History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org

a monthly work, was begun. The same spirit of enterprise led to the publication of the Christian
Advocate and Journal, which appeared, for the first time, on the ninth of September, 1826. But New
England preceded the rest of the Church in providing for this want; in 1815 a publication was
commenced, entitled, "The New England Missionary Magazine." It was edited by Martin Ruter, and
printed at Concord, N.H., by Isaac Hill; but it ceased after four quarterly numbers had been issued.
In 1821 the New England Conference formed an association, styled the "Society for Giving and
Receiving Religious Intelligence." This gave rise to Zion's Herald, printed by Moore and Prouse,
under the direction of the committee of the society, of which Elijah Hedding was president. The first
number was issued January 9, 1823, on a small royal sheet, the pages measuring only nine by sixteen
inches. Such was the origin of the first weekly publication of Methodism in the world; a paper which
has had an unsurpassed power on the great questions and crises of the Church.
The success of the Advocate was remarkable. "In a very short time," writes Bangs, one of its
original publishers, "its number of subscribers far exceeded every other paper published in the
United States, being about twenty-five thousand. It soon increased to thirty thousand, and was
probably read by more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons, young and old." It should be
noticed also that, at the earnest request of Methodists west of the mountains, the General Conference
of 1820 authorized the establishment of a branch of the Book Concern in Cincinnati, under Martin
Ruter, a precedent which led to secondary branches in various parts of the country. The rapid
increase of the business very soon made it necessary to enlarge its buildings. Accordingly all the
vacant ground in Crosby Street was occupied. But even these additions were found insufficient to
accommodate the several departments of labor, so as to furnish the supply of books, now in
constantly increasing demand. Five lots were therefore purchased on Mulberry Street, between
Broome and Spring, streets, and one building erected in the rear for a printing office and bindery,
and another of larger dimensions projected. In the month of September, 1838, the entire
establishment was removed into the new buildings. In these commodious rooms, with efficient
agents and editors at work, everything seemed to be going on prosperously, when suddenly in 1836
the entire property was consumed by fire at night. The Church thus lost not less than two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. The buildings, all the printing and binding materials, a vast quantity of
books, bound and in sheets, a valuable library which the editor had been collecting for years, were
in a few hours destroyed. Fortunately the "Concern" was not in debt. By hiring an office temporarily,
and employing outside printers, the agents soon resumed their business, the smaller works were put
to press, and "the Church's herald of the news, the Christian Advocate and Journal, soon took its
flight again (though the first number after the fire had its wings much shortened) through the
symbolical heavens, carrying the tidings of our loss, and of the liberal and steady efforts which were
making to reinvigorate the paralyzed Concern."
At the General Conference of 1836 the plan of a new building was submitted and approved. It
went up with all convenient dispatch, in a much better style, more durable, and safer against fire than
the former structure The front edifice is one hundred and twenty-one feet in length, and thirty in
breadth, four stories high above the basement, with offices for the agents and clerks, a bookstore,
committee rooms, etc. The building in the rear is sixty-five feet in length, thirty in breadth, and four
stories high, and is used for stereotyping, printing, binding, etc. Large additions have since been
made.