with much doubt on the part of every one whether it had any chance of success; and within two or three years there has been an urgent demand for a new building to accommodate the railroad men who have gravitated to it of their own accord because there was something in it that they wanted.

We began four or five years ago upon the railroad that I have the honor to serve with one little place, and we now have several and probably shall have several more. In one instance, at a point of junction which was not much more than a railroad town, upon a recently acquired line, we found that the principal place of resort for our men in that section was a fairly well kept hotel, but that the best end of that hotel was the barroom. We couldn't get rid of it. It was not upon railroad property, and we had no control over the acts of the owner and lessees. I presented the matter to our board of directors, and they said, "Buy it!" And we did. We have shut up the hotel and we are opening a Young Men's Christian Association in that building.

Every one knows that the association has been a magnificent success, but perhaps every one does not know that the most magnificent part of the whole success has been the railroad branch. Perhaps few know that no part of it was undertaken with greater doubt as to ultimate success. There must be some reason for this. Railroad men as a class are of the highest order of intelligence. They are not apt to take anything on trust. They are taught, particularly if they are in the operating department, that they must take nothing on trust, that they must obey strictly every rule, but at the same time they expect that the other fellow who is interested will also obey his part of the rule; and then they are further instructed that in every case of doubt they are to take the side of safety. That makes men conservative and cautious about everything, and when you bring to them any new thing or new idea, they want the reason for it. They are practical.

I have been very much interested in scanning the reports of this Jubilee Convention to see what the different speakers have given as the reason, as the cogent and concrete reason for the great success of the Young Men's Christian Association. While they put the matter in different terms, I think they all come back to the point where they mean to say that it is because of religous enthusiasm and fervor. That opens up a thought to me, and perhaps to others, that may be the truth, and undoubtedly is, but is it the whole truth? The history of civilization for four centuries has been the history of results arising from various kinds of religious enthusiasm. It was religious enthusiasm that led the Emperor, Charles V, and his son, Philip II, to undertake the absolute extermination through the cruelty of the Inquisition of every person who did not agree with them on religious matters. And yet when you read the story of their

last years, of their preparation for death and for the future life, you cannot doubt that they were earnestly and honestly pious from their points of view, and were religious enthusiasts. There was no greater religious enthusiasm than that which sustained the first settlers of this Massachusetts Bay Colony. No one doubts their honesty of belief, but we know that their religious enthusiasm drove Roger Williams away because he didn't agree with them, and turned out Ann Hutchinson to be murdered by Indians in a Connecticut colony, and whipped innocent Quakers at the cart's tail. Within the fifty years in which this association was born, in a Connecticut town adjoining one of its principal cities, that same kind of religious enthusiasm sundered family ties, and broke up neighborhood associations of years because a Baptist church was erected in the center of the village and took away certain members from the old orthodox Congregational church.

These are kinds of religious enthusiasm, but not the kinds upon which this association thrives. And why is it that with the pages of history smoking with the flames and gory with the blood of judicially murdered opponents of religious beliefs, why is it that a new kind of religious enthusiasm has come in and has successfully established this great organization which has proved by half a century of life that it is fit to live? In my judgment, it is because the religion which is the corner-stone and foundation of this movement is the divine religion that breathes forth from the Sermon on the Mount, from the parable of the good Samaritan, and from that great commandment, called by the Great Teacher the second commandment, which teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The old dogma, the old theological discussion, the old controversies about the width of the band upon the gown-all those things have been brushed away by this twentieth century interpretation of the religion of the Master which is not a religion of oppression, but which has come to be one of freedom and toleration, a religious freedom which has enabled the formation of this great association made up of every faith and sect that acknowledges the divine origin of Christianity and human kinship in the broadest sense.

That is to me the reason of this successful fiftieth anniversary of this association. I believe that its work will be perpetuated just so far and just so long as these same broad principles of divine compassion for man and human kinship, this holding out the hand to help every man, whatever his level, continue to prevail, and just so long as are left out creed and sect and theological discussion. But, on the other hand, the moment that the association undertakes to do the other thing, it will begin to fail, as it will deserve to, and its descent will be more rapid than has been its ascent.

There is just one more thing that I desire to say in regard

to this matter of the success of this association—and I say these things in the days of our prosperity, lest we forget. The Young Men's Christian Association in every department, and particularly in the railroad department, is a business organization, conducted upon business lines, by able men who have nothing else to do and who devote their whole time and energy to their particular part of this work. This is one of the great elements of success. You get nothing of this world for nothing. This great association must have means to pay the men who work in its service, not extravagant salaries, but so that they may live comfortably and make a decent appearance wherever they go, and not worry about how to-morrow is going to be with them. As far as the railroads are concerned, they are perfectly willing to contribute, and they do it cheerfully, but they expect the men to bear their share of the financial burden and to take the burden of the management; and thus far that plan has been successful.

THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF RAILROAD MEN AND THE CONTRIBUTION THERETO OF THE RAILROAD DEPARTMENT

R. S. LOGAN, VICE-PRESIDENT CENTRAL VERMONT RAILWAY

I

What is the religious life of the average railroad man? refer more especially to the train men. Had we asked that question of some of the old-time railroad officials a number of years ago, and even of some of those of more recent date, we should have had a frank, terse reply of "I don't know," or "very little." Unfortunately, the answer would be quite true, with but few exceptions.

