The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-03
THE YOUNG MEN OF OUR CITY.

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That young men are conspicuously absent
from the services Of church and Sunday,
school in our city that they are conspicu.
ously present In saloon, pool-room, concert
hall gambling den aud otlcr places OF even
more vicious resort, rs we'll AZ In prison and
reiormatory, bearing the penalty Of crimes
they have committed-arc facts often men.
toned.
Consider few figures secured by careful
count ana estimate In some of the smaller
cities
A cit; Of 1000 inhabitants. containing
| $500 young men, - are members Of Protcs-
tnnt Churches, not one received into church
during year, 200 convicted OF crime that
same year. 10
city Of 10000 population. 1900 Young
mon only IS young men joined the churches
during The gear
A city or 5000 population, 5000 young
men, y Protestant churches, 1906 liquor sa-
looms last year 10 young men received into
y churches, 30 into jail and workhouSc.
These are only small cities II we find
these things In the green tree, what may we
not expect TO find ~ the dryp
Some Oi the reasons Tor these facts ara not
FAR 10 seek. The boy. quite prcmaturcly.
becomes, In his opinion, too old and too
wise Tor the Sunday-school. lie grows too
restless ~ remain IN the quiet of his home
whether that home he In the country or the
city. In the growth Of business In our cities
the demand for these restless bovs has
brought multitudcs OF them from the conn.
ny To join their equally restlcs. com.
radcs ia the great town. Their en-
ploycs exercise no such home care
over them ~ was customary In the olden
time. After business hours, the evening.
which formerly the apprcnoo or clerk spent
In work, u now with young men the time of
loneliness. Their lodgings furnish no attrnc-
tonsv The devils agencies are alive with
active workers aud most positive attractions
With these surroundings the young man
enters on the Path that lies between the
home of his parents or the shool or collcrc
hc has attended aud the safe anchorage OF
the home lac Is 10 make for himself. The
path h often q long aud difficult one.
Abiding 90 this Interesting period ir the
life OF n young man, an eminent public
speaker said. The State provides the com.
mon school. and not only gives but cnforces
universal education. But after the Young
man has been launched into the world 10
win his way ~ best ho may, the State takes
no further carr than 10 furnish policeman
10 arrest him IN case be goes nstray. IL
either directly licenses or indircctly tolentcs
the saloon, the pool-room, the concert hall.
the gambling den and resorts Of oycfy Kind.
but It's only effort to keep or rescue the
young man from any or all Of these innu-
cnccs Is the policeman"
Under the pressure u this .csd Of special
effort, on behalf ui young men. the aymen
Of the evangelical churches have combined.
and what they could not 70 well do Cor
young men through the churches. either in
diyidunlly or donominati0nnlly, they have
sought 20 accomplish unitodly aud undc.
nominationally creating for this purpose
an agency which bears the name OF the
Young Mems Christian Association. II las
been greatly aidcd by the hearty sanction of
tho ministry. but the responsible manage.
mcnt aud support Of the association has
been in the hands Of the laymcn OF the
churches.
In our own city we have an association
For years We have been struggling 20 carry
on the work with an expenditure so small a.
TO give us the ability only 10 provide the
prayer meeting andlthc reading loom, poorly
located In AN upper story. Ia these rooms
we have underworld 10 provide attractions
Tor Young men that would draw them into our
gospel meetings, and through these meet.
ings We have accomplished some good work.
but have We done enough Are our rooms
~ attractive that young men will fnd q
home thcrcf Vicious resorts are gildcd aud
dcckod with all that money can buy. As We
are now stuatcds can We expect a young
man 10 come unless be Is terribly In carncsu
The average young man Il attracted by sur.
rounding. thcrcl1rc, IN oricr "a reach him,
We must furnish Aicl things a. will attract
him. Among the associations that are reach.
ing Young men, afp those that have their
buildings thoroughly equipped for tho work.
five examine fthcse buildngs we nnd
them erected on definite plan, quite
unique In structure aud arrangement, con.
stitutlng something decidedly novel end
suggestive IN Christlan architecture. What
ever the shape u thc lot upon which the
cilncc stands, the Interior " 20 arranged
that YOU enter frat the central or focal.
room-callcd the reception rOom-out Of
which opens doorl N passages TO the sccro.
tarys office, the cloak room, the reading.
room. the debating ball, the parlor. library.
educational and Iilblo class.rooma gym.
nasium aud batha pfay ef-mceting room and
every other department Of the association.
This social focus Of the building receives
every Young man " he enters this popular
resort and when his GRAND Il over Whether
II has had 10 do with the physical or social.
tho literary or musical. the entertaining or
educational, the studlous or rclirlous dc.
pariment Of the building he returns ON his
way out TO this same attractive room. some.
times YOU can mark here a square ward.
which IL travcrsed by 0gcry young man en-.
torlnr or leaving the building. This may he
Justly termed the structural center. about
which both the edihcc and the WORK are