PUBLISHING AND PRINTING

Seventh-day Adventists have always felt the importance of using the press. They have but few ministers, and therefore try in every possible way to use the silent preachers,-papers and books. In Christiania we felt the need of a paper, and in January, 1879, we had begun to publish Tidernes Tegn. Fifteen hundred copies were printed every week, and sold for one and a half cents per copy. Those remaining unsold were distributed next week in the city. From the first of April, Tidernes Tegn became a regular subscription paper, an 8-page semi-monthly, at fifty-four cents a year.HSFM 66.6

In June I bought a hand-press, and in July we began to print our own paper, as well as many tracts and pamphlets. My own children did most of the work, so the expense was small. None of us had received any practical instruction in printing, and we had many obstacles to meet. We could not at first do very good work; yet the papers could be read.HSFM 66.7

Our first effort to print the paper on the hand-press was almost a failure. I had obtained some printers’ ink in a little box; but it did not prove to be of the right kind, being intended for a cylinder press instead of a hand-press. We did not dampen the paper, as we should have done; and as it had quite a smooth surface, the print was very black, and would not dry; every touch smeared the paper. Our last resort was to do as we had heard that printers did in Norway,-hang up the papers on a line to dry. Thus in the course of a week we succeeded in drying a sufficient number to supply our subscribers.HSFM 66.8

As we gained more experience, we did better work. Diligence and patience enabled us to overcome difficulties, and the Lord blessed our efforts. At this stage of our work, the help obtained from America was limited, and we saw close times. We lived very economically, and the printing work paid its own way, by the help of a few donations from friends.HSFM 67.1

About this time a Tract Society was organized, which was quite active. During the first six weeks of its existence, the members sold 67,000 pages of tracts, and 600 papers. A report made in February, 1880, shows that during the past year $1,208 had been received from the sale of tracts and books, and from subscriptions and donations. Besides this we had books and papers in the office worth $335, and we had printed in all 576,000 pages of tracts. All the gain was invested in type, paper, etc., and used to extend the work.HSFM 67.2