The San Francisco call., 1896-01-22
General Barnes Tells the Y. M.
c. A. of Undesirable Good
Young Men.
THE BIG BUILDING INSPECTED.
Illuminated From Basement to Garret
for the Edifcation of the Many
Visitors.

Electric lights blazed in every part of
building last night. The great structure
was open for inspection from the garret to
the gymnasium, natatorium and shooting
gallery in the basement, and several hun
dred men, young and old, travelled over it
after having listened to specially inter-
esting programme in the auditorium.
The evening" was given to celebrate the
forty-third anniversary of the association.
A great many invitations had been given
out with the idea of introducing to young
men not members the many advantages of
the institution. The entertainment was
successful in every way.
General w. H. L. Barnes was the speaker
of the evening. He was introduced by
Louis J. Titus, and announced that there
was one thing i'll which he took great COM
fort. That was, that though he might say
the wrong thing in the right place, yet he
was in no danger of saying the fright
thing IN the wrong place, and-getting
fined for it,
Here he paused. Then the audience re-
membered Secretary McCoy's experience
with Judge Murphy during the Durrant
trial and 1t was several minutes before the
speaker could proceed.
General Barnes declared that he was
heartily in sympathy with the movement
being carried on by the Young Mems
Christian Association. He had, when a
boy, looked with pity and something of
aversion on the 'good young man." But
the ''good young man" then was usually
thin, lean, round-shouldered and wore
spectacles. The gymnasiums were gen
orally in the smallest of back buildings,
and the young men who used them were
lDOtpH q G hpJnO tho hiu RI
the devil.
The speaker contrasted this state of
affairs with the picture he had seen when
he had stepped one evening into the gym
naslum OF the association. He saw in it
the greatest exhibition he could remember
OF general culture and desirable develop
ment in young men.
General Barnes then urged upon his
hearers the necessity of applying them
selves to getting knowledge. The neces-
slty of not neglecting opportunities, he de-
clared, made him SO provoked with some
ministers when he heard them sniYeling
and whining that he at times wanted to
do personal violence to them.
One of the features of the evening was
the performance of the 'sFln de Siecle''
orchestra, consisting of Miss M. Hill. first
violin; Frank Ripple, piano; G. t. Anger,
flute; E. Cowan, first violin; A. B. Levy,
cornet; A. Nidder, cello; A. Greenbaum,
clarlonet and Il. Oppenheimer, second
violin. The Kaickerbocker Quartet of
male voices sang several songs and was
encored at every appearance. Dr.. w. P.
Sprague recited 'Falstaffs Imaginary
Encounter" and he was recalled twice.
Before the conclusion of the programme.
Secretary H. ]. Mccoy told how the build
ing had been planned for the young
men of the City in order that every phase
of moral, social and physical development
Sh0n.d assisted and r1rnUiHnd fn-
And the only requirement made in order
to share these benefits was that imam
should be a man."
When the audience was dismissed, it
broke up into small groups. These were
guided through the building by men,
bers OF the association, and at the sight
of the splendid accommodations there
were many expressions of surprise that
they could be given for the small sum re-
auired.