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Producing Bible Literature for Use in the MinistryJehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom
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Robert J. Martin, the factory overseer, called to mind that in the days of Moses, Jehovah had ‘filled Bezalel and Oholiab with wisdom of heart to do all the work’ needed to construct the sacred tabernacle. (Ex. 35:30-35) Having that Bible account in mind, Brother Martin was confident that Jehovah would also do whatever was needed so that his servants could publish literature to advertise the Kingdom.
After much meditation and prayer, definite plans began to emerge. Looking back on what occurred, Brother Martin later wrote to Brother Rutherford: “Greatest day of all was the day when you wanted to know if there was any good reason why we should not print and bind all our own books. It was a breath-taking idea, because it meant the opening of a complete typesetting, electroplating, printing and binding plant, with the operation of more than a score of unfamiliar machines, mostly machines we never knew were made, and the necessity of learning more than a dozen trades. But it seemed the best way to meet the war prices charged for books.
“You leased the six-story building at 18 Concord Street (with tenants on two floors); and on March 1, 1922, we moved in. You bought for us a complete outfit of typesetting, electroplating, printing and binding machinery, most of it new, some of it second-hand; and we started work.
“One of the great printing establishments which had been doing much of our work heard of what we were doing and came, in the person of the president, to visit us. He saw the new equipment and sagely remarked, ‘Here you are with a first-class printing establishment on your hands, and nobody around the place that knows a thing about what to do with it. In six months the whole thing will be a lot of junk; and you will find out that the people to do your printing are those that have always done it, and make it their business.’
“That sounded logical enough, but it left out the Lord; and he has always been with us. When the bindery was started he sent along a brother who has spent his whole life in the binding business. He was of great use at the time he was most needed. With his assistance, and with the Lord’s spirit working through the brethren who were trying to learn, it was not long before we were making books.”
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Producing Bible Literature for Use in the MinistryJehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom
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[Picture on page 580]
R. J. Martin (right), first overseer of the Society’s Brooklyn factory, conferring with Brother Rutherford
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