The daily sentinel., 1910-01-15
IN THE DAYS OF THEIR YOUTH.
How Some Men Who Made-Good Re
call the Time When They Were
''l. VI. G. A. Boys.-An Office boy
Who Becamc a Philanthropist.

the trustees and directors of the
Brooklyn Y VI. c. A. the other night
and about him were a group of men
who stood high in Brooklyn's bust
ness, social and religious circles.
had heard of Mr. Peabody's many
gifts TO the y. VI. c. A., which gave
emphasis to his advocacy OF the assU-
citation as a factor in the civic, busi-
ness and religious life OF the city. n
was interesting TO learn the real rea-
SONS for MIR. Peabody's interest and
what put bit of pathus in his voice
when he spoke of the needs OF young
fellows away from home and the I'd
yautages OF the night schools TO them.
The treasurer or the Manhattan Ele-
waited Railway who sat at my right
knew the reason. IL was this: When
MIR. Peabody was a boy i'm his teens,
he came from Columbus Ga, TO
make his way His education vas
limited and he found that he needed
"A knowledge OF business to get ON in
/ the big office where he had secul ed
a Lob in Wall street, and for sew
Cral seasons he was one of the hard
working students in the association
night school lie has never forgotten
the start the association gave him
on that business career which has
made him one OF the successful men
| Of the century.
In introducing one of the spcoh-
ers, Mr. Peabody nImscu a puu'-A-
thropst, told a story which throws
/ light on the muuuCent giving OF the
| millionaire pnIlanLnroplst, the late
/ Morris k. Jesup, and at the same
/ time, may be. the basis of his own
| generously planned distribution OF
/ his fortune My first employer,
/ said Mr. Jcsup to Tr. Peabody, was
an elderly gentleman filling an inn
portant position. lie had known me
wei ana given me his confidence as
| We came into close business and per-
! souai relations and after ! had start
! ed in business for myself When
! stricken with his last illness and
| knowing that he could live but a few
| days he sent for me- ] was then a
young man and was surprised that
| he committed TO me such an import
ant business trust, involving large
sum of money. My aged friend said
| to me, Morris, l shall not see you
again. wish you to make me two
promises; will YOU? MIR. Jesup, un-
| der the circumstances, of course, re-
| piled with very much feeling, II
| will Promise me never to endorse
a note for any man This promise
which | readily gave, proved TO be of
| inestimable value to me. lie next
| said, Promise me that you will be-
! gin now while you are young to siye
away money Mr.. Jesup involun-
tarily started with evident surprise,
at which his revered friend said, Yes,
| see you start, and naturally you
/ a 10 las
advise me to do what you have not
done yourself? That is just it, Nor
ris, said he, 1 did not begin young
and found out too late that l simply
icould not give Do not you make that
Lmistalle." Mr.. Jesup, whose benefac-
Ftions ran up in the millions, consid-
lered this one of the greatest expert
Fences of his life and one that was of
funtold value to him in every way.
This story has additional interest for
| the late John S. Kennedy, whose be-
quests astonished the world. was at
one time a partner with Mr. Jesup
and undoubtedly was Influenced as
well as Mir, Peabody by that pledge
made.
The youngest man at the guest
table, yet on the best side of forty,
lian alert, keen-eyed, able-to-take-care
f-himself-on-his-feet sort of man
sat at my left. He was presiden, of
one of the big trust companies of
Greater New York. He said to me,
l"l am under big obligations to the
by. NJ. c, A. When as a youngstcr ]
joined It's debating society, | could
not put two sentences together, but
| before a season was over | could do
something in a debate. Then | com
menced to find myself on the floor,
think on my feet, enjoy a scrap and
spar for points. Then / got to maxi
ing some addresses in its meetings; ]
| liked as well the scrimmages in the
basketball games. in the gymnasium,
and at the same time / was studying
hthe commercial branches and business
| law in the night school. A few years
.afterward when the political cam
tpaign was on, found myself in enc
of the clubs and then on the plat
form This man is now looked on
as one of the coming men in the poll
tical arena in the city and is treasur-
er and a leader in one OF itsIargest
clubs. He says he owes it all to the
training the Y. NJ. c. A. gave him,
A few days later | was present at
the International dinner of the Y. VI.
y. a. di NuG W dl4bAI-ASlDlld lds Win
some 400 men who can afford to pay
for dinner there, and who back up
fthe Y. NJ c. A. in its extension by
their gifts of 100000 or more a
year. One of the guests was Senator
Elihu Root former Secretary of
state It was Interesting to hear Mr.
Root tell the story of his first ac-
lUaintance with the y. NJ c. A. when
he came to New York fresh from col
! lege in the sixties. There he met its
first secretary, Robert r. McBurney
and formed a lifelong friendship
with him-a friendship which he de
clares was one of the moulding in
fluences of his life, and especially
timely at that age when young man
in a strange city needs the helpful
influences thrown around him. His
words, therefore, had special weight
when he said: The association seeks
to open the door of opportunity in
the whole world to the young man
and to make him good and useful
citizen, noble and forceful man, 1t
a inns IN acoomnlich tie DurDOga bv