The Washington bee., 1909-05-15
DR.. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
SPEAKS
(By. K. w. Thompson)

NSt duultOi lNlilo III IlC NdpltdiJ NdS /
packed this afternoon with an eager
throng of men, who came to hear
the eminent educator, DR.. Booker I. |
Washington express his view of |
What the Young Mems Christian |
Association Means to the Negro |
People"
The meeting was announced to be
gin at 2:3O p. m, but long before
that hour, Madison Place, in front |
of the house was filled with a surg
ing mass, and when the exercises
commenced, every seat from pit to |
dome was occupied and every inch
of standing room on the four floors
was exhausted. Even the little gal
lery under the roof, which is rarely |
used, was filled, and many got with
in earshot by finding places on te
fre-escape on the alley side of the
building. No such audience has ever
before gathered anywhere in this
country under the auspices of the
colored branch of the Young Mems
Chri4,.a-s 15scciation, and the sue
cess of the venture has brought de-
light to the hearts of 'Internahondi
Secretary, ]. z. Moorland, and Local
Secretary Louis R. Johnson, who
planned the affair as a means Of
stimulating interest in the great
work in which they are engaged and
to afford an opportunity for the
people to give what they could to-
ward the sum of $4,000, which is
urgently needed at this time to keep
their building operations in motion
until the new $ICo,Ooo. structure isl
completed. In the immense audience
were representatives of every inn
aginable calling, and the enthusiasm
was at fever heat from the opening
song until the benediction was pro-
nounced. On the stage were a huE
dred or more men we'll known in the
religious, business and professional
life of the community, being about
evenly divided between the races,
and the close attention paid by all
to the proceedings betokened deep
interest in the welfare of the move
ment which brought them there
from the four corners of the Dis
trict. The assembly was more than
local--it was national, and in many
respects, international.
Among the distinguished persons
seated on the platform were the Hon
orable H. H. F. MacFarland, presi-
dent of the Board of District Com
missioners; S. w. Woodward, chair
man of the Board of Directors Of
the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation; main branch Mr.. Merrill
IR. Gates, former president of Am
herst College; Honorable John w.
Foster, former Secretary of State;
Rev John Van Schaick, pastor of
he Church of Our Father; Judges
{. s. Bundy, T. z. Callan, and Rob
ert II. Terrell. of the Municipal
Court; John B. Sloman, Jr, John NJ.
Nelson. Carroll S. Page, Joseph NJ.
Dixon, n. E. Fendall and Miles NJ.
Shand; Revs. Sterling N. Brown, A,
c. Garner, William Jeffries, of Adc-
laide. South Australia; c. S. Nor
riss. NJ. w. Clair, c. c. Alleyne, L.
E. B. Rosser, S. Geriah Lamkins, L.
B.Moore. and c. H. Young; T. J.
Howard, Drs. A. NJ. Curtis, J.. r.
Francis. c. w. Cmlds, w. c. Nc
Neill, ]. R. Wilder, c. w. Cabaniss,
w. Bruce Evans, and c. H. Mar
shall; Attorneys w. L. Pollard, T. L.
Jones, and Ocea Taylor Besides
these there were the Honorable R.
w. Tyler, Auditor of the Navy De-
partment: Honorable w T. Vernon,
Register of the Treasury; Honorable
John c. Dancy, Recorder of Deeds;
Honorable r. r. Horner, member of
the Board of Education; Honorable
lanes A. Cobb, Assistant United
States District Attorney; Professor
Kelly Miller, of Howard University;
Judge M w. Gibbs, of Arkansas; {;
, Former Governor P. H. S. Pinch
back and Attorney GiIchrist; Archi-
tect w. Sidney Pittman, Nathan
Hunt, of Tuskegee, Alabama; Stew
art of New York; Rev. William
Tennifer, of Texas; Henry Lassiter,
and other.
DR.. Washington's appearance on