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

4
| without advance notice.
From the night school rooms w
rambled on to the dormitories. wa
| told there were forty sleeping room
for young men living away from
home, and that there were sixty-nin
| occupants in the rooms that night
Most of these fellows met seemed t
be clerks or young professional mer
There was a merry free and easy al
about those / met, as II they felt alb
| solutely at home.
My guide told me OF a youngste
who came into the ONCE the weel
previous. He was about IL years old
| and was travelling alone from Bis
marck to Grand Forks, and was toll.
| by his folks to stop at the "Y'' owe
night. The rooms were filled to tn,
limit that night but a good naturec
occupant offered to share his bed
and at SIS a. IN. the. youngster wa
awakened after a refreshing nights
sleep and gotten off in ample tim,
for the early Great Northern train.
A little later sat in the secretary
| office. and as we talked I noticed 1
letter lying on his desk. Read it.
said the secretary and here is wha
l read:
Dear Mr.. Sec'y:
l want to thank you for your kind.
ness while / was at the "Y." ...s3.l
A fellow certainly appreciates the
privileges Of such a place when a
stranger in town.. If. I can get back
with you, will certainly do so. Thank
ing you in advance for forwarding my
mail to Minot, care Of Hotel Leland:
Sincerely yours.
do. c. W.. Goodrich,
1t struck me that service of this
kind, in which folks throughout the
state had the utmost confidence in
sending their boys to total strangers,
spoke volumes as to the real value
of that institution to the community.
After while calls were given to
the men scattered throughout the
building to gather in the auditorium.
They couldn't all get in. but those
that did had their moneys worth.
There. was CHEEKY. free and easy,
democratic air in everything that was
done. The thing that struck me was
a half-hour talk young fellow. Just
returned from the European war, gave
about his experience In the war
trenches in France with the Canadian
troops. He described, simply, the daily
life in the trenches. gave numerous
experiences OF battles and army life,
and. conditions in the army life. 1t
wasn't a religious talk-it was simple
manliness and courage and gripped
every man present. r
Coming out Of the lecture hall I
passed by the reading room, and
noticed a dozen fellows reading the
latest magazines and papers. In
corner Of the room three or four col
lege students were using a large table
as study corner.
Entering the lobby again noticed
a small group busy at the billiard
III &n1N r. n
be the rule there was no smoking or
Everything around the Of
Ace was hustle, hustle and healthy
noise.
The young fellows occupying the
dormitories were coming in frequent
ly, calling for mail, and some getting
correspondence paper and envelopes.
The boys are frequently reminded not
to fail to write home to mother. The
candy in the case Oh the counter
seemed to be disappearing like snow
on a July day. That social centre was
alive with real human beings. No one
stood on dignity. 1t was Hello BILL"
"Howdy Tom" Hi there, Smithy."
And were they rich young men?
Yes, in one sense. They were rich in
health, in elasticity OF step. in
strength Of grip, in eyes frank and
honest and clear and steady; rich in
manly independence and in warmth of
heart.
Had toured some Of the factories
an hour or so earlier, / would have
seen the same young men in overalls,
and their faces and bare arms and
I would have seen the same young
men in the stores and Offices. would
have found some Of the same young
men as chiefs Of departments, battling
with the responsibilities Of such
places Of labor. I would have seen
some Of the same fellows at desks in
banks, and in the offices OF the big
would have seen
printers in their overalls pounding
the linotype, or pressmen contending
with a faulty ink fountain or cutting
an overlap for a defective cut.
would have seen messenger boys
hurrying on their wheels with their
or crying their papers on
the streets.
But here at the "Y. they were on a
common level. The boy whose dad has
the biggest bank account doesn't hold
a candle to the fellow who made full
back on the high school team, or the
first baseman who came sliding to
the home plate on his left ear with
the winning run in tied baseball
men meet, each other on a high plane.
rather than low plane.
What Like about the X. said
one young fellow, a newcomer. is
that can meet the best business men
Of Fargo on even terms. I've already
made a number of friends. and can
mingle any day without any embar-
rassment with many OF the best men
In the city"
Through the corridors Of the big
building echoed brisk band march
from the Victrola, while of in the
gym gallery a young Paderewski was
away something quick
and lively on the piano, to which the
gym class was keeping time with their
snappy, drill evolutions.
And / didn't hear anyone calling to
sinners" that 1t was time to repent.
Howbeit, they rightly call 1t The
Young Mems Christian association"
This is not said in a spirit of scott
ing, or irreverence. 1t is the picture
Of the mind OF an outsider, who is
trying to adjust himself to condition
that is entirely new to him-who is
cIinging to his former outside view,
while the actual inside facts are fore
ing themselves upon him.
III was a rollicking frolic - whole
some, rudy, strong, clean noise.
Effeminacy2 Don't you go up around
the Y. NJ G. A. looking FOR anything
Of that kind Youth think you have
stepped from a pink tea into a bat
terry Of boilers that are breathing life
into acres OF pounding machinery.
y a Il