so much to our comfort or satisfaction in traveling as the work of these railroad associations. I wish that Mr. Ingalls, the president of the Big Four Railroad, might have been with us to-night. He did not believe in the Christian side of this work until he saw its practical working, but no man now of corresponding official position in the railway world indorses this work, and the basis upon which it stands, more earnestly than Mr. Ingalls. He establishes the work wherever he can. Whenever a strong, capable railroad man studies this subject, and the results accomplished, he is converted to it. Some who are not yet fully informed about this work have said: "Our Catholic employes will not go to the association." But it is an interesting fact that they do. Go out to Argentine, Kan., and you will find more members in that association who are Catholics than the representatives of all the other denominations together; and it is a fact, which I am glad to be able to report, that there are more men of the Roman Catholic Church associated with this railroad work than there are members of any of the Protestant denominations.

How about the future of this work? We are going forward rapidly, opening a new association building about once a month. Eleven were established and dedicated last year. It is hard to conceive what that means to the railroad men of our country, and especially what it means to their wives and children, for the work brings great blessing into the families of railroad men.

From the standpoint of the people who are financially interested in the railroads, it admits of mathematical demonstration that the work done in our association tends towards a marked economy in operation. If a man comes from a happy home or from one of our association houses and steps on his locomotive with a clear head and a clear eye, he knows the signals in front of him, he understands his orders, and he does not forget them. How different it is with the man who goes to his work from the saloon or some other low resort, primed with two or three glasses of beer or whiskey.

This work produces splendid results on the economic as well as on the moral side. All intelligent railroad officials are learning that this work is a great thing for the investor. When the holders of the securities of our railroads fully understand what it means to have these association houses at their division points, they will demand their establishment. I am convinced that in the future investors will not have as much confidence in a railroad manager who has not the sense and intelligence to see the advantage of such work, and they will prefer to have some one else manage the railroads in which they are interested.

I have had a hint given me that there are certain persons who must not be referred to in this convention, and I shall do my best to observe the command. Justice to the truth compels

me to state that there are certain good women in this country having important railroad interests who understand this subject fully enough, not only to make large personal contributions to the work, but also to procure them from others and from the railway companies in which they are interested, and I am glad to say that during the last two or three years a number of new railway association houses have been established on what are commonly known as the Gould lines.

A few points that appear to me to be grounds of great encouragement in connection with this railroad work: (1) There is a growth and progress in the railroad work everywhere, extending from Canada throughout the United States to Mexico. (2) Objections and prejudices against the work are being rapily removed. (3) Bible study in these associations is largely on the increase. And to the importance of this I wish to bear testimony in the strongest possible way. No matter what branch of this association work we are doing, whether it be in the colleges, or in the cities or on the railroads, the foundation rock upon which it is all built is faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Can you conceive of busy men going about New York or Chicago stirring up railroad presidents and railroad directors, and persuading them to visit and inspect the work done at these houses and begging them to give money for any work not established on the highest basis? No, you cannot account for this work in any other way than by the fact that the impulse to do it was put into the hearts of men by the suggestion of God's Spirit, and for the advancement of Christ's kingdom here upon the earth. We have the greatest possible encouragement in this direction, and we have every right to expect the best results. Nowhere are the other features of the work neglected, but I am thankful to say that the religious, the spiritual work, has a well-balanced relation to those other features of the work, in which we try to help the men physically and socially, as well as in other ways.

A word as to our needs: (1) We need greater consecration in the work. We ought to devote ourselves more earnestly, more carefully, and more completely under the guidance of God's spirit to this work. (2) We need more money to carry on the work. We could do many more things and do them more effectively if we had more money to devote to it. (3) We need more men, many more than the forty thousand now on our membership rolls. In order to do this we need more men thoroughly trained as railroad secretaries and committeemen to multiply the benefits of these associations, and to bring many more railroad men into the service of Christ and of their fellow-men. (4) We need especially your prayers and the encouragement of God's people in carrying on this work, which is His work.

THE RAILROAD MEN OF NORTH AMERICA

LUCIUS TUTTLE, PRESIDENT BOSTON AND MAINE RAILWAY

At the beginning of the attempts to introduce the Young Men's Christian Association work upon the railroads, those engaged in the effort received the same conservative treatment that all who present new things receive at the hands of conservative bodies like railroad managements. Railroads had tried to do something for the improvement of the moral and physical tone of their men. Sporadic attempts had been made in various sections of the country, beautiful buildings had been erected, libraries had been established, rest and sleeping rooms had been prepared, and the result had been-failure. These different enterprises had been turned over to the men with the understanding that they would manage and take care of them; and, so long as the newness was on, everything seemed to promise well. But very soon, from one cause and another, the attraction ceased, and these attempts finally failed. When the representatives of the Young Men's Christian Association came to the railroad presidents, they said, "Oh, we have tried that; it is of no use. The men won't have it." "But," the representative said, "there is something new in this." "Yes, we know; it is a prayer-meeting, and the men don't want that." I presume it has been more commonly said in connection with these discussions than any other one thing, that the men won't go if it is to be a continuous prayer-meeting. However, one

or two attempts were made. And one of the greatest things that happened, so far as I know, to the advantage of this experiment was the bringing of the New York attempt to the attention of that saintly man, Cornelius Vanderbilt. He took an interest

in it. As it has been described to me, the first railroad branch at the Grand Central station in New York began with a single room, a canary-bird, a few volumes of United States reports, and a secretary. To-day, through the cooperation of the management of the New York Central, aided by the munificence of Mr. Vanderbilt, that little association has burst from the chrysalis and occupies one of the most magnificent buildings in the country, has its library of thousands of volumes, its membership of thousands of men, its excellent rest rooms, its splendid auditorium, and an enthusiasm which nothing except mismanagement can ever quench.

I could tell you of instance after instance where the opening of Young Men's Christian Association buildings at divisional points upon comparatively new roads had driven out the fifteen or twenty dram-shops that up to that time furnished the most comfortable and delightful place of resort for the employees. I could tell you of numerous cases where the little association has been started in perhaps a single room or tenement-house, and