December 30, 1860, in the Presbyterian Church, the old officers were retained, the reports of the Agent and the Treasurer approved, and the Society ably addressed by Rev. Messrs. Pitner, Clark and Eddy. At a meeting of the Executive Committee, $30 were appropriated to each of the following individuals, to make them life-members of the American Bible Society: Rev. A. Eddy, Rev. H. R. Price, Rev. L. Taylor, Rev. S. W. Knowlton, Rev. Mr. Clark, Messrs. James C. McFarland, Daniel Sill, Francis Smith and Miss Ann Gastman.

The County Agent, Rev. J.. Ansley, reported that he had received during the year, from the County Society, $101, and from the branch societies, $484.46, making $585.46; and that the disbursements amounted to the same-$408.14 of it being sent to the American Bible Society at New York. During the year, 823 families had been visited; new subscriptions raised, $219.10; families found without the entire Bible, 38; children under sixteen years of age, able to read, without Testaments of their own, 70; books sold in the county, $177.14; books given and drawn in the county, $77.36; total, $254.50. Books now on hand in county and branch societies, $653.92. Three $30-pledges were also obtained to make life-members of the American Bible Society.

The ninth anniversary of the Society was held at the Methodist Church, December 17, 1861. Spirited addresses were made by Revs. G. R. Moore, Rucker and Price. The old officers were continued. The County Agent, Rev. J. Ansley, made his annual report substantially as follows: Cash received from the County Society, $335.50; from the branch societies, $419.11; total, $754.61. Disbursements for the year, the same, of which $524.04 were sent to the American Bible Society, New York; $224.04 in payment for books, and $300 donation. Families visited, 1,019; new subscriptions obtained, $202.38; books sold in the county, $237.67; books given in the county (largely to our soldiers), $132.51; total, $370.18. Books now on hand in the county and branch societies, $756.38.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee, December 30, 1859 (not previously reported), by a donation of $30, the following-named gentlemen were made life-members of the American Bible Society; Messrs. John Magoun, John E. McClun, O. Rugg, D. Wilkins and Rev. F. N. Ewing. At another meeting of said Committee, December 17, 1861, the following-named gentlemen were made members for life of the same Society: Mr. L. W. Capen and Revs. L. C. Pitner, L. B. Kent, M. L. Moore, R. Conover, A. Bowen, J. Ansley, William E. Johnson, C. H. D. Harris and A. J. Thomas.

The tenth annual meeting of the Society was held in the Presbyterian Church, February 8, 1863. The old officers were retained. Interesting speeches were made by Rev. Mr. Button, Chaplain in the army, and Rev. Dr. Porter. Rev. J. Ansley, County Agent, reported: Cash received from the County Society, $443.88; from the branch societies, $645.45; total, $1,089.33. Disbursements amounting to the same, of which $829.66 were paid to the American Bible Society, $458.91 for books, and $370.75 donation. Families visited during the year, 1,174; new subscriptions obtained, $268.32; books sold in the county, $346.30; books given and drawn in the county, $152.13; embracing 853 volumes given to the soldiers. Books circulated in the county, $498.43; books on hand in County Society and branches, $748.20.

At a subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee, by a donation of $30 to each, the following gentlemen and ladies were made life-members of the American Bible Society: Revs. William T. Lowe, J. G. Evans; Mrs. O. Rugg, Mrs. J. E. McClune, Mrs. Bradner, Mrs. Maxwell, Messrs. George Hill, Isaac S. Mahan, George Bradford, S. Conkling and Rev. Mr. Berry.

At the eleventh annual meeting of the Society, at the Methodist Church, January 10, 1864, Mr. Henry Richardson was chosen President. The Society was ably addressed by Judge John M. Scott, and also by Prof. Knowlton, H. H. Hatch, Esq., and the Agent. At a subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee, Rev. Mr. Andrus was employed as an agent of the Society, at $500 a year, and Revs. Elburk and Hayes,

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