Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-05
MEMORY MEETING ATTY. Me-
"reminiscences Related by Pioneers IN
Work as Farewell to Building.
PUBLIC I'D NOT wIlut FOUNDERS, AS NOW
warren SwitzJer Predicts Association
Certainly viii Outgrow Building
Being Erected at seven
teenth and Harvey.

Personal "reminiscences OF the building
movement and the early years in the old
building were told at a memory meet
ing at the rooms of the Young Mems Chris
tiar association Sunday afternoon. 1t was
the ;iIs. OF Il series of four meetings ar
ranged sort OF farewell to the life in
the old building, on which the work of de.
structiUn will be begun March 10.
w. H. Russell, who became member of
the board of directors soon after the erec-
ton OF the present building, presided at
the meeting For few years after 1890 he
said, the association passed the darkest
years Of its history, and though very few
persons ever realized it, the association was
for long time in imminent peril of losing
the building. People were not interested in
the organization as they are now. and they
cheerfully and promptly turned down re-
quests for pecuniary aid.
William Fleming, one of the most ear
nest workers Of the early days, paid warm
tribute to p. c. Hmebaugh. former prcsi-
dent Of the association, who gave $4,000 to
the present building. or about one-tcnth
its cost He said:
Proved to BE Wise Move.
I'm 1856 Mr.. Himebaugh, for the associa-
ton, made an offer of $4,000 to a Mr. Black
for the ground on which the present build
ing stands. He was criticised at the time
and aftarward for paying so much, for the
offer was accepted but time has proven
his wisdom and foresight. Before the deed
was signed the association could have sold
the site at an advance of $1,000, while
year ago the property. which cost with
the building approximately $4,000. was
sold for 10000, and We had the use Of it
twenty years for nothing, which ought to
have been worth another $4,000. Not
another association in the country has
good a financial record"
Mr.. Fleming described the laying of the
cornerstone in 1887. John L. Kennedy laid
the stone. Rev Charles w. Savidgc and
Dean Gardner prayed and John NJ Thurs
ton delivered an address.
Alexander Charlton told how Mr. Elem
ing had induced him to join the association
in the late '7os. At that time the rooms
were in a small building in the rear of the
Nebraska National bank now occupied by
a pawnshop. The association moved from
there to a room 9x19 feet in the building
where Labor Temple now is at Fifteenth
and Dodge streets, and Mr.. Fleming. John
l.. McCague. c. Z. Reynolds and DR. o. $.
Ward were among the leading spirits The
association there became So prosperous that
$40 or $50 a month was required for its eX-
penses, and larger rooms were secured at
Tenth and Farnam streets. Later a home
was found on Farnam across from the
Paxton and later still in the Barker block
and two or three other buildings before the
present home was erected.
Lacked Public support.
I'm those days" said Mr. Charlton. ut
was hard to keep the association together,
for people did not look upon 1t with as
much respect as they do now
! C. f. Reynolds told how the association
was organized in 1877 with ten members by
an association missionary sent out from
Indianapolis. lie described his duties as
secretary. which consisted mainly in ''pok-
, ing up the financial secretary and the So
licitors. Even in those days the members
had visions of n fine home and worked
toward that end.
Mr.. Ravens, once assistant to Secretary
Frank Ober who left Oamha twelve years
ago was called on for few remarks. Mr.
Ravens happened to be in the city and came
to attend the meeting. He complimented
the association on its magnificent work,
which, he said, helped men to build strong,
sterling. Christian characters
: That none of those men who helped raise
money for the building at Sixteenth and
Douglas streets could have foreseen a con-
dition which compelled the erection OF
larger home, was the opinion of Warren
Switzler.
To-day" he said, lit is hard to imagine
the organization will be crowded out of the
| huge structure which is being erected at
| Seventeenth and Harvey streets, but it is
coming just as surely as the association
was crowded out OF the old building and
the old location became the center OF the
/ business district of the city.
THE growth and power of the association
was wonderful in the last fifteen years. ten
of which were years of depression no one
can predict what IT may do in the next ff-
teen years. for which indications are favor
/ able"