Newspaper Page Text
SPECIAL NUMBER
What The Y. M. C. A. is Doing For Augusta
(By Walter Nl. Hunter, General Secre
tary, Augusta Y. M. C. A.)
The Young Aten's Christ an Asso
ciation of Augusta, has a history ex
tending over a period of some 35
years, in which time the association
has had several homes, being located
now in its own building, at Ureene
' and Ninth streets. In its early life,
this organization had a hard struggle
for existence and weathered a good
many severe s.cvms, but as the years
went by, the citizens began to real
ize that this association was one of
the real constructive factors in the
city, and from that time to this it
has not failed to serve the com
munity.
What is the Young Men's Christian
Association? This ciuestion has been
•alted and answered over and over again,
each time calling lev an additional ex
planation, for the movement has grown
jn size and scope so rapidly that even
the leaders in this great work are at
loss to keep up with the tremendous for
ward movement. Beginning here in
Augusta some 85 years ago with a small
band of consecrated young men. without
money or prestige in the community,
•nd without a suitable equipment, the
association lias gvown from year to year,
until now with a membership of nearly
one thousand, and a building large but
still inadequate, its influence is felt In
every part of the city, and every day
men and boys by tbe hundreds spend a
part of their le'sure time at the rooms.
The whole idea is to help men employ
(heir spare time in constructive amuse
ments and work. If you will vend Luke
2:52 you will find that the Alaster in
creased in wisdom and statue, and in
favor with God and In favor w'th man.
This gives you the foundation on wh'ch
the association works. He grew in wis
dom—mental'y, hence the educational
featu.es. In statue —phvsleally. hence
the gymnasium and physical work. In
favor of God —spiritually. And in favor
with man—socially.
Here then, is the function of the Young
Men’s Christian Association . namelv:
the work of assisting men and hoys to
follow in these four dimensions, to gvow
phvsicallv. mentally, soo'n'lv and spirit
tinl’y. It might tie well to go a little
further and say that, in Its last analy
sis. the real Job of the associat'on
is to produce the incentive for men to
grow hevond the limit for- their own pro
tection and use. Into the realm of the
overn’us. To grew along these l ! nes un
til thev overflow into the community in
pane, unselfish service. The giving to
a man tire vighi kind of poise so that he
may be a valuable citizen.
Mission of the Association.
The mission of the association, then
Is unique. It is not, in thg conduct of
Its work, a copy of something else, nor
an ecroachment upon the duties of any
other organization. Neither is it a com
bination of desirab'e privileges to be
had at a nominal cost. The association
stands for everything that means an
all-around development of the men and
boys. But however that may be, lam
sure that we will all agree that the
men and boys of the community have a
right to look first to the fundamental
factors in tbe common’ty life, those
things which most vitally affect his own
persoal development. 1 have been ask
ed what I considered the fundamentals,
and I am constrained to use tlie same list
compiled bv one of the association lead
ers. Mr. Walter AI. Wood, of Philadel
phia. Tile list Is given in the following
order:
Home, School, Church, Civic Life, Vo
cation ami Recreation. These six agen
cies attect more than anything else the
personal development. Each one of
stands for a definite thing.
The Home stands for Fellowship;
the School for Development; the
Church for Inspiration; Civic Life for
Co-operation; Vocation for .Self-invest
ment; Recreation stands for Self-recov
ery. As enthusiastic as I may he over
the association, 1 do not include it in
this list of essentials. Now this test
may be applied to any individual, and
we may take his measure by the list
mentioned. If the test is applied we
will most likely find that he is short on
some essentials and long on some others,
and that is where the Young Men's
Christian Association comes in with its
service that counts, in cutting down the
longs and building up the shorts in the
essentials that mean more to a man than
anything else. It is a job that no other
organization has attempted.
Spitndid Work of Physical Department.
The association in Augusta, appreciat
ing these facts, has applied itself to the
task of assisting the men and boys of
this city in a most practical way. The
activities consist in the main of a good
physical work under the direction of Mr.
