Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-08
MWY.M.c.A. BUILDING
Rapid Progress on Work OF
Construction.
COMPLETION BY OCT. l
ONE OF THE FINEST OF IT'S KIND
IN THE COUNTRY.
Will Have Six Stories on @ Street
Northwest, Five Stories Fac
ing 18th Street.

Work on the new home for the Young
Mems Christian Association of Washington
| is progressing rapidly, although 1t Is hardly
probable that occupation can be had before
October. The architects for the structure
are Messrs Harding & Upman. The con-
tractor has made great strides in the parti-
ton and flooring work and expects to turn
the building over to the carpenters and
! painters by the latter part of next month
The electricians are already busy in the
building strnging their wires from garnet
to cellar.
The new association building is to be one
| of the finest of it's kind and the best of its
size in the country. 1t has six stories on
| the street 'front.' adjoining the old build
| ing, five stories facing 18th street and four
stories in the rear. where are situated the
| indoor track. the assembly hall and apart
ments needing such large amount of UNI
INSTRUCTED floor space that supports cannot
be used for the ceilings. The massive
structure is built primarily of steel and
each floor consists of a coating of cement
four inches thick, upon which is laid the
wooden covering, this being the only in
ffammabie material outside of the WINDOW
work in the building. except the furniture
The walls made of siX-iDeh burnt terra
Gotta, manufactured just outside of Wash
I lHgtOn IneSe partitions are warranted
| fireproof ard will be covered directly by the
plaster doing away with the wooden lathS
heretofore used.
Swimming Pool Added.
Down in the cellar will be constructed an
other swimming pool. larger than the one
now in in the old building. and pro-
| vfded with means for constant supply of
| fresh water. There to be cloak rooms,
/ club rooms, recitation rooms, class rooms,
| office rooms, dressing rooms and. in fact,
| every facility that is afforded by a first
| class business house. modern college and
| an up-tO-date Christian home. In a word,
| twentieth century Young Mems Christian
| Association is being prepared for the peo-
| pie of Washington by the people of Wash
| ington. A place open twenty-four hours
| day, where young men and old men can
go at all times and find a hearty welcome.
| congenial companions and amusements that
are provided at less than their cost and Of
fered to all alike; You can eat at the
! building, you sleep at the building, you
| can study you can work and you can play
| at the building.
| Every useful study that the young men
| of Washington could expect will be found
| in the curriculum of the Y. M G. A. under
competent instructors. Every game and
| amusement that is healthy-base ball, foot
| ball. indoor base ball, basket ball. tennis,
| track athletics, field events. gymnasium
work, chess, checkers. bowling, billiards,
| pool. swimming, fencing, wrestling and
| boXing-in regular classes, suited to all
| sizes and. ages, or individual instruction,
| by men who understand the art, and above
| all by men who can make others under
| stand.
Dormitories will be fitted up in the new
| home, where a man, stranger or member
| can find a clean bed at a reasonable price,
| without the danger of waking in the morn
| ing minus his watch or money. There is
| also a dining room, where pure, wholesome
| food is served at fair price. with no tips
to fTaa ifay. bonn ic of
| money-making scheme in any sense of the
! word. 1t aims to avoid the very appear
| ance of charity, and al the same time reach
| the pockets of all, treating all alike. 1t
| endeavorS to care for the body, build up
the mind and beautify the soul.
The Spiritual Side.
The spiritual side of the Young Mems AS
ISOLATION work is not neglected or made
| subservient to the other attractions in the
building as one can readily see by visit to
| the big meetings at Lafayette Theater On
Sunday afternoons during the winter where
are gathered from two to three thousand
men, members of the association, interested
| citizens and strangers. AT the associat ton
| building every one is welcomed without re-
gard to his race, color or previous condi-
| ton of servitude, and the fact whether or
not he is a member of church, or of his
having any inclination in that direction, or
| preference as to a church home, makes no
difference. At present over one-half of the
membership of the club are not members of
any church. The visitor or new member Is
given chance to see that these homelike
comforts are furnished to a large extent by
Christian men, and by the living example
of those around him he is taught to feel
that there is after all something good in
| this religion, preached and praetfced in
every portion of the world.
| Christians. philanthropists and even a
large number of nonadherent churchmen
are looking forward with increased inter-
lid
| Young Mems Christian Association in
Washington. And with this rapid growth,
there is healthy growth for the rise is
natural, slow but sure, and through brief
| half-century has come one of the greatest
achievements of the spirit of commercial
organization as applied to religious work.
and as monument to the few brave patri-
otto men who f1fty-three years ago planted
the seed for the third association in the
world, stands this noble enterprise of our
capital city, with outlok more bright
and a present more inspiring and a past
more encouraging than the fondest hopes
of its originators could have prayed for.
| Mr.. William Jennings Bryan said upon
this topic: IF all this money had saved
but one boy, it would have been money well
spent" And it has therefore surely won
the just and responsive consideration which
the good citizens of Washington have ac-
corded 1t.
Problems Presented.
! A problem that every city has sooner or
later to meet-of what shall we do with
our young men. the life and strength of
our civic and national organization-is be-
ing solved, and rightly and well solved by
this association. Its very nature, 1t is real
ICED, appeals to the average young man.
A club is just in line with his ideas of what
| a twentieth century young fellow should
patronize where after a days work he can
take swim and shower bath and rest
few hours in the library before going home.
The very thing-only after inquiry among
his friends and having gained an idea of
| what it costs to belong to a modern city
| club, he drops the club notion. Then he
hears of the Y. NJ. c. A., which fits the
| purse of any man, even the man with no
purse. offering recreation and attractive
| amusements without the evil associations
| and companions so often connected with
| club life.
| But the "pervading intent" as Secretary
| Pierce denominates the spirit OF the move
| ment reaches past the fun and the social
| affairs; past the basket ball game and the
fencing contest; past the good food and
| choice books laid out before the members
using them as q means to an end the bait