Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
MEMORIAL PROPOSED
TRIBUTE PAID TO THE LATE
JAMES E. PUGH.
Fund to Be Raised to Honor His Mem
ory-The Plan Out
lined.

One general secretary gave his life in
work for the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation in this city, and some of his friends
and admirers are DESTROYS of having erected
in the new building a memorial to his
name. The secretary was James e. Pugh,
who, overworked by efforts to revive the
association after the disastrous fire of July,
1895, died in October of that year. The
very suggestion has taken deep hold on
those who knew him and in many quarters
was to be heard the statement yesterday
Of the desire to give something toward a
fund to establish a memorial for this man
If such plans are adopted.
Mr.. Pugh was for some time financial
secretary of the association, and was made
acting general secretary in 1855. He re-
tired from this office to again be pressed
into service in 1883. His earnestness in the
work and his love for the welfare of young
men were factors which caused the asso-
citation to grow. Never permitting the reli-
gious department to take other than a
prominent place, the educational work, in
cramped and poor quarters, was even then
the marvel of the whole country, and the
literary, social and athletic work was MAIN
tanned at high standard Of excellence. and
the membership reached an average Of
nearly 100 men. Dark days came, how
ever, during his administration, the dark
est the association ever witnessed except
those just after Mr.. Pugh's death. On July
"a, 1895, the building, with all its contents,
was destroyed by fire. With undaunted
courage Mr.. Pugh set to work to raise
money for new building. Meetings were
held in various places throughout the city
and the work kept in progress. Over
worked and weighed down by anxiety
caused by the fire and its arrangements,
Mr. Pugh died early in October Of the year
of the first fire.
Form of Memorial.
The plan now being considered Is to fur
nish the religious work rooms as me-
mortal to the undying good that this man
accomplished for the association and
Washington. These rooms are the Yoke
Fellows headquarters. where the clubs
which have charge of the big meetings In
the theaters will meet; the Volunteer
League room and the Bible Study Clubs
home. Each of these rooms will be given
that portion of the general library refer
ring to the topics especially connected with
their work. It has been adopted as the
plan OF the new gymnasium not to have
one big reading room where possible idlers
may loaf, but to distribute the books and
magazines among the rooms devoted to GER
tain work.
Many association buildings have been
largely furnished through the presentation
of memorials. Entire Y NJ c. A. buildings
have been erected In New York as me-
MORALS to loved ones. In the building al
Scranton. Pa. many of the rooms were
fitted up as memorials. The same Is true in
Brooklyn. Cedar Rapids. Iowa, Akron,
Ohio. Colorado Springs and Dayton. Ohio.
most touching memorial was that erect
ed by Mr.. and Mrs. c. B. Soutter In Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. Instead OF a marble shaft in
the cemetery, they erected marble baths in
the Y. NJ. C. A., most complete ones. and
in the wall placed modest tablet, in
Robert Thompson Soutter. these baths we're
erected by his Parents. -