William Boyland, a man of years of ex
perience in his line, and emphasis is
here laid upon the duty of every man
and boy to keep his body clean and
healthy. To learn how to play when
off duty. To learn most of all, that rec
reation means self-recovery and not dis
sipation. To tliis end, all the year
around, tire physical department aids
and dlrecls such sports and exercises as
are seemingly needeful, and the mem
bers have responded in no small way. A
local Basket Ball League last winter
furnished enjoyment to some sixty men
and ineldental'y entevtirned their friends
by tile hundred with the weekly games
played every Thursday night during the
winter. Regular classes are held during
the fall, winter and spring to the num
ber of about fifteen each week, and the
attendance at these clnsses ran about
fifteen hundred every month. The swim
ming pool affords opportunity to hun
dreds every week during the heated sea
son for comfort and swlmm'ng, and an
annual swimming meet held at the Lake
each summer, gives a chance to those
who wish to show their skill before the
public.
The Boy* Work.
Included in the membership of the as
sociation are some two hundred and fifty
boys from the grammar and high schools
■ of the city. These boys are under the
direction of Mr. Dan G. Halford, the
special secretary for boys, and the ac
tivities are arapged ns test suited for
their deve orment. In many ways this
is an association within an association,
for the work is along the same general
lines, recognizing at all times the indi
viduality of each boy. Aside from the
general activities In the building Includ
ing the gymnasium work, swimming, and
Bible study, a great deal of attention is
given to outdoor life, and the annual
summer encampment Is always attend
ed by a large number of the hoys. This
camp usually lasts about two weeks, and
the cost is divided so that the expense
is comparatively small. Included In their
activities at camp is always the Bible
Study Course. tVhile In camp the hoys
are under the strictest supervision of
adult leaders, who ure at all times with
them.
Religious Work.
The association maintains weekly
meetings at several of the shops held
at the noon hour during the winter sea
son. The men at these places appre
ciate these services addressed by the
pastors of the city churches. On Sun
day afternoon a meeting is held at tho
association building for men, and every
Tuesday night throughout the year the
Tuesday Night Bible class meets for
supper and then for Bible study under
the leadership of Dr. J. R. Sev’er. This
class had an average attendance last
winter of about forty, and has always
held up well during the summer months.
A good deal of attention is given In this
class to doing extension work in needy
• places. , The fellowship enjoyed every
Tuesday night at the Bible class supper
MR. IRVIN ALEXANDER
juju-
President Y. M. 0. A.
served in the building, means much to
the men, and is continued right through
the year without a break.
The Lobby and Reading Room affords
opportunity for self-deve opment. Here
are to be found all the good magazines
and papers, and here everyp day in the
year numbers of men and boys employ
some of their spare time in reading. The
game rooms afford many hours ot
amusement, and the J.obby lias become a
great meeting place for the men of Au
gusta.
Extension Work.
Realizing that the work of the asso
ciation should not be confined to the
four walls of the building, this organiza
tion has reached out to serve the com
munity. Along phys cal lines, the as
sociation has served acceptably, the city
fire department and the city schools,
conducting work for the benefit of the
men and boys, and extending the work
to the girls. The association lias al
ways co-operated with the churches and
Sunday schools in their activities, and
aided in every possible way their work.
The use of the building as headquarters
for the big Baraca convention recently
serves as an example of this kind of
service. The committee rooms are used
almost every day for various committee
meetings and are always open to such.
The Chautauqua.
One of the most prominent features of
extension work ever attempted by the
association was the inaugurating of the
Augusta Chautauqua a little more than
a year ago. This plan was formulated
by tlie officers of the ssociation, and
successfully carried out in the early
sprin gos 1913. The response at that
time was Bueh as to give confidence to
the committee in charge, and they
promply signed for the return of the
Chautaqua for tlie next year with a much
better program, and on a larger scale
than ever. The success of the as
sembly in Alay last, the second annual
event, was such that the Augusta Chau
tauqua has been made a permanent in
stitution in this city, and will be put on
from year to year under the auspices
of the Y. Al. C. A. Always effort is be
ing made lo make this institution better
and bigger each year and to have it as
one of Augusta's permanent annual
events. Tlie attendance for the seven
days last May was approxiamtely thirty
thousand.
At the milllla encampment this sum
mer. the association will conduct a tent
for the use of the enlisted men. with
practically all Hie association features.
