The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-01
Tor the evening.

For the evening session the first floor
Of the Auditorium was well filed. Rail
road men from every branch of the
service were gathered there while secre-
taries from every part of the United
States occupied the platform with the
speakers of the evening and the musi-
clans.
It was an inspiring audience to face.
For hardy manhood the railroad man
stands unexcelled. He is a hard mus
cled. big hearted. loyal sort of fellow
and is strong in his attachment to what
ever cause he gives his aIfegience- The
railroad business is an essentially ser
ious one and the seriousness enters the
character and every activity of the men
engaged in railroad work In the Y. NJ.
c. A the railroad man is as earnest as
in any other thing.
The men who sat in the conference
last night were ready with hearty
amen for every prayer. and re-
sounding applause for every manly sen
timent given expression by a speaker.
The railroad man is always ready to
laugh, although the joke has to be a
clean one if he is an association man,
and the humOr of the addresses last ev-
ening pleased nightly. At the men
tion of the work of Helen Gould the
applause lasted for fully two minutes.
Her hold upon the railroad man is
stronger than most other people under
stand and the expressions of regret at
her inability to be present at this CON
ference are heard on every hand
With brief We have with us" sort
of an Introduction. Colonel John J. Nc
Cook introduced Chief Justice w A.
Johnston of the Kansas supreme court.
who made the first of the three address,
es of welcome to the conference Thurs
day evening. Justice Johnston extend
ed the apology of the state for the un-
seemly conduct of the weather just prior
to the beginning of the conference and
assured the delegates that Topeka peo-
pie would make them overlook the in
convenience and discomfort entailed by
it. He spoke of the boundless resources
of the state and of their development,
so much of which was done by the ac-
tivities of the railroads. He compliment
ed the sterling worth of the railroad
men and referred to the rapidity with
which ability was recognized and given
promotion by railroad officials He was
followed by Edward Wilder. secretary
and treasurer Of the Santa F'e.
After an apology for an alleged in
ability to be eloquent Mr.. Wilder made
a very clever speech assuring the rail-
road men of their welcome to Topeka.
On behalf of the Santa F'e, better known
outside of Kansas as the Atchison, he
said:
Really the Atchison does welcome
you. It believes in the work IN which
you are engaged and has shown it's
faith in it by the assistance it has lent
in the past. It will continue to give all
the aid in its power in the future"
John Z. Frost. who gave the welcome
for the city and for the local Y. NJ. c.
A. workers, touched a responsive chord
in his audience by his reference of Miss
Helen Gould. He said
Our welcome is tinged with regret at
the enforced absence by sickness of the
gracious woman whose heart and hand
are so thoroughly enlisted in your work.
you at this moment. We wish she were
here" This statement brought forth
the heartieSt applause of the evening
In his response Col J. ]. McCook
said:
1T is with singular pleasure that I
respond to these three gentlemen who
have SO earnestly assured you of the
welcome of the state, the Atchison rail-
way and Of the city of Topeka in which
you are holding your conference. /
have often been here before, although
my former visits have been on business
and ] am familiar with the sights and
people Of the town. I think it is a priv
ilege to express the thanks of $50 work
ing associations scattered from Maine
to Mexico-for we now consider Mexi-
co as d part of our system of Y. NJ. c.
A. work. One of the old residents of
Topeka has done much to further the
7. M. c. A. work in Mexico I mean
A. A Robinson of the Mexican Central
railroad.
We have here tonight many repre-