, 1891-07-10
YOUNG CHRISTIANS.
Annual Meeting of the Y. P.
s.. c. E. at Minneapolis.
An Enormous Crowd Present at
the Opening.
Secretary Baer Reads an In
teresting Report.

MGNNEAPuLIs, July 9.-The great con
v%ention of the Young Peoples Society of
Christian Endeavor was called to order
late this afternoon. Addresses of welcome
were made by Frank X. Daniels. chair
man of the local committee; Rev. X. G..
French, on behalf of the Minneapolis pas
torate, and Rev. DIR. Robert Christie. for
the pastors of st. Paul. John b. Elliott,
local secretary of the Y. NJ. C. A. CON
cluded the addresses of welcome. The
convention is the largest ever held by the
Christian Endeavor societies. aud one Of
the largest religious conventions ever held.
The advancing hosts'have been coming all
the week and still others are coming to
night. The auditorium of the convention
hall has been beautifully decorated Tor the
occasion. Thousands of seats for the
chorus were banked up back OF the stage
and 1000 seats Tor the audience were on
the main floor and IN the gallery.
Fully 10000 people were IN the bali
when President Clark raped Tor order
this afternoon. The convention began
with a grand mass chorus singing, IAN
Hail the Power of Jesus Name" The
addresses OF welcome by the Fentlcmen
named above were responded to %elOquently
by Rev DR.. George II. Wells OF Mon
treal, who also extended an invitation to
meet next time IN Montreal.
Secretary Baer's annual report was read
as follows: One year ago the member
ship record showed Il.Ul5 societies, an
increase over the previous year OF 3. 34I.
There are now l6, PA %societis IS regularly
reported From across the water 3OT re
port, aud there are others not yet heard
from. England has II societies, Aus
tralia 80. India 80 Turkey II and China
J. In Canada there are S2y The ban
ner tor a state, territory or province
showing the largest percentage of gain is
awarded to the territory OF Oklahoma,
BrtishColumbin being second. The banner
tor the greatest aggregate gain goes to
Pennsylvania, that state having gained
645 local societies during the year. Great
growth is reported in the junior ~nrganiza-
ton. of which 1855 societies are reported,
Illinois lraling with I22. There are four
floating societies on United Stats men-of-
war. Among the denominations. the
Presbvterians have 4.0l9 societies, Con-
greRationalist, 3.445. Baptist5 2.3sl.
MethodistS 2.O6S, Christians lDisciplrs)
sol. As to individual membership the
growth is marvellous. At the convention
of 1855 the report showed 10000 mem
bers; in 1889 there were 4s5, 900. in 1890
there were Goo, 900, aud now the societies
have an aggregate membership of ] COS
$50 members. IL is known shat
81, 800 members of the societies have
become church members within the wear.
At the evening session Rev. DIR. O. r
Tiffany presided and began the formal
notwithstanding tho ImHa+.- +h++f-i-tr-rI-u
repeated by the audience OF 1000. after
which Rev. y G. Speare ed IN prayer.
Ira d. Sankey. the famous evangelist
singer. sang Throw Out the Life Line, "
after which President Cla.k was intro
duccd as Father Endeavor. Clark.
amid enthusiasm, delivered his annual
address.
A number of tcIegrsms we're read,
among them one from Bishop Vincent,
regr ting his inability to be present owing
to illness. Rev. DIR. Tiffany spoke on
Christian unity, and after the singing of
the Ninety and Nine bv Sankey. the
evening session closed