Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-17
HOUSES OF REFUGE.
Annual Meeting of the Branches of
the PittSburg Y. NJ. c. A.
A PATHETIC APPEAL TO MOTHERS
Of the Young Men Who Are Wanderers
From Home and Friends.
A SONG THAT REACHED THEIR HEARTS


night?" sang sn old gentleman at the sixth
annual meeting of the East Liberty branch
of the Young Mems Christian Association
of Pittsburg, last night.
The song and the singer touched the
hearts of hundreds of mothers present, and
many tear fell for a wandering boy, where,
God only knows. The singer was Mr.. H.
Thane Miller, of Cincinnati, a member of
the General Committee of the Y. NJ. c. A,
and he seemed to pour out his very soul in
the strains of that oft too we'll known old
song. Mr.. Miller is blind and perhaps his
sf1iction made the old familiar words more
touching. As the last words of the chorus,
softly sung by the entire audience, died
away and the gentleman took his seat, the
silence was most impressive, and was only
broken by sob coming from the heart of
one mother who was thinking of her IVAN
dering boy"
The beautiful and imposing East Liberty
Presbyterian Church was taxed to its utmost
last night to accommodate the friends of the
\. NJ. c. A. gathered at its sixteenth annual
meeting. This organization is doing a noble
work among the young men of the country,
oAA year w 16tI IL ID OSCOu1uS ulOlC
lar with the people of every station in life.
The annual report read by Mr.. Peter Dick
shows the East Liberty department to pe in
a most flourishing condition. The member
ship roll is rapidly increasing, and the new
association building is nearing completion,
which will give to the members gymnasium
and bath privileges. The Christian work of
the organization was also shown to be
rapidly growing.
AN ELEGANT ADDRESS.
Mr. h. Thane Miller addressed the meet
ing in a manner most impressive, and
his plea for the young men who walk the
streets, away from home and friends and
amid the influence of the world was elo-
quent and carried with it the conviction
that the speaker had seen and knows the
trials of such young men. He gave illus
trations OF the workings of the organization
and examples of where, if such work had
been more extensive, young men might
have been saved from lives of crime and
mothe rs saved from the pangs of sorrow
caused by an errirg, wandering son. Oc-
casional bits OF humos would crop out from
among the pathos, and during the entire
interest
People who live in these elegant suburbs
OF Plttsburg don't know the temptations
that beset the young men, said Mr.. Miller.
Look at the saloons, and places even worse
than saloons, that are open ready to receive
the young men who have no homes to 90 to.
1t IS such young men who need the Y. NJ.
c. A. buildings and reception rooms. Your
boys may not need them, but somebody's
haw- DO -
10 your homes hut you can assist the
Young Mems Christian Association in the
good work of reaching out for them. These
associations also help to find employment
which is always necessary in the reforma-
tion Of young men, for that Satan finds
mischief for idle hands TO do is as true now |
as ever"
Mr.. Miller's address was quite lengthy,
but certainly very interesting He closed |
with strong appeal to the hearts of the
ladies, who, he says, are more easily reached |
In this sort Of work than are the men, who |
are busily engaged in business.
Music, prayer, the annual collection and |
the henediction closed a meeting that prom |
jses to be productive of much good for the |
Y. NJ. c. A. and the homeless young men of |
the city,
THE RAILROAD DEPARTMENT.
During the afternoon the Railroad De- |
partment OF the y. NJ. c. A of Pittsburg /
held its seventh annual meeting at its read |
ing rooms on Twenty-eighth street. The
rooms are very small, but at least 200 |
people were crowded in to observe this ami
versary of the organization. Devotional
exercises were conducted by Rev. DR.,
Beazell. Excellent music was included in
the programme. The male quartet was
composed of Messrs A. T. Miller, j. 81.
Mendenhall, G. F. Wagner and E. S.
Simpson. The orchestra included Mr.. A.
T. Miller and four children with violins
and Mr.. I, c. Taylor and three children
with comets. Mr.. H. Thave Miller spoke
for few moments and then sang "Where
is My Wandering Boy To- Might" the au-
dience joining in the chorus The music
was most impressive and caused the
thoughts of many of those present to return
TO a son or brother out in the world without
home or friends.
Secretary Weidman read his annual re-
port, showing the association to be increas-
ing in prosperity. They now have mem
bership of Ala, an increase of 10 members
during the year. On account of leaving the
railroad service 102 members were dropped,
but 121 Joined during the year.
Mr.. h. X. Porter and Rev. Richard S.
Holmes addressed the meeting on the mani
fold benefits OF the organization, and espe-
cially in the railroad department. 1t not
only helps the men, but the company, and
the railroad officials all over the country are
beginning to see that it is to their interest
to keep up these organizations, and appro-
priations are annually made for their main
tenance.