Including reading room, writing tables,
entertainment, games, etc. Tills is a
service which we bel'eve will be greatly
npnreclftted bv tbe officers and men, and
will contribute largely to make their stay
here in our city, pleasant.
New-eomers to the City.
At the Union Station, and In the ho
tels young men coming to the city are
confronted with this sign—" The Young
Men’s Christian Association offers to
any young man coming to this city to
make it his home, one month’s member
ship In the association free.” "Let ui
help you become settled In our city. ’ li
this way every year a large number o
young men, who come to the city with
no friends or work or home, ate direct
ed to the association building and assist
ed in getting a start. The employment
features of the work, has helped many
to find work when they needed a job,
and the regular association features has
hoped steady him afterward and keep
him on that job until he made good.
Here is one instance: A year c fr more
ago there came to the city a young man
from a small up-state town. He had
four dollars in his pocket. As soon as
he landed he saw the sign mentioned
above, and came to the secretary’s of
fice. lie was welcomed, given a cool
ing bath and a membership for a month
111 order that he might become better ac
quainted. and then within a few hours
he was placed in a position by the sec
retavy, and referred to a good honest
boarding house, all within the space of
a lew hours. lie Is still with the same
company that employed him then, and
has within the year been promoted un
til he now has a creditable pos tion. This
is only one of the many cases that
might be cited.
Advice and counsel form no small part
of the work of the employed staff. With
in the year hundreds of men and boys
come to the office for advice and coun
sel which Is always given without stint.
Many are helped with sympathy when
they need It more than anything else.
Membership.
Our membership now stands at 920,
Including 257 boys. This is, so far as
(lie records show, the largest in the his
torv of the institution. We can not ex
pect any greater gain for the plant now
is worked above the limit. The dorml
tcry Is full to overfowing, and every
■lay the baths are overcrowded, and we
have actually lost members within the
past year because of the lack of proper
facilities to accommodate them. The
atttendance at the building last year ex
clusive of Sundays was more than 99,-
1)00 or an average of 275 every day. The
attendance at the basketball games and
social features was about four thousand,
and many times the building was filled
to the limit. Do we realize what these
f'gtires mean? It means for one_ thing
that a big proportion of those 275 men
and bovs who have come to the building
every day would have sought recreation
and amusement in less wholesome
places. It means the safeguarding of
the lives of nearly three hundred met
and liovs every day in the year. Wtr
can’t Augusta have a building sultabb
»o tlie needs which have a'ready bee’
demonstrated?. Are we to spend all o’
our money in the erection of busines
houses and none for ft'e fel’ows who need
a place like this? What we need me.”
than material building Is more chnrao
ter building.
The Manaqement.
Tbo management of the affairs of ■
association has been placed In the In
of the following hoard of directors
Psesldetr —Irvin Alexander.
Vice-Pres'dent —C’has. E. Whitney.
Recording secretaV' - —Theo. F. Balk.
Treasurer —W. C. Lyeth. I
MR. WALTER M. HUNTER
•If
Secretary Y. M. 0. A.
Directors—S. A. Fortson, J. G. lidd
ing, H. H. Alexander, W. C. Lyeth, H.
C. Boardman, Bryson Crane, P. A
Steiner, 0.8. Strougliton, Then. Balk. W.
C, Moran,' Dr. \V. 15. Clark, W. M. Row*
land. William Martin. George W. Wright,
W. I. Curry, L. G. Beatse, C. D. Carr,
Irvin Alexander, Chas E. Whitney, T. I
Hickman, Rufus H. Brown.
These directors are elected by the
membership for a term of three years,
the terms of seven expiring each year.
This board employs the secretarial staff
which at the present time consists of
Walter M. Hunter, general secretary:
William Boyland, pliys'cal director, and
Dan G. Halford, boys' secretary.
What Does Wealth Mean to
You?
It makes us stop and think to see an
item like tills:
Hammond, Lid.—Receiving a 'letter
from Greece that he Is heir to a $7,000,-
000 estate, Mathias Canstante, a steel
worker here lias hired five close friends
at $5,000 a year apiece to help him spend
his money. That is all they will have to
do.
