Article May 12, 1917 Issue

"Beside all waters"

FRANK A. UPDEGRAFF

Over two years ago a meeting was held in one of the local branch Christian Science churches of a western city for the purpose of bringing out greater activity in the distribution of Christian Science literature. As the writer, a former railroad employee, heard of the various channels proposed by others present at that meeting, these words of our Leader came to him: "Millions of unprejudiced minds—simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert—are waiting and watching for rest and drink" (Science and Health, p. 570). Then as he thought of the millions of people traveling from place to place seeking rest, a great opportunity for supplying their need presented itself,—that of placing Christian Science literature in the observation library cars which are operated over the various railroads.

This thought was given out to those present at the meeting with the following result, which may be both interesting and helpful to others in the field. A number of men volunteered to serve on a committee which was organized to handle this problem, and the railroads were asked for permission to place The Christian Science Monitor in their observation library cars, the subscriptions for the paper to be furnished free by the joint distribution committee. Some of the railroads accepted the paper without any apparent resistance, while others hesitated, and a few at first declined absolutely, but all lines operating observation library cars out of the city finally agreed, so that today every regular car is being supplied with a copy of the Monitor, making altogether twenty-three copies furnished daily, including the one supplied the Railway Young Men's Christian Association reading-rooms.

In the development of this activity the way has opened to place The Christian Science Monitor on other trains throughout the field. For example, through the cooperation of Christian Scientists in other cities trains returning from those points are being supplied with the paper. The Rock Island and Santa Fé lines, in addition to granting permission to place the Monitor on certain trains out of the city referred to, threw open their entire systems, extending from Chicago to California; and the Union Pacific not only opened its entire system from Omaha and Kansas City to Salt Lake City, but also its connecting lines from Chicago to the Pacific coast. More recently the Wabash and Chicago Great Western lines have granted permission to have the Monitor placed in all observation library cars in their trains, as has the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern between St. Louis and Cincinnati.

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