Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-25
College students, Ea iIroad-Men, Com
merciaI Travellers

mercfai Travellers
(For the Dispatch.l
II NAV not be uninteresting to the
citizens Of Richmond, now then atten-
ton is being called to local work of the
Young Mems Christian Association
and its claim upon the community for
a new building, to note the system
adopted by the general organization in
its efforts to reach the different classes
of young men in our great land. The
Association have taken, with much
wisdom, few hints from the
habits of successful businessmen in
setting aside men Of special qualities to
perform special duties, believing, like
them, that in concentration of thought
and efforts increased results will follow.
They recognize the fact that the young
men of the land are, by reason of their
pursuits, occupation, and nationality,
isolated, divided into sets, and are more
or less clanish. They believe that
those Of a class are especially qualified
to reach their fellows of the same class,
hence the associations of the country,
through their conventions, have direct
ed the International Committee, their
official representative, to employ secre-
taries to bring before local organiza-
tons and the men they would aid the
advantages Of this class-work.
There are 300 Protestant colleges in
our country. Forty-fve thousand stu
dents are in these colleges fitting them
selves for life's duties.
During the college year lS51-'5S
students in the Universities of michigan
and Virginia, without any knowledge
of each others action, organized Young
Mems Christian Associations in these
institutions. Religious societies had
long existed ameng the students of
many colleges, but without similarity
of methods or the stimulus Of fraternal
correspondence with like societies in
other institutions and in the outside
world. BY the suggestion of students
of Princeton College the international
Committee invited the colleges of the
country to send delegates to the Con-
vention held at Louisville in 1877.
Twenty-Five students from twenty
one colleges, in eleven States,
accepted the invitation. This gathering
led to the placing Of college secretary
upon the staff Of the international Com
mittee. This secretary has been in
strumental in organizing lS4 associa-
tons, in which are now associated to-
gether in active Christian work 10000
students. The following colleges in
Virginia are included in the list: Ran
d"lph-Macon, Virginia Agricultural and
a., ecbanical, Hampden-Sidney, Virginia
: ilitary Institute, Washington and Lee
University, Shenandoah Normal, Ro-
,aoke College, and the University OF
' irginia. Last year 100 students
professed conversion in the college asso.
Citations of the country.
Professor r. d. Hitchcock, ID. D.,
president of Union Theological Semi
nary, has said concerning this work,
that the old barbarities, hazing and
other practices of that sort, were dying
out, and that friendlier spirit was
being manifested toward the new stu
dents in the lower classes that the
support of the religious life of the col
leges was more and more devOlvinl
upon the students themselves, SO tina
whereas in former years the stu
dents had looked chiefly to thu
faculty for stimulus and inspira.
ton in religious matters, nov
there was more earnest, spontaneou
religious life in the body of the students
that the religious work in the college
was far more thoroughly organized
than in the past, and this was so no
only in the separate institutions, but il
the intercollegiate movement anon
the whole body Of the colleges. Tn
fraternal Christian spirit Of FELLOWSHIP
existing between these institutions ha
resulted from the work Of the Youn
: Mems Christian Associations. Indeed
: the omnipresence, and, had almos
said, the omnipotence, Of the Youn
Mems Christian Association is the grea
factor in the religious life of our college
|, to-day"
, In addition to the 800 colleges ther
, are 275 normal schools, with $500
, students; $50 preparatory school:
with 10000; 90 schools Of science
, with 10000; $50 medical college
: with $4,000; 200 commercial college
, with 1000; and so law colleges, wit
3,000--a grand total Of 1,2l5 instit'
tons in our land containing 1890
students. This is the field open to ii
college department Of the Young Men
Christian Association, and which the
propose to occupy so far as they cal
a Two secretaries are now employed b
= the International Committee in this pa
n ticular work.
= There are 100000 German-speakir
8 young men in our land. A secretar
t Of the committee is employed to Wis
a city centres and organize this class, al
: put them ut work for their fello7
: countrymen. The first report made b
r the German secretary was to the Int
d national Convention held in Richmor
in 1875. The New York city Germs
g branch owns very attractive buildin
a where they conduct work similar to Il
v English department.
e There are about 100000 commerce
d travellers in our land. In the ma
n they are young men. They are most
|, the time away from home, where thu
j. are surrounded with peculiar and tr
If ing temptations. The associations
9 ganize special work among this elias
j. They develop local committees to Wis
d hotels and leave invitations to chur
g and association rooms they put
l. church and association notices in hotel
is railroad stations. and other pub
It places; they issue, under the directi
,s Of the international Committee,
" ticket for commercial travellers
10 which entities the holder to the pri
b leges Of oil associations Of the countr
D. BY joining any ore association tn
10 are entitled, without cost, to the g
il eral ticket. Work for this large arr
-