# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S86
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

86 Proceedings of the 24th General, or

"The mission has again been carried on this year in the accustomed manner.
The agent has visited every steamer arriving and departing, has received
immigrants referred to him and forwarded them on their way, and has
assisted them with advice and help up to the time of their onward journey,
and has also stood by those not specifically referred to him wherever they
needed good advice or help from a stranger. He has likewise been a support
and counselor to those from our own congregations and those of the
Synodical Conference who traveled to Europe to visit. He has promptly
attended to commissions for procuring steamship tickets and railroad
tickets. Yet again, in the case of many travelers to Europe, the arranging
of such things was entrusted not to him but to other hands, which deprived
our treasury of the profit — something to be regretted in the interest of
our mission. Our agent has drawn the attention of immigrating fellow
believers to those of our congregations that lay near their destination,
and has sought to direct those who as yet had no fixed destination toward
our congregations. Where it was possible, attention was drawn, alongside
bodily help, to the one thing needful as well. Calendars, tracts, and
smaller papers were also distributed among the immigrants, and in part
among the sailors as well. The number of calendars distributed was 3,100,
and of the other publications, 4,300.

"During this period the agent received 1,225 letters and postcards; he
wrote 1,010 himself. The turnover of money amounted to $9,359.90; $561.54
was received in commissions; $100.00 was given away to the poor. The total
number of passengers landed at Baltimore was 34,000, of whom 850 were
referred to him and forwarded on by him. As already reported in the
'Lutheraner,' German immigration has fallen off sharply and given way to
that of the Hungarians, Slovaks, Russians, and the like.

"Your Commission has met regularly every three months, heard the agent's
report, and dealt with all matters arising.

"Our expenditures were

    in 1896, April to December ................................ $  477.67
    in 1897 .......................................................        669.92
    in 1898 .......................................................        643.42
    in 1899, January to March .............................        88.34

                                                            Total $1879.35

Against this stands income of

    in 1896, April to December ................................ $  472.74
    in 1897 .......................................................        495.77
    in 1898 .......................................................        382.60
    in 1899, January to March .............................        22.20

                                                            Total $1373.31