The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-29
LAYING THE CORNERSTONE

Continued from Second Page.)
 prayer meetings were held in which
 both sexes were free to participate. A
 reading room was kept open and lit-
 erary society maintained.
 Professor Sanders then traced this
 portion of the associations history ot
 struggle and trial. It had eight presi-
 dents in those twelve years, and lacked
 constant and reliable supervision and
 finally collapsed and was completely re-
 organized. In the winter of 1S7S-79
 through the efforts of Clarence B. Will
 lis, who was made general secretary
 and served from October, 1879, to Janu- ary, 1883.
 The speaker showed that these inter-
 esting beginnings belonged Ito MT. Wll-
 lis secretaryship. In March, 1882, MT. B. H. Coe gave the association some
 paintings and later, wishing to recover them bought them back for five hum dred dollars. This fund was put into the bank for building fund nucleus. A class in Indian club swinging was or ganized by E. E. Mix, which was the first attempt at the work of body build ing.
 The work of the various associations secretaries down to the present time was outlined. In February, 1898, MT. William G. Lotze, the present secretary accepted the call of the board He took hold of the pending problem with great vigor and insight. At a relatively small, cost the rooms were renovated, making them much more attractive. The movement for the increase of mem bershtp was given great impetus by the adoption of war cry "One of Thou sand" by July 1. The canvass was a success and membership of 1,250 se- cured.
 This was intended to demonstrate to the citizens of New Haven that the young men needed building and would support it in the building movement It led to some astonishing results, the rooms proved wholly inadeuate to the demands made upon them, Every re- ception was a crush; men desirous of special privileges, such as the use of booths, paper, etc, had to stand in line for hours; the educational classes were forced into three different outside buildings, and in other ways it was shown that well equipped building wss imperative.
 In the fall of 1899 the association re- ceived from one who still prefers to re- main unnamed a pledge of forty thou sand dollars conditional upon securing before January 30, 1891, three pledges of twenty-five thousand dollars each and a total before June 1 of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The lat ter condition was met, but not the for mer hence we lost the forty thousand dollars. Nevertheless by June 1, one hundred and seventy-five thousand dol lars had been pledged from fifty two people. On October 20, 1900 ground was broken for the building, of which to-day the governor lays the corner stone. Late in the fall the constitution of the association was revised so as to l conform to the working ideas of to-day l and adopted January 1, 1901. In March, 1901, MT. Edwin Bancroft Foote, of New York city, offered to give the associa | tion twenty-five thousand dollars with | which to purchase the polo rink and equip it for the needs of working boys on the one condition that we have the | money raised by September 1, 1901, | which Is needed in order to dedicate the new building free from debt.
 The New Haven Y. M. c. A. has had ! a varied, sometimes disappointing his tory, but it has been gradually realizing its opportunity and meeting it.
 All honor to those who have helped sustain 1t through every viclssitude. They will ask only the reward of seeing In the new and beautiful building a work which shall really minister to the needs of our young men.
 The report of the building committee was made by s. H. Reed, chairman, and follows:
 To-day we will lay the corner stone of model Young Mems Christian As building. The building com- \ mittee was appointed in December, 1898, and for two years and half much time and thought have been given to this important work. The first six months was devoted to careful study ,f our needs, and conducting compe- ition of architects, in order to secure he best plans. The committee soon re- alized that in order to erect building