The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-24
developed In spiritual life by participant,
Ing in the religious work. I" \, N IL. M

6lrdDIe. n f- 'tlf4 lNii 1tfr ~ 4! u Il " I
Isit overshooilng the mark TO say
that the Young Mems Christian Associ-
alton Is engaged In the most important
work In the world. with the most I'M
.portant'and influential class of persons
In the world Earnest students OF the
problem. how TO reach and save men,
have been unanimous In the conclusion
that It Is the most serious and Vital
problem before the church. This Is the
problem to which the 6,43T Individual or
ganlZations OF the Young Mems Chris
tlan Association throughout the world.
are giving their aid in connection with
the church. to Eoive. The association
at large Includes a vast membership. In
OUR own country there are 1,d29 pros
gresslre organizations that are true to
their clearly defined principles, en-
gagged In n practical work for the phys
ical, Intellectual, social and spiritual
improvement OF young men, such as no
other organization Ia doing, This work
calls for consummntc tact, skill and en-
ergy. IL Is difficult but tremendously
important and worthy the devotion.
brain and life Of any man. The enor.
nous Investments In real estate owned
by tho association In this country. show
the degree OF confidence reposed in the
work by practical, calculating men, the
real estate being valued at Sl9,0G5, 900:
besides which, the sum OF over 100000
Is every year placed at the disposal OF
these associations for current expenses.
This work pays as well In the case OF
our local association, as 1t does else
where proportlonately.
Our board Of directors take advantage
OF the present opportunity TO express on
behalf OF the entire association their
appreciation of the very general inter-
est taken In the work. From the press,
the ministers and the people, we have
received many tokens OF good will. We
gratefully acknowledge the contribu-
press our regret that the friends OF the
work do not seem TO be fully alive TO
the extent OF our financial needs. On
the $1,000 Indebtedness on our building,
we have not been able 10 pay anything,
and the year has closed besides with n
deficit on current expenses. For the
entire year the expenses amounted to
S.32S.1O. or this sum SSlS.37 was eX-
pended on necessary repairs and i'm
provements upon the building. We re-
ceived sl.722.50 In membership fees,
I,lS9.50 In subscriptions from members
and friends, and the sum Of S6i7.10 from
entertainments ard all other sources.
a comparison OF the current expenses
with some other associations In neigh
boring states will show that our local
work is conducted with strict economy:
The expenses Of the Springfield, Ohio,
association last year amounted TO
s6.SiS: OF Youngstown, sS.6l7: of Read
Ing. Pa, A,9i2; Erie, $3.50; Harrisburg.
$500; Germantown, $4,000, and Wilkes
barre, SS,SS7.
There are few associations that can
show SO large a work for SO small an
investment us ours. But In spite OF the
comparatively modest sum needed. the
directors were Obliged TO borrow $500 to
pay all bills. This many-slded work for
young men should not be allowed 10 be-
come crippled for lack Of financial sup
port. There ought to be, and surely are,
III our city. men and women who appre-
ciate the Kind Of dividends we engage
TO repay. who can and will provide for
this Indebtedness as well as for the fu-
ture needs Of the association. In this
confidence we. enter upon the work of
another year. our hopes high and our
faith unwayering.
+ Mr.. W. j. W. Cowden, of the board OF
directors, made an urgent plea for the
clearing off of the $500 indebtedness, re-
ferred to by Secretary Lynch. The Y.
". c. A. was an institution whose worth
could not be estimated. Fathers and
mothers, business men and all citizens
with the interests of their city at heart,
should contribute toward this debt. Mr.
CowGen spoke earnestly toward raising
the sum required, $500, and asked the
audience TO contribute literally.
Evangelist Henry Ostrom spoke along
the came lines. while the ushers solicit
ed subscriptions, and Mr.. ]. p. Hills.
who Is assisting Mr.. ostrom at evan
Gelisttc services, sang beautiful solo.
Rev. y. S. Thomas next made an ad-
dress. His principal theme was char
acter. The word character. he said, is
not found in the Bible, yet there e no
word so all-embraclng. Character is
the important thing, and of all posses
sions the dying man will glory in his
character. What man believes and
what he does affects him, but what he Is
will affect his Maker. a man may give
aims. but 1t is the motive which prompts
the giving that Is the important act.
And character Is best built up, not by
men shutting themselves in coisters OF
their homes, or OF their business. but
by buffeting the pillows of the world.
Efforts must be made to build up char
acter, and habits are built up by repe-
ti.ion, thus in time the doing OF good
the good habits-produce character; and
the doing Is better than the deed.
Habit, however. affects character only
indirectly, but It Is the important factor
yet mans individual efforts cannot lag
to reach the goal.
Further in his remarks, Rev. Mr..
Thomas paid tributes to the Y. n. c. A.
and to the good work being done by
Evangelist Osirom. The success Of the
y. VI. c. 4. could not be measured, he
said. 1t did 4 great work for the
churches. The churches made great ef-
forts for the building up of character,
and the Y. NJ. c. a. formed good habits
for young men, assisting the churches
Mr.. Thomas closed in
this strain quite effectively.
On account OF the iateness of the hour,
Mr.. Ostrom made but q brief address,
during which he said many good things
for the Y. NJ. C. A. The association, he
said, was the boTd of unity between the
churches. and he hoped for the day OF
n great church unity. lIe also hoped
for great INSTRUMENTATION revi-
va. great religious awakening OF the
churches, hand In hand. He regretted
that there Is no Young Women's Chris
tlan Association. and trusted the young
women OF this city would organize 4
branch. He liked the word Christian in
the title OF both associations. for while
the gymnasium and the literary rea-
lures Of the Y. C. a. were grand things,
the essential significance was shown In
the word Christian. He would like 10
see the Y. N. C. ~ of Wheeling more
aggressive. for this city was wide
open" too much. The saloons and
brothels should be rooted out Of exist
encc. and 1t could be done when poll
tics were purified. Christianity must be
!nstllled into politics.: 1t must also be
lEst:iied into business. for there is just
as mich Christianity in using n saw as
singing n psalm under the proper con-