Show FOR FOUNDER OF Y M CA monument to sir george williams in st pauls churchyard london marked honor recently has been paid to the late sir founder ot the young me christian association A splendid monument erected to his memory n stands in the crypt of st pauls c thedral a fitting site as it was 1 close proximity to this spot that th original foundation of the y M C ak took place the association which bf gan on a capital of 3 to day numbs monument erected in london to the memory of sir george williams members and controls buildings and real estate to the value of more than 0 it Is one of the most flourishes organizations in the world despite the fact that hosts of other attempts on similar lines have proved utter failures to the personality of sir george williams himself is attributed a largo part of the wonderful success of the Y M C A and yet though bis name is so widely known he always the personal element in the back ground after his death it was found that every particle of his correspond ence had been destroyed aa it he deprecated ted publishing his achievement to the world though the Y M C A rests today to day on so solid a foundation it was nol always in such an enviable position and had it not been for the personal t self sacrifices of its founder it Is very doubtful it the organization would have weathered many of the crises through which it passed the scene ot its beginning was an ippei room of a big dry goods store that of hitchcock Rogers which stood in st paula church yard la 1841 young williams was a clerk in that es and though but 20 yeara of age he exerted a powerful religious influence on those with whom he came in contact he persuaded several fel jow clerks to join him in prayer once or tricea week in the dormitory of the establishment most of the clerks in those days as now sleeping in As to the actual founding of the young mens christian association aa such it came into being at a meeting held on june 6 1844 with a capital collected on the spot of 3 vi and the first circular letter addressed to young employed emp loyes in london was posted a few days later young williams and bis friends scarcely having sufficient money even to pay for postage and 3 stationery however the dominating personality of george carried everything before it and the Y M C ai was launched in spit of all ties after capturing london and then the rest of england the Y M C A idea was taken up in the united states nd in 1876 sir george williams visited that country and was received with great demonstrations everywhere it was after becoming firmly established in the united states that the christian associations became a world wide movement for his work in connection with thlu organization queen victoria conferred a knighthood on the founder during her jubilee vear |