Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-17

work Of the Christian commission. Your
work of physical relief is connected with
that of the sanitary commission and other
special benevolent associations that 1 will
only say that wherever | found your agents,
either in the Army of the Potomac, of the
Cumberland or of the Tennessee, l found
them faithful in such things to the import
ant trust committed to them. i have seen
them among the soldiers in prayer meeting
in Sunday schools and at Sunday services,
and without exception they were full of zeal
and energy in the Masters service. Their
spiritual work in encouraging chaplains and
aiding them with books, Bibles, Testaments,
and themselves ready to speak of Christ
crucified at all times and in all places,
bringing to us Christian cheerful faces and
pressure of the hand and following us to
every hospital and battlefield to point to
the only name whereby a soldier can be
saved, though he may be ever so brave
and patriotic-it can never be estimated
here below
Mems Christian Association in the Spanish
war and in the Philippines.
"One or two instances from the time of
the civil war will show phase of the work
not often referred to.
One evening man belonging to a battery
strayed over to our meeting. He became
greatly interested in the services. When
about half way home he knelt by a stump
and prayed. The next night with COM
panion he sought the meeting again and
the stump saw two praying souls that night.
They began work for Christ in their camp
and in few weeks forty men out of their
battery alone found peace in believing.
When the war had closed my duties again
brought me to Washington. Here both
"reminiscences and gratitude led me to the
Young Mems Christian Association which
I served in various capacities
We in Washington were among the first
TO undertake and erect a suitable building
For this we formed a special company, of
which the Hon. Salmon P. Chase was the
president and / the vice president Henry
ID. Cooke the banker, who was afterward
governor of the District of Columbia, and
q brother of Jay Cooke, was prominent in
assisting us to raise funds for this build
Ing, which was called Lincoln Hail.
For several years within the walls of this
ihrSt building we had a model institution
1T was located at 9th and D streets, and we
were fortunate to secure a superb secretary
now the veteran and famous Y NJ c. A.
worker. George A. Hail. He would do more
work in a given time than any five other
men ever saw. We had a gymnasium for
those who must have physical exercises; a
library and reading room for the literary:
evening classes for the many day workers
Doth In ordinary studies and in music; par
3ors where members came for social and
business conferences, and rooms where ear
nest ministers had their weekly gatherings
and took counsel of each other and of God
Many In those days came openly inquir-
sng the way out of discontentment into con-
tentment of heart and soul. For six wears
i remember the churches in Washington
working well through this agency. The con-
slant workers from our own active church
went to the young mems rooms during the
hours the churches were closed, but were
most faithful to their own home duties
during the hours of service in the churches
You could feel the presence of those who
Were trained in the association work where
ever you found them. Proud TO speak. brief
and clear in utterance, always exhibiting
deep and earnest spirit the pastor re-
'joiced TO have few of them always present
in his prayer meetings.
My official duties transferred me from
Washington to the Pacific coast before the
new building on New York avenue was in
operation. and so l can only speak briefly of
the beginnings of the grand work for young
men which has continued in our ca ptal
from the close of the civil war to the pres
emit time
1 have always kept up active interest
in our association work wherever l have
been. Its conventions have been a source
Of inspiration to me. The work is hard and
3aborious, but it is needed. / remember how
] asked the men of my native state to hally
TO their flag In their country's danger. 1t
was when 1 was home wounded that the
governor asked me to fill the quota of troops
requested by the President from my state
Did l tell them that they would have easy
places? No. indeed. l said our fathers haG
given a rich inheritance. There is love
of country descended to and in us to pre-
serve it. 1 told of constant toll. of pro
iionged sufferings. of innumerable wounds
of crowded ambulances and over-ful hos
pitfalls; l told of the ability, numbers anC
determination of the foes of the Union. an(
then l closed. Men. patriots, you see m,
weary. worn and wounded but not dis
heartened. God willing, 1 am going back Il
the front in few days. Come and go Will
me-"
Geo. A. Hall.
Early in the spring of 1865 I received
a message from the board of directors o
1.-THE Washington association inviting me t
visit them and consider call to the gen