The Washington times., 1895-06-10
Y.M.CA.'S FORTY TWO YEARS
Anniversary of the Organization OBJ
served With Proper Exercises.
General Secretary Pugh at the Con-
gregationa1 Church Earnestly
Appeals for Funds.

The local branch OF the Young Mems
Christian Association celebrated the
I forty-second anniversary of their organi-
cation with appropriate ceremonies yes
terday afternoon at their rooms on New
York avenue. The exercises took the place
of the regular -Sunday,gospel meetings and
the attendance was unusually large.
The services were conducted by Gen.
eral Secretary j. E. Pugh and were opened
with prayer bu Mr. Zalmon Richards, the
first president of the association. Mr..
Pugh read the Scripture lesson, which
was followed by prayer by Mr. L. Cabell
Williamson, the present presiding officer
OF the organization.
The anniversary address was by Rev.
]. G. Butler, pastor of the Luther Memorial
Church Rev. Mr.. Butler is one of the
charter members of the association, and
for the last forty years has taken an active
part and a deep interest in all the work
with which the association is connected.
He said he was asked to be present merely
as an illustration of the fact that people
never grow old in the work of Christ, for
it is in this work that we grow stronger
and always feel happy and young. We
walk upon the crust of this material world
little thinking and caring less what are the
treasures hidden beneath us. So it is often
with us in our journey through the spiritual
or intellectual world; we do not know
the hidden truths nor will we ever find
them until we search for them in following
the light of Christ.
The meeting was closed with the benedic-
ton.
An extremely interesting talk on the his
tory OF the words Y. NJ c. A, and that of
Washington was that of General Secretary
James E. Pugh, last evening, at Congrega-
tional Church This address was preceded
by the usual religious exercises, which were
conducted by Rev. Dr.. Newman, the pastor
of the church.
Some OF the interesting statements made
by Mr.. Pugh, after giving the origin of the
association, under George Williams, of Lon
don, fifty-one years ago, were that there
are now $50 associations organized in
forty-one countries and that the total MEM
bershipis about 500 ,0C0. InNorth America
there are 1 AL associations, with MEM
bership OF $4,000; and $2,250,O00 are
spent every year in current expenses
Mr.. Pugh then took up the local associa-
ton and discussed the four divisions of its
great work, the physical, the mental, the
social, and the spiritual. Men of all creeds
were admitted to its halls, and he gave sew
eral instances of the manner in which its
open doors had been the means of receiving
and taking care of the young men, who came
as strangers to the city.
enlarged equipment and emphasized this
point by comparing with the Washington
building those OF San Francisco, valued at
$500 900, Chicago, 5000 600, and those
of Cincinnati, Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland
and New York, each of the latter having a
much superior equipment than that of
Washington.
The conclusion of the address was an ap-
peal for assistance to make the Washington
Y. NJ. G. A. worthy OF the city, for he held
that in proportion to its population Just
asgood work was done here as in any of the
cities mentioned which had such superior
buildings and facilities for doing work.
He hoped that the time would come when
they would have a building that would
accommodate three thousand members
annually, instead of about one thousand
as at present.
DR.. Newman made brief address after
Mr.. Pugh in which he cordially endorsed
what Mr. Pugh had SAID and called atteu-
ton to the association as factor in
bringing young men into the church