New-York tribune., 1905-07-31
TO SAVE M0UNTAINEERS.
college Men Preach in the Forests of
Pennsylvania.

The Young Mems Christian Association has
established a new kind of missionary work in the
heart OF Northern Pennsylvania. Here the mem
oers Of the association who have volunteered to
do this work labor among the rough lumber
men and try TO convert them TO ChrIstanity
In the summer vacation months many Christian
college students willing to go into the noun
tains among these men and conduct meetings and
hold popular entertainments and minister to the
spiritual needs Of the rough mountaineers. The
financial remuneratio To these students is noml-
nal. but they get experience" and two months
In the woods of hard life and among hearty woods
men that are never to be forgotten. The students
go in pairs and take with them outfit consist
ing Of folding organ. singing books. Testaments
large number OF colporterage books ard tracts
two hammocks and several pairs Of blankets
Thus equipped. they into the heart Of the for
ests.
Most Of the camps difficult of access, and
become more and more so each year as they are
pushed deeper into the mountain district. In1pro-
vised railroads built from camp to camp and
from forest TO civilization in order to haul the
logs TO the mills These railroads at once
streets. avenues. pavemeuts and bypaths.
In the camps the lunlbermen are provided with
the barest necessaries Of existence Substantial
food is furnished in abundance. but served in the
toughest manner, on roughly built table, without
tablecloth in tin dishes and tin cups and eaten
with iron knives and forks The dining room occu-
pies most Of the space in the lower floor Of the
camp the rest Of the space on the lower floor be-
ing divided between the kitchen and the lobby. In
the upper story is large with partition
packed with hunks against another. the entire
crew sleeping in one room bed linens not in
fashion here, and there is scarcely camp that is
not infested with that furtive little insect known
as the seam squirrel"
The chief pastimes Of the lumberren when in
camp are sleeping and gambling Hundreds of
dollars change hands in a single night or on A
rainy day. The atmosphere Is blue. with pro-
'anlty- Every traveller who visits the camp is
given place at the table. and there ara as many
as ten or a dozen at single meal. The authori-
ties say they are obliged 10 feed these travellers
lest revenge be sought by setting fire to the woods
and thus causing a loss of thousands OF dollars
The prevailing evil among these men is
drunkenness. They receive from s2 to % a day
but about three-fourths OF the men will work two
or three weeks and then leave the woods draw
Lkelr checks and in single day spend every cent
OF affairs that has opened the for the foreign
"orkmeu 10 come into the woods and replace the
ton TO have their work done by a certain time and
10 this end they have men who will work
steadily ana the average foreigner does not go on
these periodic trips of exhilaratiOn the consequence
the woods; Representatives of nearly every nation
ho; on g glope are 10 pa Iouno IN Lhe forests ISIS.
S, Lodsn ltdtans n ana Austrlans predomlnate Inc
foreigners nave their own camps and their own
gians and Frenchmen TO be found in the Amer
ican camps The American workmen are bitter
reduced the Wages l b 'woTine nnTes cSesnfv but
also because they are rapidly replacing the Amer
leans and driving them from the woods;
These the conditions that confront the Young
Mems Christian Association representatives when
they enter the lumber camps The State asSoc1a-
ton provides them with letters Of Introduction from
the general manager Of the company to the camp
bosses tobbers They universally accord the
students the privilege of swinging their hammocks
wherever they ind room. and there they make
their home for the week ten DAYS of their stay
in the camp The object of their visit is made
known just as quickly as possible. and when CON
vlnced by the manly conduct and unselish motives
men freely tender them ali the hosptaties of the
camp They welcome the music and the reading
matter and usually treat the boys with great kind
ness and respect
The method IS to hold 4 service every evening.
Shortly after supper the organis unfolds his little
organ al place where he will be able 10 gather
the largest crowd usually in the lobby and begins
To play. Then the gather around in all
pOstures and attitudes and the little service be
gins The programme consists chiefly of singing.
though place IS found for prayer and short talk
10 the point These services have the attendance
Sometimes walk seven eight miles 70 attend
The meanings