The courier-index., 1917-11-16
CAMPAIGNING FOR
Y. M. c. A. FUNDS
so FAR PEOPLE IN MARlANNA
HAVE PLEDGED $500 AND Me-
GRoEs OF COUNTY $1,000 TO
FUND OF $500.

The campaign to raise Lee county's
quota OF $3.500 for the army Y. M.
G.. A. fund has so far resulted IN fhc
securing of pledges amounting 10
$2,5O0 OF this amount $1,50O has
been raised among the white peo-
pie In Mariana by the six commit.
tees of young men who have devoted
a portion of their time to the work.
The negroes of the county have
pledged $1,000 The contributions
and pledges made by the negroes are
largely the result of three excellent
addresses delivered In Lee county
last Sunday by Rev. ID. Il. Johnson,
in charge of the negro Y. M. G. A.
work at Camp Pike. Rev. Johnson
delivered stirring appeals to the neg.
roes at Thomasville, Mariana and
at Pilgrim church.
On Sunday teams from Mariana
will make an intensive campaign
over sections of the county and 1t Ia
expected, as a result of this activity,
Lee county will raise more than Its
quota. Among those who will ad.
dress mass meetings Sunday are p.
r. Turner and F.. NJ Burke, who Will
go to Aubrey and Rondo; r. l.. Mix
on and r. d. Smith,, who will go to
Oak Forrest and Moro; Chas. Mckee
at Haynes and Geo. Newbern at
LAGRANGE.
In this connection a letter receiv-
ed here this week from an army
officer at Camp Pike. written to .
friend in Mariana. will be interest
ing. In part the letter follows:
The Y. M. c. A. cause Is worthy
of every cent that can be gotten for
It, They have seven buildings In
Camp Pike. The men fill the build
ings to overflowing at every night
service, and lack of room Is appar-
emily the only thing that prevents
more from attending.
81 believe the Y. M. G. A. Is doing
everything 1t can for the morals OF
the men. They have a personal
talk daily with numbers of the fell
lows and after these talks give out
such pamphlets as the one | am
enclosing, "Exner's Friend or En-
emy" These booklets and pamph-
let's are never distributed broadcast,
but handed to the men after personal
talks. | glanced over some of the
reports of the secretaries today and
the estimated daily attendance was
well over 1000 at the building !
visited
"They have real evangelistic serv-
ices, but no church doctrines are
preached. Those making a profess
sion of faith join the churches OF
their choice. and the pastors of their
churches at home are advised OF
their conversion.
"No penny that is contributed to
the Y. NJ G.. A. cause will ever be
spent for cigarettes or tobacco, ac-
cording to the information ] got. In
some Of the camps where 1t was dif-
ficult for the men to purchase sup
plies the " NJ. e. AS have sold to.
bacco and cigarettes to the men In
ccmissaries that were run simply for
the convenience of the men. This IN
4 Il done, nor ms ever been done
here
''They are stressing the c. in Y.
M. G. A. as much as possible.
can't say what proportion of the men
get any benefit from the work as
know Of no way of telling how
many it really does reach. | am in
formed that. at the building | visited
today during the month OF October
four hundred testaments were dis
tributed to the men after personal
talks. and their signing the pledge
to read 1t daily. In the Y. M. G. A.
building they have a piano. Vic
trola, checkers. etc, for the enter
tainment of the men at odd hours,
with desks around the wall for writ
! ing. They furnish free of charge
envelopes and paper to the men. and
when they are quarantined they
bring this writing material to them
| In their barracks. They also have .
library open to the use of the men
without charge.
In short. feel that the " M. C.
! A. is doing more in a moral and re-
ligious way for the men than any
other force and very probably than
all other forces. | don't think any
| one could make a mistake In helping
them in their work.
-O-