Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-11
Y. M. C. A. WORK.
Interesting Talks by f. w. Lang
and Frank Nader.
The international convention Pro-
eeedfngs Outlined by Two OF the
Local Delegates Who Were Present.

| nv tuO l. W. ". a. meeting Sunud,
afternoon reports were made by Genera
Secretary F. w. Lang and Frank Nader
delegates to the recent International con
vention at Philadelphia. of the work o
that important body.
The convention was remarkable To-
several things. 1t was remarkable for it.
size, nearly one thousand delegates beins
present. 1t was remarkable in that il
was composed almost entirely of young
men. 1t was remarkable for its make>uI
and the character of the men in attend
| ance.
Some there were whose hair was tinged
with gray and whose loyal work in the
church had made their names familiar in
every christian household Many oil
them have achieved worldly distinctions
in the various walks of life, and there
were few who wore the badge of the
Loyal Legion. 1t was an earnest and
thoroughly representative gathering OF
the prominent young laymen of the
churches IN the United States and Cam
ada, as well as active leaders from Great
Britain, Germany, Sweden and Switzer-
land. GeA. o. @. Howard, the veteran
Indian fighter and hero OF the Nez Perces
uprising, who acted as temporary chair
man and who has been identified with
the work OF the association for over
twenty years, called the great convention
to order on Wednesday morning, May 8;
1t closed its sessions with the farewell
meeting on Sunday evening. A feature
of the sessions was the singing, led by
1 the GWppt UnicaH To-
key, whose gospel hymns are known
| wherever the Bible is read. He presided
at the organ and entered into the work of
the meeting with such willing spirit
that his example enthused the delegates
| They sang with hearty good will the
famous Eyangelisrs hymns.
There was in attendance from abroad
Robt. Burns, general secretary of the as
ISOLATION at London. England He read
letter from George Williams, president
OF the London society, regretting his in
ability to be present. and sending his
hearty fraternal greeting. MIR. Williams
is the Nestor of the Young Mems Chris,
tian association. He organized the first
branch in London fortyfour years ago
| when he was poor clerk Robt. Me-
| Cam Farley, secretary for Ireland. who
then met for the first in many years the
man who led him to Christ, Mr.. Ira D
Sankey. Baron Won Starck, a young
landed proprietor of Germany, who is
assistant general secretary OF the Berlin
German association. Carl Fries, secreta-
~ of the national committee of Sweden,
and II. Hofer. general secretary of the
| association of Zurich, Switzerland The
Rev. DR.. F. Won Schlumbach, of Berlin,
who had just arrived from New York, his
steamer having reached her dock in that
city just three hours before. As intro
duced and enthusiastically welcomed. On
Saturday morning he made an interesting
| address, in which he exhibited what he
anectiOnstely termed his child" pic
| ture of the first Y. M. G.. A. building in
Germany. which is located in Berlin
During the evening session of Saturday,
| which was held. as all of the evening ses>
| sions. in the large academy of music, DR.
Won Schlumbach said that twenty Gig BIT
years ago he stood drunk behind the flies
| of this same academy of music. and he
had not been here since. Then he wore
the uniform of the United States army
and was recovering from wound re-
eeived in the war. He told how the
voice of an American woman had
changed his whole career.
The president of the convention was
81. B. Chamberlin of Denver, Col. who
is president of the chamber of commerce
of that city. MIR. Chamberlin was at
one time general secretary of an eastern
association. His interest in the work is
evidenced by the gift of $3.50 to the
building fund of the Denver association
Coming from the other side of the world
was John I. Swift, the representative OF
the association at Toxic. Japan. Mr.
Swift is the first man to give his whole
time to the work of the association
among Young men in heather lands
The work among the colored people OF
the south was represented by W. A
Huntoon of Norfolk, Va. Mr.. Huntoor
is a cOlored man, well educated and re.
fined. He is general secretary of the
cOlored association to employ such al
officer. The American Indian was rep.
resented by Dennis Wheelock, of the
Oneida tribe. who made very telling
speech at one of the sessions.
The report of the international com
mittee to which is given the oversight Of
the work in the United States and Brit
ish Province was presented by its long
time chairman and lifelong friend Of
| the work, Hon. Cephas Brainerd, of New
York. The committee was able ia
make report showing great progress
in all lines they asked for $65, 600 per
year for the work of the next two years,
and there was pledged $780, 900 of the
amount at the next morning session.
At the Thursday afternoon session the
claims of Chicago and Kansas City fol
the convention in 1891 were voted on
The choice took up most of the session
resulting in favor of Kansas City by one
vote. At the close of the voting, Rev
Dewitt Talmadge, who had been in the
city but an hour, and came into the con-
vention to spend few moments Of
leisure time, was warmly welcomed, anG
spoke telling words for the work. After
DR.. Talmadge the convention wa.
privileged to hear 81. Grattan Guniess. OF
London, England man who has sen,
out 500 missionaries, and who has re-
Gently closed a very successful quest
through the south for colored mission
aries for Africa. He warmly urged the
calls of foreign fields on the condition.
At the close of the Friday afternoon
session the convention was divided uI
among parlor conferences -held fer the
most part at residences kindly opened
for the purpose-where different phases
of the work was discussed. To reach
three of these places, which we're in the
suburbs, the Penn. railroad had placed
at the disposal of the convention &
special train which took the delegate,
out and returned them in time for the
evening session. The reports of these
conferences were read at the next morn
ing's session and abounded in practica
pointa