The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-13

to call the Young Mems Christian asso-
citation.
After much deliberation over ways and
meanS-for money was scarce-they raised
between them a fund of 60 cents a week,
rented . room in a hotel that used to
stand near Blackfriars bridge, and began
to meet there regularly. One day young
Williams employer, Mr.. Hitchcock, heard
of the peculiar doings of the club, and de-
cided that he would go and see what it
was all about. He doubtless made tho
decision lightly enough, but it proved to
be of vast consequence to him and to the
young men, for he was so deeply touched
by the simplicity and earnestness of their
meeting that he announced himself as u
convert then and there. He did mora
than profess, however; he went out
among the men of wealth and prominence
that he knew and told them of the little
club and what its members aimed to Go.
and got money from them, a lot of morey,
enough to make the Young Mems Chris
tan association thing to be reckoned
with. Larger rooms were taken in Fleet
street, and the organization began to
grow fast and throw out branches,
! gradually extending all over England
The first branch on the ether side of the
Atlantic was in Montreal but soon there
was another one in Boston. New York
followed suit, and America had adopted
the plan of the London clerk. Then the
world did
When he had been only a village
diapers apprentice, Williams had man.
| aged to exercise practical religion with>
out forgetting that he had his own way
To make, and he did not forget it in Lon
| don. Probably the sort of character he
had exhibited in forming his club and tie
! erect 1t had had on his employer, Helped
young Williams chances. At any rate he
| Tp,1xr -
| the story writer gives his hero-for he
married his employers daughter and was
admitted as partner in the firm. He
! still is partner, the firm name being
Hitchcock, Williams & Co
He was created a knight by the queen
! in 1894. That was the jubilee year of the
Young Mems Christian association
founded in 2S44-and a great convention
was held in London to celebrate it, in
which the venerable founder was the cen
trail figure
To that convention from all over the
world came 1000 delegates, speaking sew
enteen different languages. 1t was esti-
mated as the largest delegate evangelical
! assembly that had ever met. Great meet
| ings were held in Westminster Abbey, in
Exeter hall, in st. PauTs Cathedral, the
Guildhan, in Surgeons Metropolitan
Tabernacle, in the City Temple where
|
! one in the queens private park at Wind
sor Castle Her majesty thanked the
great organizations founder and made
| him a knight, and the corporation of the
| city of London did him the great honor
| of giving to him the freedom of the city,
| a mark of favor usually shown only to
great generals and rulers of nations
! Up TO the time of his recent illness
which was at first feared would end his
| life-Sir George had taken an active part
in the management of the English di-
vision of the Y. M. c. A, of which he is
the treasurer, following in office his old
employer Mr.. Hitchcock He and his
wife, Lady Williams, and his sons live in
a quiet old house in Russell square, char
acteriZed, like its master. by its simplici-
! ty. Sir George is prosperous. If he had
not given away most of his great earn
! ings he would be rich. He gives to doz-
ems of deserving charities, but chiefly, OF
| course, to his own organization
They say that when the Y NJ c. A
began young Williams was earning eX-
actly $3.50 a year, and that he gave s25(
of this sum annually to its support, and
| lived as best he could on what was left
Men who know him now say that he is
the best giver in the world" man
who knows him intimately said to me yes
terday: You can come to him today
| and get 8100 from him for some good OBJ.
| ject, and tomorrow asking for another
9100 for another object, get it without his
saying, I gave you e100 yesterday