The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-01
Mr.. SMITH ALONE
Other Speakers at Y. N. C. A..
Conference Not Present.
Scholarly Address on Work of
Organization.
GOODMAN SATURDAY.
He VIII Discuss Religious Life
of Railroad Men.
There We're 1900 Delegates
Registered at Noon.
GOODMAN SATURDAY

The number of delegates who are in
Topeka for the Y. M. c. A. conference 1
has now sVelled to about 1900. Under
the strenuousness of their occupation
just now the secretaries of the local
committee have lost much flesh during
the past As hours There is no cessa-
ton of their duties as the delegates are
now making arrangements for getting
away and the jam around the state
house corridors is about as big as ever.
The baggage and entertainment COM
mittees have moved their headquarters
from the state house to the Y. NJ. G. A.
offices on East Eighth street but the re-
ception committee still has its desks In
the basement corridor of the capitol.
All the delegates collected on the
north steps of the capitol building just
before noon today to have their picture
taken. Proofs of the group photograph
will be shown at the Auditorium Satur-
day and orders will be taken at that
time. A report that is to contain all
the speeches and proceedings of the
convention is being gotten up and will
be issued Immediately after the ad-
JOurnment StenOgrapherS are on hand
taking all the speeches and two secre-
taries to keep track of proceedings have
been appointed They are J. c. jenkins
of Detroit and A. A. Fellingham of Mar
shantOWn, Pa.
Two speakers failed on the morning
programme today and the only address
of length was that by f. b. Smith,
travelling secretary of the international
committee. No word has been received
from F. A. Updegran of Kansas City
and J. f. Holden of Chicago, who We're
/ to have spoken. A very enthusiastic
prayer and testimony meeting was held
this morning. Engineer c. W. Mcclure
of Emporia led off with a personal ex-
perience talk and was followed by any
delegate who wished to talk. Mr.
Smiths subject was, The Religious
Work of the Railroad Associatlon-lT1l
4 ,i.z7t Ion q
See the unoccupied filed IN railroad
life. They tell me there are a million
railroad men in the United States. We
have touched only $4,000 of them, There
are 500 division and terminal points
where our work is needed. Three hun
bred of them are yet unOccupied.
s-Of the $4,000 men in your railroad
associations last year you only had z00u
men in your Bible study classes. By
what right do you fling that banner
when you leave out of your structure
the essential thing around which it
ought to be buflded. ] tell you that II
you go on building the skeleton that
you are now raising, some day gust
of wind will come along and blow il
away. There is this great field of Bible
study that Is already undeveloped and
unoceupied right within your own as
sociations.
Then there is the field of evangelistic
effort. I do not believe this great field
of 100000 men, railroad men, Is in
tended by God to go unoccupied and if
we do not do 1t someone else will.
I'VE have less organizations for per-
sonal work among railroad men than
we had in 1891. The greater part of the
associations are without organization
of this kind Let me give this conven-
ton one thing to carry with it until II
full believes. We may pray, we may
shed tears we may shout, we may get
dead in earnest but never until you
organize little bands for personal deal
ing with men, never will you see the
great incoming of the railroad NEIL
Great meetings will never do IL
"One thing will cause the end of many
assOciations and that is selhshness- Dr-
Vance of Newark, N j., said IN a re
cent book, "Selfshness never celebrates
any. centennials.' Some of the little as
sociations are SO wrapped up in them
selves that they will never celebrate
anv eentenniaIs. They have been 50
helped by the railroads in their desire
to be of assistance. they never nave
taken the opportunity TO helP otnf ils.
Let us reach out and help the otneI
railroad men of the world The door OF
great missionary work IS opening ~
MS And as sure as that door closes
without our opening II we VIII sililN9i
up and grow smaller ,. :.
we do the thing that we beleVe u
| important 7 know many secretarles re-
who are spending the biggest part OF
their time telling why TIMES cou ...lll.,l
be done. 1 tell you missionary work
can be done anywhere when a man De
lieves it can be done.
There must be organization when
Won have the field and the belief. Nj
/ Moody said he had rather put ten men
at work than do ten mems work.
Mr. Smith then went on to exenpllIy
the value OF organized effort by Illus
trafions drawn from various sources.
He is an association organizer OF long
experience and is one of the travelling
secretaries Of the central office IN New
York Mr. Smiths address was very
! heartily received. 1t was unCuestion>
ably one of the most valuable 10 assoc
citation men that has yet been given
lat this conference
At this afternoons session the speak
ers are Dr. H H. Gregg. of St. Louie.
| conducting the Bible study; E. Graf
stron, of the mechanical department or
/ the Santa Fe on The Educational De-
topic led by George B. Hodge, of New
York.
Saturdays programme will be as fol
lows;
SATURDAYS A. NJ.
Special music Willis brothers.
4 Bible study. 1.-THE Christ of the Book
I of Acts" Dr. H. H. Gregg, St Louis.
Song Elkhart glee club
( Discussion, 1.-The Religious Life Of
Railroad Men" led by F. S. Goodman.
Ia The Prayer Life John CaId-
well. Topeka
Lockport, N. Y.
(c) spheres Of influence We. Fen
nor, New York.
siou.' W. E. Lougee and G. A. Warbur-
ton, New York
'.The Street Railway Department" T.
/ J. Nicholl, Rochester, n. Y.
2:sO P. NJ.
Prayer and testimony meeting led by
c4-.a