Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-05-25
Saturday, May IS, 1912.



The article is doubly interesting tC
our Augusta readers at this time be
cause of the weeks Developments il
the campaign to secure Y. M. c. A
building in this city. The original
question propounded was: What car
young man working in New YorE
and having no home do with his eve
nings?' The author qualities it by
saying. apart from the theatre the
pool room, the saloon and such re-
sorts" Our Brooklyn contemporary
remarks that this is uncomplimentary
to the theater and that the elassifea-
tion of such resorts" may seem
amusing to some readers.
The article goes on that the contrib
utor decided to try the thing himself,
so he rented a room in West SSth
street for couple of months and soon
found that he seldom saw anybody at
his lodging place but his landlady and
then only when he paid his rent In
the nadst of teeming thousands he
found Sone can be left alone. When he
set odt to ascertain to what extent
eleyating occupation and entertain
ment can be obtained free, he was
glad, he says, to find more opportuni-
ties than he expected These he
enumerates. one after another. Down
nearly to the end of his list they are
for the most part good things, that we
are all glad to have provided in the
city. But. as the sole means of nee
essary relaxation after work, they are,
although the author does not point it
out. lacking in one of the important
essentials.
The Libraries and reading rooms, the
exhibits at Cooper Union and the
night xclasses. the free lectures there
and in the public school buildings, the
naval display on the Hudson last
October, the budget exhibit, political
mass meetings, the Art Museum, the
Natural History Museum. the electri-
cal show. the land show a Salvation
Army meeting in Carnegie Hall; these
lead off the list. Can any. one imagine
young man actually at work in New
York kgoing out to such things night
after might? 1t would be impossible.
The, first thing every human being
needs as a means of spending an eye-
ming is somebody to talk to. If he has
a number of people TO talk to, he can
get along without much else Even
when people go to free lecture-yes,
or TO a theater or .'such resort'-the
good of it is principally in talking it
over afterward
A sociological investigator. pleasant
ly occupied during the day, could get
through a course of free lectures. bud
get exhibits and libraries without get
ting too tired; but it would be almost
safe 70 guess he took friend along!
And the whole problem of the young
man in the furnished room is that
OF getting the friends. TO sit still all
the eyening and listen to some lec-
turer stalk is an unnatural substitute
for conpanionship.
Near the end, the writer says: aAny
young fellow who joins the Y. NJ. c.
A. need never lack for an attractive
and friendly' place to spend his eve-
nings. whether he seeks recreation.
study or development in other ways"
And that is just where the city of
Augusta and her interests come in
we have arrived at a point where we
may safely boast that soon we shall
have a place where young men with
out homes may go for clean compan-
ionship and wholesome entertainment.
Young men with homes, who have ex-
hausted the repertoire of home enter
tainment and are longing for new as
soeiations. new contests of skill. new
clashes of wit and new inspiration in
the personality and the bright savings
"a NonPaiioilSs may llnu at the Y. M.
c. AZ Home all of these combined
with the atmosphere and the influence
OF the family home and the church.
Accustomed to the associations Of
the Y. M. c. A.. the average young
man has few misglvings in contempla-
tion Of a visit to another and larger
city because he knows he will receive
cordial welcome. friendly interest in
his own affairs and the conscientious
advice Of young men of his own age
who are city-wise and of older and
experienced men who have Y. NJ. C. A,
affairs in charge If lie goes wrong
II must be almost deliberately. II is
true he may fall in with evil COM
panions who will hold out strong
temptations to him to- join them in
more extravagant and daringly at
fractive entertainment. but if he
obeys the dictates Of his conscience
and NJ eorafaan sense he will seek the