Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-08
BIC CAIN is SHOWN
In 1909 the Y. M. g. A. Added
81 Buildings Costing
$6,876,000.
VARIOUS CITIES AND TOWNS
Work Is Extended to Foreign Lands,
Including Shanghai, Manila
and Honolulu.

The record of the Young Men S
Christian association of North Amer
lea in adding to their equipment 81
new buildings worth $6,S76,000 in
1903, and with as many more under
way to cost $6,894,000 is a demon
stration of the fact that the organ
ization has become a recognized and
necessary part of the equipment of
city and of a railroad, university
army or navy post, mining town or
lumber camp. Although the associa-
ton has had to study economy in it's
leash business" in buildings opened
and current expenses last year aggre-
gated over $14,O0O,OOO. Business
men have shown the same attitude
toward the association as President
Brown of the New York Central
lines (whose road is one of its larg-
est supporters who recently remark
ed. During the recent disastrous de-
preston while we had empty freight
cars by the mile and every possible
economy was resorted to on our
roads, not dollar was taken from
the appropriation for the Y. NJ. c. A"
Twelve new railroad Y. NJ. c. A.
buildings were opened in the year,
paid for by the railroad companies,
the employees and citizens, costing
from $4,000 to 100000 each. Judge
Gary of the United Steel company
erected a 100000 Y. NJ c. A build
ing at his own personal expense for
the company's employees at Gary, In
diana. Thirteen other buildings,
worth from $1,000 to $4,000, have
been put in the associations hands
for management by the companies in
cotton mill, coal and copper mining
towns, lumber camps, smelling COM
panies and manufacturers. A $685.
900 building, the gift of John d.
Rockefeller, was opened for the sail
ors at Norfolk, Va, Mrs. Russell
Sage's gift of $4,000 doubled the
1902 for the sailors in Brooklyn by
Miss Gould and is used to it's full
capacity Alfred Vanderbilt put up
a 100000 association clubhouse at
Newport, R. l., in memory of his
father, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
EndOws 100000 for Building.
The late Loyal L. Smith erected
and endowed a building worth $780,
900 for his native town of Platts-
burg, n. Y. and w. ". Smith invest
ed $3.50, 1000 for a similar purpose in
Poughkeepsie. The Y. NJ. G. A. of
Chicago is raising a million dollar
fund Ito which Victor F. Lawson
$1OO,OOO), much of
which will be devoted to erecting dor
mitories for young men about the
city. BY a recently derived method,
rapid and popular canvass of a few
funds for buildings, as in Boston
S514,0OO was raised in 10 days, and
$1.5O0.OO0 in neighboring New Eng
land towns within two months. The
same plain has worked as we'll in
China, and in Manila and
Good Investments
Outworn and outgrown buildings
erected by the association ten and
20 years ago have proved gold
In Winnipeg the building
which cost in 1891 $4,000 was sold
for $290,0OO; that at Montreal cost
ing 100000 for $25O,0OO; at Cleve-
land for 100000, which cost $751;
900 in 1891, and the Boston associa-
ton home costing in 1883 for $780,
600 is worth $65o,O00.
The new buildings opened within
the year have been used to the fullest
as in Jacksonville, Fla, ev-
cry one of its "a sleeping rooms were
taken by young men.
At Indianapolis the membership in
creased from 2,12S to 4,2S5, and the
daily attendance from 500 to 1000;
at Detroit where the new building
provides 10000 square feet of floor
space for educational work and 1000
students.
Big Membership Increase.
The year shows a decided increase |
in membership, attendance at educa-
Lional classes, gympasiums, religious
services and bible classes, but the
largest indication of the vitality of
the associations service is shown in
It's rapid adaptation to the needs of
men and boys, especially of those en-
gagged in trades, and of boys obliged
to leave school to earn their living.