The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-09-30
New Hall of the Y. M. C. A.
LAYING OF The FOUNDATION STONE.

new HAL OF the L. N. y. n.
LAYING OF The FOUNDATION STONE.
On Thursday afternoon a large number of ladies
and gentlemen assembled to witness the laying
of the foundation stone, or more properly speak
ing the cornerstone, of the building which is
being erected at the corner of Hotel and Alakea
streets for the use of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association of Honolulu. His Majesty the
King was present, also His Excellency the
Premier, His Excellency r. NJ. Daggett, United
States Minister Resident; Hon. A.. 5. Cleghorn,
Hon. Chas. r. Bishop, President of the Board
of Education; F.. A. Schaefer, Esq, Dean of the
Foreign Consular Body and a large number of
our leading citizens. The fair sex also was well
represented, there being nearly q hundred pre-
sent, including a fair proportion of the young
folks. Very good arrangements had been made
for the comfort of everyone. A large sail lent by
Mr.. Frank Cooke, was laid over the floor of the
main part of the building, and another was
stretched over it as a canopy, beneath which,
seats for about 300 persons had been provided.
At 3 O'Clock the proceedings were commenced
by the singing of a sacred piece by a choir of
fourteen of our best amateurs under the leader
ship of Mr.. w. w. Hall. Mr.. j. A. Cruzan Of
fered an impressive prayer which was followed
by the reading of a description of the building
by Rev. DR.. C. NJ. Hyde of which the following
is an abstract:
The lot on which this building stands is III
shape an irregular quartrilateral. 1t extends
116 feet on Hotel street, 1907 feet on Alakea
street, forming an acute angle at the intersec-
ton of these streets. 1t has a depth of 60 feet
measuring from the Hotel street front to the rear
boundary line. The [ uilding now in process of
erection for the Honolulu Y. NJ. c.. A. is to be
of two stories, wholly devoted to the work of the
Association. 1t does not occupy the whole OF
the land purchased. A frontage of So feet on
Hotel street is reserved for future improvements
in building, either for the use of the Associa-
ton or for rental, as q means of annual income.
The present building is of irregular shape, con-
forming to the outlines of the lot, SO feet in
depth from the Hotel street front, aud on the
Alakea street side, running outward, with Il length
of so feet rear, 81 feet front, so as to make the
Hotel street front IL feet longer than rear. The
building is to be of brick, the street fronts of
pressed brick, the cornices also will be brick.
There will be a large lecture hall in the upper
floor, approached by a commodious staircase.
Below there will be a reading room, a library, u
chess room, and an Office, on the main floor of
the building, and on the right hand side of
these a gymnasium. The ground has been
excavated, SO that the floor of the gymnasium
is eight feet lower than that of the other
apartments, giving it the necessary height. "a
fuller report of DR.. Hyde's statement will be
given in our next issue.)
The services of the choir were again called
in requisition, and then Professor Amasa Pratt,
President of the Association, delivered an adj
dress on the Aims and objects of Y. NJ. C. A"
Your Majesty, Brothers, Friends The sub
ject assigned for my address this afternoon, is
Our Association, its Objects and Aims"
The first meeting of the Association was held
at Olympic Hall on April 3Oth, 1863. At this
meeting ten persons, signed the Preamble and
Constitution; these were: s. N. Emerson, Curtis
2. Lyons, P. G. Jones, jr., A.: Francis Judd,
Sanford b. Dole, II. H. Mcintyre, William
Clark, w. w. Hall, S. w. Pogue, T. Rain
Walker. OF these all are still living, eight are
residents of this island, and seven are seen daily
upon our busy streets. In passing it seems
proper to state that, but for the pecuniary aid,
the personal magnetism, and untiring e~xertions
of one OF the originators of the Association this
occasion could not have been.
There are l5S names upon our roll; of these 8
are deceased, and As are no longer on the island.
Our present number is therefore 102.
On July 30th, 1859, the reading room at the
Association, from the very first there seem to
have been Committees for a Sunday Prayer Meet
ing and for Christian work ut the prison and
hospital.
At the meeting June 9th, 1870, Messrs. Dole
and Hall were appointed a Standing Committee
on building, whose business it should be ''to in
v~estigate into the probable cost of an Association
building suitable to their wants.
Thus early the members though few in num-
Der real zed the Importance of a permanent
home.
On the first Sunday in January 1872, a Sun
day school for the Chinese was started with A. +.
Judd as superintendent for the first month, and
at the meeting on January 18th, it was reported
that the school numbered from 16 TO 10 with as
many teachers.
June 18th, 1874, a committee consisting of
MIR. Frank Damon and MIR. Anterior was APP
pointed on temperance.
In Nay 1875, Sit Moon arrived from San Fran
cisco and at once commenced his labors among
the Chinese.
AS the outgrowth of this work we have the
church building and organization on Fort street.
and Mr.. Frank Damon, as one of our number as
missionary among this people, who, with his
colporteur supported by us) is doing a great
work upon all the islands of the group.
During the year ending April 1877, the largest
number in attendance at any meeting was Is,
and the total attendance for the IL meetings was
119, an average of 10, showing that the member
ship was still small and that only a few were
taking any active part in the work.
In the annual report of April 1879, We find
this sentence: 1.-The principal work of the As
s~ociation is still among the Chinese"
On the 2Sth of August 1879, a comm ttee of
three was appointed to be known as 1.-The En-
ployment Committee" This committee has
rendered very effective service at times in pro-
viding for those who needed something to do.
At the meeting May 2Sth, 1880, it was voted,
That DIR. Hyde and S. B.. Dole be a Commit
tee to draft a petition to the Legislature against
all modification of the opium law"
A special meeting was called in june of the
same year to pass a resolution authorizing "Mr.
Dole and DIR. Hyde to prepare and circulate for
signatures among the owners, managers and
agents of the various sugar and rice plantations
petitions to be presented to the King in favor of
maintaining the present prohibitory laws against
liquor and opium"
o c of the results of the discussion of the