I have the honor to report the matters of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society financially and otherwise, for the year ending December 21, 1885, as follows:
Indebtedness January 1, 1885............. $2446.01
Expended during the year 1885 in
publications, etc., etc.................
2531.76
————
Total................................... $4977.77
Voluntary contributions for the year:
" to English Fund......
$2535.16
" to Swedish " ......
34.19
" to German " ......
46.00
————
Total.........................
$2615.35
Receipts from sale of Florida
Lands donated to Society......
1846.25
————
Total Receipts 1885...........
$4461.60
Deduct Receipts from Expenditures........ $4461.60
————
Balance of debt still owing............. $ 516.17
This debt we may say is fully offset by Florida lands as yet unsold, the value of which will probably be enhanced by the completion of a rail road to the locality, shortly.
Thus seen we have cancelled our debt to the extent of $1929.84, besides expending $2531.76 in the work. The results of these donations cannot be correctly estimated yet; we may be enabled to judge of it more fully and more correctly when the Master makes up the accounts of the Stewards, and makes known the results obtained in his name by the use of his "talents" entrusted to us for use in his service. But we can give some basis for calculating when we say, that from this fund we published during the year 1885, reading matter explanatory of our blessed hopes aggregating 3,086,000 pages of the usual tract or book size. Of these 160,000 were German the remainder in the English language—mostly "Food" and special numbers of the TOWER adapted to new readers.
At present there are about three
hundred colporteurs at work in the vineyard
earnestly laboring for the good of
their fellow beings and for the "well
done" of the Master, disseminating these
publications.
The only wonder is that
more do not appreciate their privilege of
being co-workers together with God in
this way.
We each should ask himself—What am I doing to herald the blessed
gospel which did so much for my own
heart?
How am I manifesting to God
my appreciation of his grace bestowed
upon me?
Very truly your servant in
Christ.
MARIA F. RUSSELL,
Sec'y and Treas. Z.W.T. Tract Society.