The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-11

n Young Mems CHRISTIAN ASSO-
citation among the railroad
men of this city has long been a recog-
nized power for good by the prac-
tical results accomplished I'if-
teen or twenty years ago the
railroad man was to the East what
the cowboy was to the West, Il hard
drinking, reckless fellow generally. But
owing to the higher standard demand
ed by railroad officials ana the efforts
of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion the conditions have entirely
changed. Today the hard drinking
railroad man is the exception, and
While this condition has been brought
about generally in the East the asso-
citation here in Scranton has done Won
ders as its share in the general result
1t has nearly Il thousand railroad
men enrolled in its membership. Nearly
every man of the thousands employed
by the Delaware, LackaWanna and
Western railroad every week comes in
contact with the work at the building
The building consists of four cheerless
rooms and two bath rooms. The men
make these rooms their headquarters,
with the result that they are almost
compelled to climb over each other to
move about Despite this poor equip
ment IA great educational and spiritual
work has been done. And now it is
proposed to move forward and demand
II new and commodiouS building and
the public will be asked to do its share.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Railroad company has always
paid the salaries of the secretaries and
furnished the building at - Lucka-
wanna avenue. which was formerly Il
fire engine house and stable. In addi-
tion to this the company now donates
$4,000 besides giving the present site.
a 100000 building will be erected This
is exceedingly generous on the COM
pany's part when it is considered that
it is doing similar work all along it's
lines. The company gave $4,000 to-
ward the old Y. Nj. c. A. building on
Wyoming avenue which was burned Il
few years ago. 1t was never "A good in
vestment for the company or the men,
rs the building was too far away from
railroad headquarters, and this with
other circumstances made work for
railroad men impossibleso that the sole
benefcialies of the company's gen
rrosity We're the young men of Scran-
ton generally.
The public will be asked to contribute
about $4,000 the canvass for which
is now being made. No class appeals
more strongly to public sympathy than
the hardy railroad men whose daily
toll brings To them all kinds of hard
ships as they travel the storm bound
highway of steel; ana the rattle of the
ambulance down the avenue every day
tells only too vividly of the horrors
that surround their work, Fifteen
thousand dollars is "A small invest
ment for the public to make,
for the returns from this build
ing Will be IA thousand fold in the added
security and safety to those who ride
over the road, 1t will help to make
the men better. 1t will afford them
comfort ana recreation, all of which
are so necessary after the tense strain
of their daily trips
1t will afford every railroad man Il
chance to perfect himself in railroad
ing, as 1t has become absolutely
necessary for public safety that the
modern railroad man be AN intelligent,
studious, steady man. The new building
will help to make him all of this TO the
travelling public this means steady
hand at the throttle, Il clear eye and AN
intelligent brain behind it all, And
permeating all this is the religious ef-
fort that is constantly lifting the men