The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-01-29
WHITES ABOUT Y. n. c. A.
Rev. WOOdWard's Views From standPoInt
Of Employer and EmPloyed.


In his second letterto the Phnlipsburg
News. Rev. G. H Woodward writes on
Railroad Men and Their TemPta-
tons After telling Of his attendance
of an international meeting Of the rail-
road branch OF the Young Mems Chris
tan association, held at Clifton Forge,
Va. IN 1874, he quotes from President
ingalls,. who said:
Gentlemen, am not a Christian,
and do not claim any credit for that
assertion. ought to be- But I do
claim that am a good railroad man
and a good business man When ] came
on to this system, found everything IN
a most deplorable state. We had more
accidents, made poorer time, and had
worse men than any other road in this
part Of the state. remember saying TO
one Of our engineers, 'Ifyou don't make
better time you viii get discharged.
He looked at me with a smile and said:
'WOuldn { that be hell, to get discharged
from the poorest railroad in the state
And did not talk back, for knew he
was telling the truth. But now, gentle
man, we have as good a system, make
as good time, have as good men and
have fewer accidents than any other
road in the country. Where we once
lost a thousand dollars we do not now
lose a hundred. If you ask what has
made the change, answer, the r. r.
Y. n. c. A"
Speaking of what the Y. ". c. A. in
Ellis, Kan, was accomplishing when he
was pastor at that place, Mr.. Wood
ward makes the statement of the good
results from that institution and says:
In the three years that was at Ellis,
a division station of the Union Pacific,
saw only one railroad man drunk. I
had in my church, as consistent mem
bers, nearly 100 railroad men, from the
trains, shops, Offices and sections
The liquor question is next taken up.
He speaks of other days in GOOdland
and recalls the remark of freight con
ductOr: So Elder, what is fellow to do
in this town; 1 can't spend "a hours at
my boarding house or on the street.
and if I goto the saloon IshaIl getdrunk
and get fred And yet in all that town
the only place that was provided for the
men where they could be comfortable
was the friendly saloon, and they would
be fired If they were known to frequent
them.
I'm the matter of drink in many rail-
road towns, who is to blame, the boys
or the company?
81 am well aware that the railroad
corporations have made the most strict
rules in regard t0 the use of intOxicat-
ing liquors by their employees than any
other corporations IN the world, and, II
I could, 1 would not abate one iOta from
them or make them more lax, but rath-
er make them more stringent.
lone thing that seems a little absurd
about the strict order that govern the
men is that they are compelled &c
handle, and some of their agents are
made to violate the laws OF their stats
in handling and disPOsing of liquor tha
they must not use, and or many train.
liquor is sold, but woe to the employee,
that use It.
If your men may not use It undel
penalty of discharge, why compel then
to handle and smell It? The corpora
ton may say, We hire the men anC
1 pay them good wages for their worI
and here our responsibility ceases Blu
does It cease? Legally, yes; but NOR
ally, no.
"Of late We have been having somt
terrible accidents. At the investigation
to find the cause and fix the response
bility, one Of the first questions aske,
is, Had any of the men been drinking,
and If that had been the case that set
ties the matter. That is right, but
/ someone had been drinking then some
one had the temptation, and if tn
temptation had not been presented tn
whole thing might have been prevented
The loss in money, without saying any
thing about the loss of life, might hav
built one or more Y. NJ c. a. build
ings, where every effort would hay
been Put forth to keep men from ev
habits and to fit them for the respOr
: sible positions they occupy.
The Y. n. c. A. institutions help {
make the very kind of men that al
needed. Not only are the morals care
for but intelligence is advanced by th
class Of reading furnished, by the book
magazines, and the best literature to
found. Glasses are formed for the stud
Of railroad work IN all its different pa
ticulars, and the classes are provide
with teachers from the most experience
men IN the different departments (
work, who viii always give their tin
and talent willingly and freely to tho
wishing assistance IN railroad worl
These institutions pay in every way
Spring Merchandise