This man lias the same view of riches
that the Huns and Goths had fifteen
hundred years ago: lots to eat and
drink, money to spend! This power
that wealth gives, the room for living
and serving, the long reach of it toward
the futres Under the fostering of science
—to all things Mathias Constants is
blind. What docs wealth mean to you?
What dream of yours would come true
if you had $7,000,000 al your command
tomorrow? —Collier's Weekly.
QUERRY.
Trooper—l've got to attend rifle
practice tonight.
Friend—Are you learning to be a
pickpocket?—Judge.
Residence oi T. L Hickman
lift nilibhili'ctV' _
0. LLOYD, PREACHER, ARCHITECT
Big Motor Truck of Whaley Bros.
! ■ • jEf:;Jw#
jgßg&gW i'jsS2y3r< 'ffSi Jit ’ - lit * i iinT’ ilf' JKJ’jb!
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA. GA.
The Warehouse and Wharfage Facilities
of the Barge Line Wili pe Modem
in All Particulars
Tlie Terminal Warehouse and
Wharf o the Barge Line will be lo
cated on the site of the old steamboat
terminal and wharf. It will be mod
ern in every particular, will have ad
vantages vastly superior to the old
river terminal, which in its day was
good enough for the packet boats
which plied the Savannah, but which
have served out their usefulness and
will now be a thing of the past.
It will be connected with the Au
gusta & Summerville Railroad tracks,
which will give it direct connection
with every railroad concentering in
Augusta. It will also be connected
with all the cotton mills, factories,
foundries and manufacturing plants
in this district, as well as every
wholesale establishment and ware
house.
The advantages arising from the
rail connection with the river alone,
will be simply incalculable. Manu
factured goods from one of the Au
gusta mills will be taken to the ter
minal, loaded on a barge for Savan
nah, where it will be take the steamer
via the Panama Canal, for its desti
nation in China, Japan or any of the
Oriental countries.
Fireproof Steel Warehouse,
The plans and specifications of the
terminal being constructed by the
city provide for a wharf three hun
dred feet long by ninety-six feet
wide, built of rein forced concrete and
carried by a combination ot wood and
i concrete piles.
Upon this wharf a fireproof steel
' warehouse is to be biult, two hun
dred feet long and sixty feet wide.
The wharf and warehouse will be out-
I side the levee, but at an elevation ot
which will insure safety from tlie
flood stage of the river. The track
connections will be brought in be
tween the warehouse and the levee.
Along the river edge of the wharf
there will be a track on which will be
j aperated an electric crane. Two
electric storage battery trucks will
also be provided and to enable these
trucks to run down to the boats at
ordinary stages of the river, a combi
nation of inclined platforms will be
built leading down from the deck of
the wharf proper and so arranged as
to give access to the decks of the
barges at all stages of the river.
Loading and Unloading Facilities.
As the cargo houses on the barges
have large hatches in the top, this
combination of electric cranes and au
i toinobile trucks will make possible
j the very rapid and economical dis
! charge of the cargo. Provision has
also been made for freight chutes to
facilitate the rapid loading of the
, barges.
j The boats will discharge their car
go at the up-stream end of the wharf,
dropping down to the lower end for
loading so that the upper end of the
warehouse a wagon ramp will be pro
vided so that drays, when backed up
to tlie warehouse to get freight will
have the floor of the dray, about on
a level with the warehouse floor, mak
ing it possible to truck directly onto
the dray.
At the other end of the warehouse,
where the outgoing freight will be re
ceived, wagons will drive directly in-
to the warehouse to load and unload,
and wagon scales will be provided in
side the warehouse for this use.
What the Net Gain Is.
The net gain to Augusta, in having
the barge line is simply incalculable.
They are the capstone to the work
that nature had already accomplish
ed for this favored locality.
To have neglected to improve this
grand opportunity longer would have
left this city behind where she was
in 1861, when the barge line called the
Iron Steamboat Company, was in ope
ration and Augusta, by reason of her
Cheap water rates, was the chief trad
ing point of the territory for a radius
of miles around.
The War of Secession came on and
the barge line was destroyed. When
the war came to an end, railroads
were built into Augusta territory
trom every direction, diverting the
trade into different channels and in
other directions.
Packet Boats Re-Adopted.
