The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-12
THE Ex-PUGILIsT.s TALK.

D0a hogan Draws Lessons From His
Own Life 1T the Y. N. C. A.
ben Hogan. the reformed prizefighter.
aaaressed q large audience at the Young
Mens Christian Association Yesterday
afternoon. Hogan on the platform is a
picturesque figure and, though not an
orator, ne has earnestness and force, and
tue stories he tells from the events of his
own WHO and reckless life aid him in re-
tanning the interest of his hearers He
pays little OF no attention to grammar,
ana confesses that he talks in an uncouth
anu peculiar way, but that he has belief in
ooo and Is thoroughly sincere in his at
tempts to convert men to CHRIST, is evident
10 all who hear him deliver one Of his
characteristic talks.
yesterday he took as his subject BLESSED
Is lie That Counselieth Not With the In
godiy." Tha speaker started with the re-
marx that he used to think in common
with many others. after he was first con-
Verted, that It was sort of disgrace to be
seen with . low man, gambler, saloon
keeper or drunkard. But, he said, those
were the very men for whom he now bad
the most pity and the most use, because
ne knew how much they needed the help
OF those who stood well with God. He
SAID that be had done some of the most
effective work of his life among saloons
lie related an instance where he secured
permission from dive keeper to hold
meetings above his saloon, because the
latter thought it would bring trade, but
the men went up stairs and were kept
there for several hours. and finally not
only the business of the saloon decreased,
pnt the saloonkeeper took q notion to take
look in at the meetings, liked them and
became Christian.
The speaker said he had little use for
Christians who were too proud to get real
close to men. Give him three good earnest
men and he could revolutionize any city
In the world. Some young men felt
ashamed to hand out q ticket that an
nounced \. NJ. G. A. meeting. He had
seen such fellows and despised them.
such Christianity was of very thin kind,
and never amounted to much Then,
running back into his past life, the speaker
said that little more than thirteen years
ago If any man had told him that on this
day he would he addressing Y. NJ. C. A.
meeting he would have knocked him
down. In the earlier days he had regarded
all such institutions as filled with cranks,
who sought to rob the sporting man of his
legitimate business and profits, and he
hated them accordingly.
Hogan said he preferred to work outside
the churches, although he had spoken in
some of the largest ones in the country.
he did not feel quite right in them. But
whenever he led man to Christ he sent
him to the churches. because in his opin-
ion Christian should unite himself with
body that could help him to do work for
Christ and humanity.
The next subject which engaged the at
tention of the speaker was the great intlu-
ence which men have upon each other In
all walks of life. During his mad career
OF dissipation, prizeiighting, saloonkeep-
ing and gambling he had influenced many
men wrong. and ne so profoundly repented
of it that now he had given his life to God
for the salvation of SHINING humanity. He
told of q young man converted at great
meeting in Chicago who had served five
years in the Joliet prison for forgery.
He had been bookkeeper, and
his boss induced him to visit
gambling hell. He fell into
evil ways and soon committed
the crime which made him a convict.
After his release he went to the Y. NJ. G. A.
and became converted. His old boss, who
had first tempted him into a gambling
place, was present at the same meeting,
and, though he tad prosecuted the man
whom he had led to do wrong, his heart
was also opened at the same time and he
took back the erring and repentant one,
and both became God-fearing men. The
speaker urged his hearers to be careful
about tempting a man even in the slight
est way.
During the course of his remarks he was
interrupted by a man who had heard him
talk at Spokane and who testified to his
noble work at that place.
In the evening Hogan spoke to
crowded congregation ut the First Meth
odist Protestant church and again made .
great impression by his earnest manner
aud forcible way of putting things.