Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-08

out Of the depths into which he had
fallen through weakness Of character.
When It came to signing the applica-
tion blank, in which he was required to
give full information concerning his
family, he said:
mo, I can't do that. won't have
the names Of my family recorded here.
If did I could find no rest in that
bed of yours" and he went out into
the night. Where? Heaven only
knows
Only few nights ago a speaker at
one Of the meetings was a man hold
ing a responsible post in one Of the
largest corporations in this country at
a good salary. Nineteen years ago be
was drinking and gambling in Bowery
saloons.
Another interested attendant at the
meeting had gone to the branch years
before, poverty stricken German. He
was Strengthened out, gave up dis
sipated career and has since served as
United States minister to a foreign
country.
About one-fourth of the men who
are strapped and stranded and show
up here are college men," said Secre-
tary Hoot "This is kind Of clear
ing house for families around about
the country. We send wayward boys
back to their homes, to their colleges
or to their business.
Frequently father won't forgive,
but after we convince him that his
boy has reformed we always succeed
in bringing about a reconciliation.
when Cleveland H. Dodge. soon af-
ter his graduation from Princeton. was
chairman of the committee of manage
ment here, he could be seen many
evenings in the week at the service
with his hand on the shoulder of some
college man who was down on his luck
and in desperate straits.
I'VE get them from all over the
world. Only lately one of our inmates
was a college graduate from Copen-
hagen, Denmark, and at the same time
we had others who held degrees from
Princeton and the University Of Chi
cago. Men with diplomas from theo-
logical seminaries, graduates from
Yale, Pennsylvania, Rochester and
Syracuse universities. all blow In here,
and about month ago a Harvard man
without shirt to his back asked for
aid.
I'VE have had men who the second
time they came to New York stopped
at the Waldorf, which shows that they
not only reformed permanently, but
proved themselves men OF great
strength of character and business
ability.
"Our statistics show that 81 per
cent Of our men last year were not
drinking men. Drink is not the only
thing that brings a man to want.
Gambling, discomfort, lack Of concen-
tration, will ali do 1t. Sometimes 1t is
force of circumstances.
I'VE once had a graduate from a
famous medical college who studied
abroad, but got down on his luck
through adverse conditions. Until we
could find him suitable job he was
willing to do anything, and tramped
the city in search Of employment as
waiter, but in vain. Curiously enough,
his superior breeding worked against
him.
eliminating the question Of dissi-
patton. think the chief reason why
SO many college men reach these
| straits is that the colleges are turning
out more educated men than there is
demand for. OF course. men. of ap-
titude and special training are always
wanted, but those who have no par
ticular line cannot catch hold.
Many of them are not capable OF
undertaking ordinary business affairs,
and there is nothing else for them to
do. Those finding themselves without
resources come here and get a job for,
say, Sc a week. as they have done. We
give them good board for $3.50 week.
and they have chance to get out and
get a position in keeping with their
attainments and original position In
life
when II comes to dissipation. the
man who has not passed through
university or college has a better
chance to pull together. in my optn-
ion. The educated man knows too
many ways of getting into mischief,
and once on the downward grade he
falls further than the common man,
and is therefore harder to raise. So
that the money spent in equipping him
for the best position In life also
equips him for the lowest in the way
| of eYil."=NeW York Sun.