The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-24

of their religious meeting. About 100
young fellows filled the assembly hall.
| You could have heard them sing two
blocks away IL the windows had been
open. After the address was over /
heard man coming down the stairs,
say-"Well / guess I've heard forty
sermons on that subject before, but 1t
| never struck me so forcibly before"
| Why? Because the subject was put
up from the masculine standpoint, and
was brimful of facts relating to daily
| life. @.e
Monday, noon, made the rounds of
the building again. This time didn't
Know what / was up against. In
groups Of three and four, business
and professional men came bustling
up to the counter, doffed their over
coats got their towels. called out a
mystic number to the clerk, and were
on to their dressing room, In about
f1ve minutes / heard noise that re-
sembled menagerie at meal time. I
hustled over to the gallery and saw a.
sight that made me feel like when /;
was kid of twelve SHINING the cat"
on q tree limb in our, old back yard,
There were a bunch of men, some bald
as babies. They were yelling like a
bunch Of lunatics. Across the center
of the room, a net was stretched and
of pumpkin was being batted back
and forth. Those presumably sane,
adult men were going after that ball
as If their souls salvation depended
on it. Such yelling / never heard.
Over on the side lines a young fell
low was calling out 1918, and when
he finally called 21-19 those fellows
acted like a bunch OF free silver men
in the Bryan campaign. What was it?
T11e Lot - Hciy
forgetting the cares OF business, and
becoming boys again over what they
call volley ball. I'd bet my last cent
not a man thought of his business, or
profession once during the hour he
was on the floor.
The fact that the "Y'' gym inter-
ested men as much as 1t did the boys
was certainly news to me, for never
saw lot of boys scrap over a game
worse than those dignified financiers
did over winning point in their
crucial game.
At 1890 o'clock 1 dropped in to a
luncheon given by the board of direct
ors. A joint meeting Of the Fargo and
Agricultural college y. M. G. A. di-
Irectors was being held to discuss the
financial side of their institutions.
Twenty-four of the busiest men Of
the city had gathered together. Every
director, but one, of each society, who
was in the city. was there. The evil
dences of good fellowship were appar-
ent on every side around the table.
These men were analyzing their finan-
cial problems, for the Institution is not
self-sustaining any more than is q
college. It never has been. and never
will. 1t would be a rich mems club II
| IL were for the average cost per MEM
Der is $22 per year. and mighty few
boys could rake up that amount un-
aided.
These men, every one of whom had
been digging deep into his own jeans.
were there discussing the names OF
men in Fargo who are able to dig
likewise, and they were preparing TO
go after them and show them why
they should do their share in the dig
cling process to produce best results.
singled out one of the best boost
ers and largest givers Of them all, and
asked him what he got out of his Civ
ing. 81 get a good deal more out OF 1t
than ] put In" was his quick re-
Spouse. These men know they can
count on each others loyalty. Ihey
find that after they have struggled in
the game OF finance they must. in
order to win the game, give their dol
liars back to man-that in reality there
is but one satisfying occupation In
this world, and that is the work OF
making manhood-of assisting young
fellows to make real men of them
selves.
wednesday night again sat around
the dining room table. This time 1t
was the Bible study groups, who
were lunching together. They had
simple satisfying meal together. q
few announcements were made. the
treasurer of the club called on the
fellows to "chip in'' for the cost OF
the supper which they did cheerfully,
and then separated into their four
classes for the study period.
was interested in what they were
studying. 1t was an unusual type OF
Bible teaching for me. There were the
subjects. The Campaign Of Friend
ship, Men OF Steel. Jesus. the Leader.
Boy Life. What did 1t all mean?
Simply that these keen minded chaps
were studying how to be leaders in
their various churches, and you
couldn't tell 10 save your life, which
church they belonged to.
i learned that there were also four
separate groups of younger boys TAX
Ting up systematic biographical Bible
study, with older high school fellows
as leaders.
Earlier In the week ! sat for shoI@.
time with a gropp Of about forty boys
from the high school. II was strictly