Reel Life (Sep 1913 - Mar 1914)

For Youth's Sake Raising $4,000,000 in two weeks is the task undertaken by the Young Women's and the Young Men's ^Ghnistian Associations of New York City. The campaign reached its puiblic stage no later than November 10. Before that date more than half the required sum had, in a few weeks' time, been subscribed by a few individuals— among them Cleveland H. Dodge and Mrs. Finley J. Shepard (Helen Gould). The problems of life in a city like Chicago or New York are very real, especially for the youth'ful wage earner living outside the family. We believe that no other agency is so effective in helping the young man and the young woman to meet these problems in time as are the Christian associations — ideal without being impossible. Precisely because their benefits touch all, directly or indirectly, these associations merit the sympathy and the support of all. We began this paragraph by saying that a few millionaires had subscribed half the needed millions ; let the remainder of the sum be the offering of the rest of us — ^who are certainly not rich nor yet, judged by average standards, really poor. Socially speaking, economically speaking, the work of the Cbnistian associations is of the highest efficiency. It is applied to the mothers and fathers of to-morrow. It helps youth to make the most of itself — the best of itself. Is any work in all the world better than this? — Collier's Weekly. The Editor of "Reel Life," presents bis compliments to the Editor of "Collier's Weekly," and reprints the foregoing paragraph for whatever it may be worth to the young men and women of this and other cities. He was, moreover, tempted to go down into the Mother Hubbard pockets of the editorial trousers and contribute a dollar or so to the cause, when he paused to reflect upon one of several weaknesses in the Y. M. C. A. system. In his Majestic Lamar Johnstone and Francelia Billington in "The Bravest Man" "Wine" Keystone Majestic "The Tomboy's Race" A iiierican Jack Richardson and Vivian Rich in "At Midnight" youth, he paid the annual mem,bership fee for eight years in the Central Branch Building. During that time, the doors of the institution were closed promptly at 10 p. m. and the lights turned out every night, while five saloons upon neighboring corners — warm, cheering — hospitable — remained open until one in the morning. In the Y. M. C. A., it was practically impossible for a boy to borrow a carfare home, if he needed it. But the corner saloon keeper invariably gave it whenever asked — and a free lunch or supper with it. The Editor did not — to follow the logical inference in this — acquire an unquenchable taste for whiskey. But a number of those Y. M. C. A. boys did — are doing it to-day from the same cause. But — if the Y. M. C. A. remained open all night f It's an actual situation — not a theory. When — oh, when — will our good reformers get down from a ridiculous pedestal and fight the devil with common sense — effective weapons? It's up to you, gentlemen. Talk less — and make good. Then a lot more of us will feel ijiclined to chip in for the good work. High Speed The old mountaineer, who was standing on the corner of the main street in a certain little Kentucky town, had never seen an automobile. When a good-sized touring-car came rushing up the street at about thirty miles an hour and slowed down just enough to take the corner on two wheels, his astonishment was extreme. The old fellow watched the disappearing car with bulging eyes and open mouth. Then, turning to a bystander, he remarked solemnly : "The horses must sho'ly ha' been traveling some when they got loose from that gen'leman's carriage !" — Philadelphia Ledger,