Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-01
Y. NC. A. CORNERSTONE LAID
Ceremony Performed by President l. W,
Carpenter Of the Association,
H, H. BALORlGE CHIEF ORATOR OF DAY
Says Associate H. n. Permanent Or
sanitation Because Born for
Deanite work and Full
nIls Its Mission.


laying OF the cornerstone Of the new Young
| Mems Christian association building at the
[ southwest corner OF Harvey and Seven
teenth streets. a throng was present to
I witness the ceremonies, which were car
ried out on an improvsed platform. l. w.
/ Carpenter, president of the association.
acted as master of ceremonies. The pro-
gram opened with a song, Il Will Life Up
Mine Eyes" by the Kountze Male quartet.
consisting Of r. J. Spoeri, {. P. Daniels,
+. n. Bowel and A. l.. Dick. Rev. ID. 4.
Jenkins delivered the invocation following
which Howard II. Baldrige chairman Of
the citizens committee, delivered the ora
ton
President Carpenter placed the stone in
position, making an address In which he
described the work of the association and
told the story Of the building evolution.
Grafton of BaIdriEe.
In his grafton Mr.. Baldrige said;
/ Recently, l believe the association has
| more Complementary grasped what ought
10 be its methods, means and mission
II is a permanent organization. because II
was born for a definite and permanent
work. 1t is not an epnemeral or fast pass
ing institution for 1t deals with that which
Is permanent in men. 1t is here to stay
TO do the work of the church or the home,
nor to supplant the church and the home.
~ Us ancilary and supplementary and not
antagonistic TO these. 1t deals with the
whole man in his three-fold powers. II
touches the physical, mental and moral
nature. Its business is to develop the
whole man, the complex faculties Of the
| mind; to train them for definite specialized
work. to develop the physical man and
give him a strong, healthy body; to elo-
vate the soul, and to surcharge it with
aspirations for higher and better life.
It's business Is to encourage growth and
furnish the opportunity for II.
/ The law of growth is the law Of life
No life is stationary. Every day is day
of development or day OF deteriora ton.
We either know more today than we did
yesterday or We know less. We are either
better today than yesterday or we are worse.
Hence the need of well directed mental,
! physical and spiritual activity We are
like an engine on an upgrade plane-we
must either go forward or we will go back
ward. II is so easy for men to let them
selves slide down grade. It requires no
eHort The movement seems involuntary.
Just turn on the steam and release the
brake and they will soon be at the bot
tom. Persistent effort is the only thing
that counts in life. II the young man drops
on the placid sea OF life, but he is sure
to land on the shoals and the bars He
must have the stimulus for exertion. II
is found in the association Of other well
directed young men. He must have the
place and the opportunity for growth and
development II win be found here. in the
beautiful building you about to erect
II Will add much to the worth of the city.
we nave false ideas of worth. A mans
MuTln COllSlSlS not SO mQcn IN what he has
but in what he is. We ought not to meas
ure the greatness Of city so much by tile
beauty of its streets, the magnlficence of its
buildings, the magnitude of its business
enterprises, as by the character of its
citizenship Whatever makes for the
character Of its citizens makes for the
greatness of the city. To the state, as TO
the individual. morals are more than
money and principles more than price, and
this building will stand for the morals and
the manhood of this city. II must not be
a school to breed weak. homeless, namby
pamby type OF Christianity, nor of a wild
and unreasonable fanaticism, but a strong
virile flesh and blood type OF exalted
young manhood. II must not be a home
for milksops, but for men. 1t must not
be sectarian temple. II must be open
TO all creeds and denominations. Jew and
Gentle, Catholic and Protestant, must be
equally welcome TO it's portals and its
privileges. II must be broad and catholic
in it's endeavor and comprehensive in the
and ultimate purpose are and must be 10
make man better physically. mentally,
TO To- this end have the people OF Omaha
generously contributed to your plans. To
this end win this structure be erected and
The people of Omaha have given literally
Of their substance TO this building. They
Nave a faculty OF arising to the occasion
and meeting every public obligation as
they have met this one. They have almost
shown a genius for Swing. They could
recognize their Hberality and their open
handed benevolence which will make this
| DuliolnB possible.
President Carpenters Address.
President l. w. Carpenter said prior to
the ceremony of laying the cornerstone:
Before performing my duties with the
trowel | desire to make brief statement
regarding the finances of the association.
We sold our old building at Sixteenth and
Douglas streets for $2O,0O0 cash. A mort
gage and other Indebtedness amounted TO
about $4,000, leaving $l26,OO0 on hand. We
then bought the lots at sixteenth and
Howard streets for $4,000 and later sold
them for $4,000, leaving $4,000 on hand.
We then bought this property of l42Xll
feet for $59, $50, leaving about $4,000 on
hand. We raised by subscription $4,000,
making about $4,000 in cash with which
10 erect this building The building will
cost, when equipped and furnished: in the
neighborhood of $4,000. so we will have
about 5000 to raise this winter II we dedi-
cate 1t free OF debt.
desire 10 thank all contributors to the
association for their donations / desire
10 thank our citizens as community for
their generosity on the occasion OF our
canvass and l bespeak for the present
canvass of the the association, which is in
progress at this moment. the same gener-
this building. The laying Of the corner
stone OF this great building is an evidence
OF a marked advancement OF this city
: morally as we'll as materially. We should
pause here TO praise the noble work that
was done by a similar committee of pro.
gressive Christian men, who with your aid
erected the old Young Mems Christian as
ISOLATION building nineteen years ago. That
was erected for a city of 1900 inha bitants.
We are erecting this for a city of 250, 0O0
, people, and must not fail to provide
for the future. The ready response of the
citizens of Omaha to our call for 800, 0OC
last July has been far-reaching I'm it's re-
suits. ST. Paul, inspired By our example
sent for the Omaha clock and raised $3.50, 90
j Then came Duluth. Denver and Kansas
, city, who sent for the clock and raised
t amounts sufficient for the building OF as
ISOLATION temples in their respective cities
, making a total of over a million dollars
i raised for this purpose through the ex-
D. ample of Omaha.
, Do not think for the moment II was the
. Omaha clock that raised the money. But II
was first the merit Of the cause itself and
then the same kind Of organization OF
business men in conjunction with the Board
OF Directors in these various cities which
created the enthusiasm for better things
for moral advancement which awakened
the civic pride of the public and they re.
sponded most nObly in all those cities Dc
you regret for one moment what YOU have
helped us TO dO2 Do you regret what you
have helped these other cities to do by the
inspiration Of your example, and will YOU
not help our sisters I'm their noble work OF
building their building? And will you not
help us when the time comes 10 dedicate
this building free Of debt?
Articles Under the stone.
Following Mr. Carpenters address the
cornerstone was placed in its position. bui
first in a cavity beneath Il in the stone or