The Washington herald., 1907-01-28
HaPd-luck Man Finds Help
for Asking in Gotham.
$35O,OOO CLUBHOUSE PROPOSED
what One Branch of the Young
Mems Christian Association Is Do
of the Metropolis on Their Feet
Again-square Meal for Cents.

OF social service carried on in New York
City by the Bowery Branch Young Mems
Christian Association
So impressed have some New York
philanthrOpists become over this kind OF
help given the "hard-luclz man" in the
metropolis. that at the thirty-ffth ami
versary meeting held in the Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian Church this afternoon, they
proposed to erect fourteen-story club
lodging house in the heart of the Bowory
10 take the place Of the present wornout
structure.
Bed for u Cents
William H. Sage. who has been a dicee-
tor Of the New York Y NJ. c. A for
twenty-four years, in urging the matter.
said that in this building there would be
accommodations for 500 men. Instead of
renting a bed for - cents d night. as in
the cheap hotels, man struggling to get
on his feet could hire a room with some
of the comforts of home, and secure table
board for $40 d week He would join the
club" first. and feel that ne was not an
incidental lodger, but that this was his
club" dormitory with 80 free beds
n
fireproof construction will cost $4,000
Thirty-fve years ago Norris X. Jessup,
now president Of the chamber Of COM
merce. had his sympathy excited by the
great numbers Of young men coming 10
New York city who had spent their last
cent became discouraged, and threatened
to swell the army Of discontents and dere-
Icts in New York City. These men were
inevitably borne on the tide of circum-
stances to the Bowery, where they could
exist for few cents a day. picked Up
each day by odd jobs He led the New
York Y. NJ. c. A. 10 establish a place
where men could be fed and lodged and
put il In touch with man who would
take a friendly interest in every strug-
Cling fellow and try 10 re-establisE him.
Meals at Cents Each.
over 2o0,0g0 meals a year are served to
men at cents each, if they are able 10
pay it. and for nothing If they are not
When q man has no money he is given
help. with the understanding that the only
manly thing for him 10 do is 70 pay u
back when ne gets work. over thou-
sand men a year are secured positions
while thousands more are themselves able
90 find places because of the timely aid
given. which enables them 70 live until
they get their first pay
owen Kildare. the author Of famous
BOwery sketches. VINO was born and
reared on the BOwery, SAYS: From
Brooklyn Bridge to Cooper Union there
are only two places on the B0wery where
religious services are held. Both places
are doing splendid work along their spe-
cial lines. one is the Bowery branch Of
the Young Mems Christian Association
OF 3.G6 men who came 10 the branch
during the year 4 per cent were thirty
FIVE years OF age and under, g. per cent
were Protestants; 81 per cent Roman
Catholics. 81 per cent of the men we're
single. and over e. per cent had been in
the city less than thirty days More than
half had been out Of employment less
than thirty days.
1t is d significant fact that but g per
cent were ahstaiuers, and many men who
had become victims of their appeutes
have found the help they need TO make a
new struggle for character, and no man
who does not make an honest effort 20
be better is permitted to remain here.
Men who had abandoned their families,
business men who had abscOnded, uni
versity men who had gone wrong, boys
who had made fools Of themselves. and
big boys who ran away from home and
responsibility. have here been brought I'M
der sane Christian treatment to face their
folly and begin life under new Influences.
In these thirty-five years 5000 men have
been guests of the friendly hotel, who
were "a menace to the public. and many