Instead pf re-building the barge
line and re-aserting her dom nion over
the teritory that nature intended for
her, she went back to the old packet
system and allowed her territory to
be cut up and parcelled out among
rival cities and towns.
This has been going on for fifty
years, during which period Augusta
has, at times, shown actual loss in
population and importance. This,
too, in spite of the fact that she en
joyed the finest advantages in loca
tion over competitive cities. There
was abundant individual enterprises
here, but it was misdirected.
One by one other railroads were
built into the city, but Augusta con
tinued to use the old paddle wheel
boats that had been done away with
elsewhere, and hence her grant wa
terway to the sea Tel! into disease.
The Awakening Came.
Some enterprising and public-spir
ited gentlemen, having had some ex
perience with boats and boat lines, de
termined to investigate the subject
of river navigation fully and find out
the best methods of utilizing our great
natural highway to the sea, tbe fe’uv
annah River.
Alter a thorough investigation of
the subject of river navigation, both
in this country and in Europe, tlie self
propelling barge of the tunnel type
was found to be the most modern ap
proved style of river boat in use.
Tlie result is that we now have a
modern boat line with modern aermi
nal facilities for loading, unloading
and storing freight with first-class
rail connections at this end of the line
and first-class connections with
steamship lines at the other end of
tlie line.
With these suparoir advantages, for
the rapid, economical and certain
movement of freight, there is nothing
now that stands in the way of the
success of tlie enterprise. Unques
tionably. this new line must prove a
powerful iactor in the future prog
ress and advancement of AugusS®
American and German Plows
Tested
(Front the World's Work.l
In Buenos Ayres a few years ago an
American salesman of plows wished
to demonstrate to a local customer
the superiority of his goods over that
of a German competitor. The Amer
ican consul arranged for the test.
The German plays proved to be al
most exact du licates ot the American
implement in design and rather bet
ter in finisu. Wasting no t.ma in ex
planation, the American salesman
called over a powerful peon and or
dered him to swing with all his
strength with a 10-pound sledge upon
the share of one of the American
plows.
The husky Besque spat upon his
hands, hunched his muscular shoul
ders, swung the heavy hammer in a
wide circle, and brought it down on
the spot ind cated. A note as clear
as that of a bell rang out and t.ie
plow went bounding across the floor
but, save for the patch of red paint
that iused to and came off on the
hammer head, the share was unmark
ed. When the operation was repeat
ed upon one of the German imple
ments, the first share was completely
shattered, tile pieces being scattered
about the floor like so much broken
crockery. Thinking that possibly the
faultiness of this share had been an
accident of construction, perhaps of
overtempering, the dealer requested
the peon to swing upon the second
sample- This blow demonstrated that
the German implements were not
even consistent 1 nthelr defective
ness ,so rthis share doubled up under
the blow and folded lovingly in around
tho hammer like a flower going to
sleep at night.
There were tears in the consul’s eyes
as he wrung the salesman's hand in
congratulation but all he said was;
‘And they still accuse us of exporting
wooden nutmegs!”
Freezing a Patient to Cure Him
Freezing of living persons Is the some
whnt heroic remedy proposed by the
Russian scientist Bachmetleff, for t lie
Koch bneillus is killed at six degrees
Centigrade below freezing point, it being
the cause of tuberculosis so that by
congealing the person affected with the
disease the microbes are all killed. Then
he brings back the subject to life by *
very gradual applying Ills method of va
rious animals such as rat and others by
producing artiflc'al respiration In them
at the same time that the freezing pro
cess is going on, and lie thus product s
suspension of life by cold, which Is of
great interest to science ind may also
prove of much uti’lty. Freezing of cat
tle In winter would thus preserve them
without food, and they could also be
transported over gVeut distances when
in this slate. Many other applications
of the idea oan be Imagined. Of coti'se.
the method lias not as yet been applied
to the larger animals, nor 10 living per
sons, hut in prlclple th's does not ap
pear to be impossible, ard it now re
mains to be proved whether a human
can he actually frozen and then brought
back to life.--The Scientific American.