The atmosphere in which the average railroad man lives is not conducive to quiet meditation or deep religious thought. He is always alert, active, ready to respond to the call of duty, with the ever-hoped-for opportunity of promotion in view, or, on the contrary, is shiftless, easy-going, caring little whether he keeps his present job or not, knowing there are other roads he can doubtless work for, restless, moving and careless; his religious instincts are neglected, and, like a neglected garden, soon run to weeds.

Most of us can remember the time when, in our own committees, the railroad men were looked upon as a class to themselves, indeed, as the Ishmaelites of our modern life. There are many communities that so regard the railroad men to-day, and we cannot deny that they have some cause for it. These men are here to-day and there to-morrow; especially is this so of many of our central and western railroad men. A restless habit seems fixed upon many of them. Considering the irreg

ular hours of work and under such conditions, the opportunities to cultivate the religious and moral side of their characters are very few, and with lessening opportunities the better instincts become weakened and dulled.

Many railroad men have had little or no early home training, while quite as many others are young men who are prompted to enter railroad service by the desire to travel and see and learn about the world, leaving good homes and surroundings, where godly parents have taught them true principles of right living and thinking. Those who are easily led become careless of their moral and religious duties, and drift away from the teachings of their childhood. Some of us know men who are admired for their generous impulses, manly and honest dealing, and for their capacity for intelligent railroad service, but whose moral and religious sense seems dulled and often wanting, and who, when not on duty, are prone to associate with those who patronize regularly the rum-shops and dens which spring up in the vicinity of every railroad terminal. Here they often spend their earnings and physical well-being foolishly, destroying their value as men and as employees, and unfitting themselves for the important and responsible duties of their calling.

These men are practically beyond the reach of the usual church organizations and methods, such as missions, teachers, and missionaries. Owing to the unfavorable surroundings of our terminals, the churches withdraw to an inconvenient distance, and the men who may at first be inclined to attend church, owing to their hours of duty, their dress, etc., soon find it inconvenient or undesirable to do so, and become negligent in this respect. It is here that the work of the railroad department is most apparent, for there are many thousands of railroad men who are governed by noble impulses and aspirations, and who wish to do what is right; to them the quarters established by the department at various points are as a haven of refuge, where they can learn to better themselves in every way.

Many men have had little or no opportunity in early life to gain even an ordinary education; others have attained to a limited knowledge, but they desire to know more, and in the association they both find the facilities they seek. Through the educational classes earnest Christian teachers are often enabled to gain the confidence and to meet the soul hunger of some enquirer after spiritual knowledge.

Their needs are met more intelligently and more helpfully by Christian men who have studied and who understand their requirements, than would be the case if the men were to attend many of the various churches, which, owing to inconvenient location, especially in large cities, could be reached only at irregular intervals. The associations here fill the gap, for, being located in convenient places, they are always prepared to minister to the spiritual welfare of these men, and this is true at the

critical times when an "hour of prevention is worth an eternity" to some inquiring soul which has been touched by the Spirit, and moved to consider his ways, softened perhaps by witnessing the sudden death or serious injury of some friend or comrade, as occurs so frequently in the railroad service.

In the railroad service there always have been, and there are to-day, many God-fearing, noble men who have been strong to resist the natural effects of their surroundings, and who would so continue whether they had access to the benefits furnished by this department or not. But the association branches to them become as second homes, especially so when away from their own homes, by providing a congenial atmosphere and elevating associations. This is the true object of the association in all its departments, and this makes for the development of true character, such as is revealed to us in God's Word.

The reports for the last two years indicate an increase in associations of 24, and in members of 9750, yet much remains to be done. The field truly is white for the harvest. The attendance upon Bible training classes in railroad departments increased during the past two years from 26,594 to 34,277, or 7683, while the attendance at religious meetings increased 144,666, or from 435,947 in 1898 to 580,613 in 1900, showing a marked growth in the religious activity and interest in religious matters among railroad men. These figures indicate what would almost have been considered an impossibility twenty or twentyfive years ago, and when we compare the present with the past conditions of railroad men, located at many points where association buildings are established, the most skeptical are forced to admit that the improvement is both marked and lasting.

I wish especially to acknowledge the wide and beneficent influences contributed to, and through, the railroad department by the active, energetic, wise and consecrated men who compose its staff of secretaries, and to say that I count it a privilege to know some of them personally, and I know them as intelligent, able men, who prefer to follow the example of the Young Man of Nazareth, and go about ministering to the urgent need of their fellow-men engaged in railroad service, who for years to come will rise up and call them blessed.

THE ASSOCIATION IN THE ARMY AND NAVY

COL. CURTIS W. Guild, Jr., U. S. V.

Less than four years ago our own Chaplain Tribou, whom we of Boston know so well for his work in the old Charlestown navy-yard, suggested that there was a rich field for labor in the army and navy of the United States. The seed fell upon good ground. It was carefully tended in the following April in the