Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-23
". H. DAYFATHER
Of Y. N. c. A. IN
RAILWAY CAMPS
Now Recognized as important
Department Of Associations
Had Origin in Temporary
South Dakota Town,

South Dakota Town
W. H. Day. acting secretary Of the
Albuquerque Y NJ. c. A.. and inter-
state secretary for New Mexico and
Arizona. organized the first CONSTITUTE
ton camp y. NJ. G. A. That was six
years ago The idea grew rapidly 4
Few years later there We're Y. 81. q.
IA In many construction camps even
IN the numbering camps ~ Canada.
The Y. NJ G. a. found ID necessary
10 create u special department to take
care Of this phase OF It's numerous
Functions.
The first construction camp associ-
alton was at Points Points was in
South Dakota. Now there is nothing
10 show where Points thriVed except
a milcpost on the Chicago. Milwau-
kee a st. Paul railway and pumping
station which supplies M0bridge, =
D., three miles away with water
As the name Points might suggest
10 Latin student they we're building
a bridge there. When the bridge was
completed Points had lived the full
period Of It's usefulness and vanished.
/ The same does not hint however
that Il was q $4,000. 900 bridge. that
! Il took three years to construct 10
ana that IL was built by the Chicago.
I Milwaukee a. 81. Paul as the first
lstep Of the westward extension Of its
I lines from Mobridge.
Points life Monoionous
At the time Points was Il lusty in
I FAINT Mr.. Day was employed by the
/ Y. NJ. G. a. international committee.
Mr. Day was on the way 10 Mohridge
TO investigate the possibilities for
starting q branch Of the association
there when he happened into Points.
Five hundred men were there. living
In bunk houses covered with tar pa
per Life AT Points was just a dreary
succession of work days and mouOto-
nous Sundays, with nothing to do.
Pay day was different Nearly all the
500 would go 10 Mobridge on those
DAYS To cash their checks and part
Of that number returned 20 Points
well "organized"
The engineer in charge told Mr.
Day that all the highwater and float
ing ice, that swept away his tempo
rary structure gave him less trouble
than pax day. With fifty or seventy
FIVE workmen ginned TO the eyebrows
iiAf lfAA NAAr OF ittHlN EWf HEAfA6i
days II they had taken the precaution
To bring a bottle back, work was
seriously interfered with
Even "Sandhog" Wanted IL.
Mr. Day reasoned the men didn't
get drunk merely Tor the sake of get
ting drunk. They drank because they
craved sociability. lie thought a "
NJ. &. 4. would supply their gregari-
GUS needs That was the inception.
4 casual conversation with sand
hog who WAS stretched out in the
sun after his turn at the bottom of
the caissons. convinced Mr.. Day that
la Y NJ. G. A. was the thing. When
he unfolded his plan to the "sandhog'
his remark was Gee. / wish we had
something like that here"
How much this endorsement was
worth was shown by the engineers
opinion of the "sandhogs." MIR. Day
had noticed part Of one clubhouse
was unoccupied. He suggested that
the engineer give him "A new bunk
house, just going up, for the Y. NJ.
.C. A. and move more men into the
untenanted part Of the older house.
why. the sandhogs live there.
said the engineer with an emphasis
that branded Mr. DAYS suggestion as
"sandhogs." Mr.. Day learned were
hard workers and like most men of
hard and perilous occupations, were
heavy drinkers. The f'sandhog's" ap-
praval. therefore, had ponderous
weight with Mr. Day, IL convinced
him his plan was right.
FIRST \. VI. {. \. in Coach.
MIR Day tried to get the president
Of the road to turn over the bunk
house While he was supporter of
the Y. N. c. A., he refused. Every
body. perhaps including the presi-
dent. was not as confident of the
possibilities of Y. NJ. G. A. In a con-
struction gang. MI. Day finally got a
coach and the association was estab-
lshed in this at Points. II was stock
ed with books, magazines and games,
such as checkers and chess. A phono-
graph was bought by popular sub
scripuon among the construction
crew.
realizing that success depended in
n large measure upon the secretary,
Mr.. Day secured the country for a suit
able man he finally found the one
he sought He was a secretary in
mining town In the Colorado noun
tains. He was a miner and preacher.
Preaching in that region was not pay
ing. lie had to dig coal to support his
family. The altitude was too high for
his wife and he was willing to Try
Points.
Here the y. N. C. A. put to good
advantage the lure Of the bright
lights" MIR Day had observed that
Nights draw men The coach Y. NJ
G.. A. was studded with incandescent
globes. thanks 20 an electrician who
favored the association.
First Md for SOuses.
The number Of iags showed a fall
ing or the first pay day. The secre
tary. whom Mr. nay describes as a
bulldog" a square shouldered ath-
lete. went to Mobridge with the
workmen. He put in the day Mr. Day
says. loading them on wagons and
coal cars as soon as they reached the
stage technically designated as half
shot and sent them back 10 camp.
They were unused TO this sort Of
treatment They expected 10 be kick
ed out the back door as soon as they
had blown themselves This gave the
secretary Influence over the men.
Believing many OF the men would
stay at Points il they could cash
their checks there, MIR Day made ar
rangements with a Mohridge bank 10
e.,,a fa,p.e fhara "a ha following nav