Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-15
WORK OF Y.M.C.A.
WARMLY PRAISED
Harrisburg Man Writes of
What Association Is Doing
For Soldiers in Field

The work of the Y. NJ. c. A. ushers
in the United States training camp
| is set forth Interestingly by Frank l..
Hessenberger, a former employe of
the Harrisburg Telegraph, who re-
Gently enlisted as camp secretary.
writes in part:
Il want to pass on to you at this
time a few facts and figures which
may come in handy in your solicita-
tion next week. Camp Upton is cf
course typical of every cantonment
as regards Y. NJ. c. a. Here we
have eight buildings, each building
designed to cater to u complete regi-
ment of $500 men. The building is
theirs in every sense, and almost un-
limited is the use to which it is put.
Each building costs in round fig
ures $500 to erect, another $4,000
TO equip and $500 a month to op-
crate, the last Notwithstanding the
fact that salaries of the secretaries
are much less than paid in ordinary
business pursuits. In fact there are
number of secretaries, particular
camp departments whose services
are gratis. Each building operates
upon definite program, each even
ing of the week seeing something diff
ferent in the way of entertainment.
Movies, educational lectures, reli-
gtous services, boxing and athletic
stunts are top liners. OF particular
Importance here at Camp Upton is
the English classes which have come
about as the result of cooperation
between the Army and the Y. NJ. c.
y. In the building here we have
on an average of five English classes
day, as well as battalion signs
and personal hygiene lectures. OF
course these things are Army activi-
ties, but put over by our co-opera-
tion. And extremely important they
are too, for Camp Upton is, to my
knowledge, the most cosmopolitan of
all cantonments in its makeup, haV-
ing drawn its men largely from New
York City and environs.
Stationery and envelopes are fur
nished free and play n most import
ant part in the comfort of the men.
Desks built along the sides of the
walls provide writing space for two
hundred men to sit and write at the
same time. A fair weeks consump-
tion of paper is 5000 sheets; of en-
Velopes about 1900. Letters go out
of the building at the rate of 5000
day. Then, too, there are furnished
without charge, pens, ink, wrapping
paper, twine, paste, and a dozen
kindred articles a free library is in
operation. and Il reading room with
an open fireplace and electric table
lamps, and leather-"overed chairs
and divans and tables provides maya
zines, papers, games and so on.
When one approaches the ques-
ton of what the Y. NJ. c. A. in the
field is really able to accomplish, one
attempts to answer an altogether diff
ficult question. That good is actual
ly accomplished is an established
fact, but to measure that good is the
difficult thing. Y. NJ. c. A. stands
for and breaches clean living in body.
thought and spirit. That same
thought is carried out in all things
whether it be boxing or religious
services. To measure as a whole
this good is well nigh impossible, but
the various expressions of the men
and officers of you are always doing
something for somebody else," and
i don't know what we would do
without the Y. NJ. c. \. here" are
indicative of the place the institu-
ton holds in the minds of the men,
and offer to some extent in an in
diVidual manner a gauge by which
one man mentally forms an opinion
of the work as a whole.
Knowing what 1 now know of the
work, l would not be elsewhere. IT
was no easy thing to break the as
sdciations of the telegraph. and
many are the times when l mentally
go over the work of the day there
Dut L cannot say anything which
Will give even a remote idea of nv
pleasure in trying to make things
more cheerful and worth while for
the new soldiers of the United States
Army. They face big job, and, as
every secretary is taught, there is
nothing too good for them, neither is
anything which can be done for
them too much trouble to do. And a
secretary'S utility expresses itself in
multitude of forms, from the high
est calling of teaching the spiritual
to the other extreme of sweeping
floors and washing windows so that
the mems building might be COM
Portable.
'Y. NJ. C. A. stands for mar
things, and many are the nbrasass
winch have been made from tba ini
tlals, put the soldiers view or rather
ms version is, You Make Christia lit.
attractive. And in that sentance
aim. Vi our
too iuSI tnat have not gone into
~ niuth detall. Once 1 got into
the subject l said a great deal mnro
than had in mind when I started
enclosed are two cards. a small
quantity of which I have sent Won
uhder separate cover. NV tbo,,ob.
was that they may possibly supgost
some advertising method to yo1,
winch you may profitably empIov in
your work of the week. We have
nad the men use them as much os
possible during the past few, d,,.,. as
here is my thanks once again
Tor your letter. and here also ara I'm I'm
very oTG b pest wishes for yourself, family iy
ana the staff. My very best req lg ,Is.
go TO everyone through vo,,ss,,Is g, us
and and by the way. it has been a real real
pressure every two weeks to he abIa
10 To- go 90 through the pages of the TeIeo @
"S; aSiy; rnu raeo see the advertising.
Most cordially,
FRANK"