The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-02
People Who Waited for Presi-
dent We're Entertained.
Time BeguiIed by Many Bril-
liant Speeches.
Observation-Disclosures
Tells How Y. M. C. A. Improves
a City.
Charles S. Gleed and H. U.
Nudge Made Talks.

Seldom. if ever before, has an audi
ence under a Topeka roof listened to
series of more clever speeches by any
corps of speakers. From the introduc-
tory remarks of Col John J. AcCook in
presenting Vice President T. ]. Nicholl,
of the Rochester street railway, to the
speech OF James A Troutman, which
was abruptly concluded at the an
nouncement of the arrival of President
Roosevelt in the Auditorium at 10
O'Clock, the interest of the audience was
not allowed to flag for want of spicy
entertainment by the speakers.
From the fact that with but two or
three exceptions the speakers came all
unprepared, the only wonder is that the
hours of the evening passed without
tedium. Waiting brought only more ex-
/ pectancy and not restlessness, with good
humor instead of impatience. The tact
of Colonel McCOok, whose ingenuities
were racked to the utmost to lengthen
/ his programme, was not taxed to keep
the crowd that filled the building in
cheerful mood.
President Roosevelt's train reached
Topeka so minutes late and in conse-
cuence the doors of the Auditorium
were not opened at the hour of as had
been announced. When arrived the por-
tico of the building and the steps and
sidewalk fronting them were jammed
with a thousand people. Packed into
/ the side gallery entrances an equal num-
/ Der waited with tickets ready to be
thrust into the palms of the door
guards. At 20 minutes after the hour
I the doors were opened and the building
rapidly filled. Hardly had the gathering
delegates found seats before the first
song from the conference hymn book
was struck up, the orchestra leading.
and for three-Cuarters of an hour the
congregation amused itself with singing
revival tunes.
Word of the Iateness of the arrival in
town of the presidential party had been
passed about so that every one under
stood q long wait was ahead and the
convention and the crowd IN the gallery
settled itself to remain. With the pros
pect OF a struggle to regain seat once
relinquished, there was no thought of
leaving the building on the part of any
one. To the persons unfortunate to have
| had no provision for securing seats, the
standing was fatiguing, but to the per
sons seated there was little or no dis
comfort on account of the crowding-
Owing TO the eflcieucy with which the
plan of seating was carried through, the
delegates to the conference, the visitors
to the city, experienced no hardship in
securing good seats on the first floor. In
the dress circle We're seated the friends
of the delegates.
The song and prayer service over, Col.
McCook congratulated the conference on
the presence of T. ]. Nicholl whom he
presented as the first speaker. Of the
evening. His address was of particular
] interest in that he represented the first
street railway in the world to receive
1 the benefit Of the special attention of
the Y NJ. c. A Since the Introduction
of the association work into the econ
Omy of the Rochester railway other
street railways have followed and this
branch of the organizations work prom
ises in time to become one of its most
important
Mr. Nichcr. was at one time a railroad
man in SouNN Dakota. He has, how
ever, been el\-aged in street railway
work for many years and was himself
Z personally instrumental in estab ablishing
the Y. M. G. A. among the employees OF
! his company less than a year ago After
nine months of growth his association
/ has 125 members and promises to grow
| more rapidly in the future. OF five
saloons in the vicinity, he said, one had
| already been forced out of business from
| the falling off in patronage and things
| were getting dull for the four remaining.
The first street railroad Y. NJ c. A.
/ membership card ever issued bears his
I name. In regard to the establishment
/ of association work among his men he
said:
1T was in 1902 that our company
| opened rooms for the amusement of our
! unOccupied men. You will understand
4 that every street railway has employed
/ q cOnSiderabl number of men who are
/ kept almost in ddleness except in time
of emergency when extra car service is
/ required. This gives them much leisure
which has not always been put by them
/ to the best advantage Our directors
4 conceived the idea that It would be
worth while to establish reading room
and bowling alley for the use of the
men, and after some deliberation the
idea was put in practice
THE wor1- was not imbued with any
religious purpose, the desire being to
give the men some healthy occupation
when off duty After we had estab-
iished our rooms a representative of the
railroad 7. NJ. c. A. explained to us
what they were doing and succeeded liz
I having our amusement rooms turned
into their hands. By this means more
moral atmosphere has been secured and
some valuable religious work is being
done. Religion is not forced on the
men. but its influence is being brought
to bear u2on their lives and it is show
! inS-
7 consider the street railway one of
/ the most uplifting factors in the pres
/ ent day. It enables men to spread apart.
/ crime and vice breeds fastest. and when
the working man is enabled to separate
himself and get out into the fresh pure
air It tends to counteract vicious in
fiuences- The good that is being done
by the street railway is done more or
less at the sacrifice of the men who rurt
the cars. and believe it is due to them
that such work as that of the Young
Mems Christian association should be
introduced into their lives. In the fu-
ture this viii become one of the great
activities Of the Y. NJ. c. A. I am GER
tain"
CHARLES s. GLEED
Following Mr. NichoI's address Mr.
McCook called uDon Charles s Gleed
of Topeka, who is one of the directors of
the Santa F'e Mr.. Gleed made a brief
but meaty talk to which there was 4
generous RESPONSE He said:
understand that IS the intention TO
get the programme into the clear so the
president of the United States who is
to be here later in the evening may do
himself credit I viii therefore be more
brief than 7 would otherwise Ike TO be.
There is a great discussion abroad in
the land as to whether railroads had
souls.