Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-15
AN ANNIVERSARY.
The Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton Held commemorative Ser
vices Last Night.
qbe Con Hilton Of the Association Reports Of
the firers-The Gaz';te Compii-
mented The Finances.

The first anniversary services Of
the Young Hen's Christian Associa-
ton of Fort Worthwere held
last evening in the First Bap-
fist church and that edifce was
packed top and bottom with an audience
that heard with deepest interest OF the
plans, progress and prospects OF this
organization, which though only in ex-
istence year is already the most suc-
cassful and influential body of its kind
n the state.
The statistics of this branch show that
during the last eight months there has
been a total attendance upon the read
lug rooms Of ~ PAP, an average of sixty
eight per day; there has been total
attendnnce OF 45l4 ut the young men 8
meetlEz-, au average of l29 at each
meeting; there have been 1874 requests
for prayer at these meetings, an average
of four ut each; and there have been
forty -tiye conversions at the young
mems meetings, an average of one con-
version each Sunday.
With such q record il is rot surprising
that there was IL large attendance last
night, for the association has created
wide Interest in the city.
The first business last night was the
opening address by the president, W. L.
Fakes. He reviewed the successes of the
association i'll Fort Worth in u happy
strain, and spoke hopefully of what YVES
intended for the future. The assOcia-
tion wants to erect building of its own,
and the body is open for the donation of
lnf fpr Ian Fr W n
feels an impulse to help on the good
cause.
MIR. T. IL. Roe, ons of the directors of
the association, delivere! an address on
the origin Of the Fort Worth Young
Mems Christian association, III which he
detailed its growth over the graves of
two other similar associations In this
city, which had come 10 untime!y ends.
And he told now, over year ago, the
present organization was established on
a firm basis and has since fourished
amazingly.
Secretary Il. W. Stone was the next to
report. lie said:
Since have been general secretary of
this ussocutiou | have had many talks
with mothe7s and fathers i'll this city and
in the North and East, and again and
again have heard the old, old irqury
young M, AbsoiOn safeI''
In my r 'ent absence from this city
noticed that Fort Worth is well sdver-
used IN the North ana Eust. This
city is known Us the great rail-
road center of Texas. II IS known
for its business push. Its enterprSing
citizens call out admiration from the
daily papers oil over the country. Yet
other things are known. Its l0l saloons,
its thirty gambling houses, its three
variety houses, lie siXty-four houses of
"her whose feet take hold on hell'' cry
Ont In lond answer TO the question sis
the young man safe?''
The Y. NJ. c. a. OF this city has been
TRYING. to the best OF its ability, during
the past eight months, TO make more
safe The young men of Fort Worth.
doubt not that great deal more has
been accomplished in ways that figures
cannot tell--of lives that have been
quietly and uucousciously affected for
good. might try aud tell you Of the
hundreds OF henrt broken stories that
have TO be listened TO from day to day in
the rooms of our association; of the
dozens of letters received every
month from sisters, mothers and
fathers all over the country
asking eff their young man Is safe?'' If
the aSsociat on would not use its influence
without letting him know of them-to
urge him 70 quit drinking aud TO accept
the Lord as his savior. But this is not
the only WORK of The Young Mems
Christian AssocIRtion-to reclaim the
druukard, the vicious or the abandoned
portions OF humanity. This II has done
and is doing very successfully, and We
trust that II will do very much more in
the future, its work Is preventive as well |
as TO restore. Il is great error TO look |
upon the association as a sort of reform |
atorv Institution. It's purpose involves /
the prevention OF young men from fall |
ing victims TO evils as well as the rrrla- |
nation OF them after they have become |
such. The whole institution is vigor-
ously opposed 10 the prevalent idea that |
q young man must "sow his wild oats.''
We do not believe one word of it. We |
have not the least sympathy with any |
such doctrine.
YET am here to report that all para |
phernalia of the Y. NJ. c. A., their |
gymnasiums over the country which are |
said 10 be the most perfect tho world has |
ever seen, the reading rooms the best |
supplied and beat attended the world has
ever seen, all these rooms fitted up with
harmless games, all these socials, these
departments cannot make the young
man safe-they can help.
II the ASSOCIATION only takes the young
man to its gymnasium, residing room,
library games and sociais toe young man
Is not safe. The whole thing is @ failure |
unless they lead him unto Him, the only
true redeemer, who was lifted up that
'whosoever believeth on Him should not |
perish, but have everlasting life."
THIS Is the desire, the purpose, the aim