The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-06-14

In his power, ana TO dlfecU dill Ills eieI-
gies, in and out Of season, towards the
promotion of the Savior's kingdom, and
the salvation OF souls, we earnestly sol
icit your assistance in the great and i'm
portant undertaking we now lay before
you.
GA society is formed, the object OF
which is the promotion OF the spiritual
welfare of young men engaged in the
drapery and other trades, by the intro
duction OF religious services among them.
We earnestly entreat your Christian CO.
operation in this great work; and, i'll
order to fully lay before you the plans
and views OF the society on whose behalf
we address you, a deputation from the
committee, prepared to give you all the
requisite information, will wait uponyOu
at your earliest convenience, when we
hope to hear of your hearty concurrence
in our plans We shall feel obliged by
your informing U.S. as early as convenient,
the time and place at which the deputa-
ton shall wait upon you.
"Signed on behalf of the committee,
"JOHN c. SYMOSs,
own. CREEsE,
Secretaries
The movement thus humbly started
soon engaged the attention OF the church
and spread rapidly, crossing the sea and
securing a footing in America. The first
Association on this continent was Or
gained in Montreal, Canada, Nov 25th,
1851, and a little later at Boston. There
are now in round numbers 5000 in the
world divided as follows
ASSOCIATIONS OF THE WORLD.
North America, 1 800; South America
4
Ireland, 65S; France, So; Germany,
1905; Belgium, 80; Holland, IA; Den
mark, 1913; Switzerland, 1872; Norway
and Sweden, 1874; Italy, so; Spain. - :;
Austria hungary, IL; Russia, 9; Bull
garia, 1; Greece, l Turkey, %; Persia,
3; Syria 16; India, 70 ;Ceylon, % China,
8; Japan, 30; Africa, IS Oceanica, 81.
At first the work was looked upon with
suspicion by the churches, and in 1854,
when the first convention was held in
America, it was found there were 26S
associations, called Young Mems Chris
tan Associations, doing different kinds
of work, such as mission Sunday-school
work, visitation of poor, and sick, city
missionary work, &c. The executive
officer now known as the General Secre-
tary, was called, city missionary, church
Missionary, general manager DC.
The first college association was organ
! lied in 1858, and there are now assOcia-
| lions in $50 colleges and institutions OF
| learning in the United States. The stu
| dents volunteer movement, the Offering
| of the services of thousands OF young
men and women from various denOmina.
| tons to go into the foreign fields as
| missionaries, is one of the remarkable
| outgrOwths of the association. The
watchword OF this new movementis found
in this. ''The evangelzation of the
world in the present generation Some
five or six thousand students, represent
ing forty-one denominations, are now
preparing for the work, which is wholly
unsectarian.
There are over $500 students banded
together in the college work, 1877 colleges
have rooms devoted exclusively to theil
use, and Is have Y. NJ. G.. A. buildings
and most of these employ general secre
taries who devote their whole time tC
the work.
| The next great work of the association
was the organization Of one of thu
noblest movements in history-tht
United States Christian Commission soor
after its organization, associated Will
the Sanitary Commission. The Christian
Commission was the result of meeting
held by representatives of various assO
Citations in October, 1861. During tn,
war this commission, which was com
posed OF some of the most prominent
men Of the times, distributed nearly thre,
million dollars worth of stores and eX
expended two and half million in add
Nnr v,Ix
women were sent to the hospitals and tC
the gospel work of the commission. Tn,
first railroad work was organized in
Cleveland, Ohio, in 1872. There enov
100 associations, especially adapted tt
this class of men, located at railroad
centers, the expences of which are pai(
almost entirely by the roads upon which
the association is located II buildings
are owned Or have been put up by thu
companies in recognition OF the value O
the practical good done their employees
2O,oOO men, are members associated il
this branch OF association work and III
secretaries and assistants are employed
Some years ago Mr.. Cornelius Wander
bllt planned and erected building il
New York City for the use OF the Contra
Railroad branch, at q cost, OF $3.50. OO(
equipments included. \ similar building
was erected a few years ago, at Hinton
West Va.
The association commenced work TO
German speaking young men in 1874
for colored men in '76, for commercial
travellers in rs, little later for Indians
and for japanese young men at Sal
Francisco.
In addition to this, young men hav
been sent out to foreign fields. two il
India, in Japan, in China and 1 i,
Brazil: These are working in harmon,
with the missionaries on the field. AMI
have organized associations in College
on the Orient, and in India and school
IN Brazil. Loud and importunate hav
rung out the appeals from Missionarie
where our secretaries are at work TO
more men to assist them in reaching th
young men in the great schools TO
Christ in China and Japan. Simila
calls from India and Brazil have ais,
come to Us but as yet we have not bee,
able to respond to them.
There were at the close of 1898 owe
$50, 900 members in the United State
and Canada. 100000 in the world
$4,000 are working on committees. 20,
buildings are owned in the United States
costing $15,211 900. 1882 secretarie
and paid officers are employed. Their
are 41O, 200 volumes in our libraries
Five hundred gymnasiumnS, the hest il