Extraordinary Advantages Offered to
Manufacturer, Jobber and Merchant
Will Continue to Work For Upbuild
ing of City
There is no surer index to the re<il
commercial prosperity of any community
than tlse number and tlie energy of its
financial institutions. Tlie banks of Au
gusta have recorded its growth through
the varying fhictnsit'ons of its h story, as
faithfully as the delicate instruments of
the weather bureau have told the story
of the temperatures, the rainfall and tlie
winds. More than this, they have ex
ercised a restraining influence on specu
lative tendencies, which the wonderful- |
ly rapid increase of the city and of the
state might have fostered. They have i
encouraged this development and they |
have done much to guide it along safe !
and conservative lines.
They have extended their Influence j
and have become the clearing house for
the industrial enterprise of this section ;
of Georgia. They have been, and are
in such close touch with state interests
that they record immediately any flue- j
tuations in the growing prosperity in j
every section of the state. Indeed, their j
splendid statements, issued from time t«» |
time, reflect the healthful conditions of
trade and commerce and manufacture in i
a territory far beyond the boundaries of j
Georgia.
Their affairs are under guidance of
conservative men. who collectively and
individually have reputations established
far and wide for safe and sane methods.
Changing conditions have gradually re
duced the prevailing rates of Interest.
The decreasing charges for loans and
discounts have been justified by tlie in
creasing demands for money and by the
more substantial methods adopted in
furthering tlie legitimate growth of the
city.
Augusta’s banks have always been a
strong factor in its solid ty. They have
at all times assisted legitimate enter
prises and today shows a more liberal
spirit than ever before. It is safe to
say had it not been fur the assistance
given by the banks Augusta’s great cot
ton business could never attained its
present i'repositions.
Augusta Clearing House.
The Augusta Clearing House Associa
tion includes in its memebership all the
banking institutions of the city.
The commercial growth of the com
munity is in no way more surely indi
cated than by the Increasing aggregate
of clearings. The following tabulations
shows this growth during the past twelve
yeavs. In this connection it is only
right to consider that -here is absolute
ly no attempt at padding, and if the
same method obtained here as in some
other cities the figures would greatly be
enhanced.
The clearings since 1899 are shown in
another table.
No. $ Fire Hall, City of Augusta
- •
G. LLOYD PREACHER, ARCHITECT
Store and Olfice Building, Saluda, S. C.
A
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V
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:< </'■■%>£ \ <>. . v ■
■&£*■■ -4p> • %
A wYr'??
0. LLOYD PREACHER, ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER
“AUGUSTA IN 1914"
A careful analysis of the figures wIP
show conclusively that Augusta has pro
gressod finely and steadily. Where de
creases ave shown as in 1908, it must be
noted that financial conditions through
out tlie country were unsettled general
ly. All still remember the troubles that
came over the nation following the mon
ey stringency in 1907. which were felt
at their worst here the year following,
but in the other instances of decrease,
general, not local, conditions, and the
cot ton crop prices were to bloiue.
It s true that comparatively small va-*
nations in batik statements within limit
ed periods may not indicate more titan
dally or temporary changes in business
conditions but increases of such great
importance cannot be taken to mean
anything but substantial, healthful and
permanent growth, which is character
istic of the Augusta of the past and the
Augusta of 1914.
Property in Mud
(Toronto Globe.)
in otic of his works John Rusk in
notes the lact that he is possessed
of a certain piece of mud on the
Thames a short distance below Lon
don, which for a great many genera
tions was looked upon merely as a muil
bank: it was of so little value that no
one took particular pains to find out:
how it came into the family, because
there was no use for it. But one day at
sonius discovered that the mud In this
Lank made good chimney pots, and ho
found out who owned the mud bank,
and he got permission to make chim
ney pots from that mud, and they gave
hint a certain number of chimney pots
or their equivalent for the privilege
of using the nuid bank. Mr, Ruskin
says that lie never looks out upon the
roofs of the house in London when
tlie wind is high and sets the chimney
pots being blown off, but what bo
thinks there Is so much more revenue
coming to him for the use of his mud.
and he asks how this disposition can
be justified, what right he had to take
from the genius who discovered this
method of making chimney pots “and
the laborer who is performing his part
of the work, when he is giving noth
ing in return. This is the essence a?
land ownership. It is the distinction
between land ownership and land use.