The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-15 00:00:00

Archaeological Association.

The Good Earl of Shaftesbury and the
Poor Street-boys of London.

A novel and highly-interesting spectacle, growing out
of the recent disclosures respecting the treatment of the
casual poor, was witnessed last evening at the Refuge for
Homeless and Destitute Children, Parker-street, Drury -
lane. In consequence of the facts brought to light by the
late visitor to the casual ward of Lambeth Workhouse an
effort has been commenced with a view to rescue the boys
who are accustomed to sleep in the casual wards of our
workhouses from the contaminating influences of the
men who frequent those places ; and to the committee
managing the above refuge we owe the philanthropic
demonstration under consideration. As a means of
collecting these miserable waifs and strays of society
into a focus, it was determined to issue a notice to
the officials of the casual wards of the various metro-
politan workhouses, stating the wish of the committee to
give "a supper of bread, moat, and pudding" to those
homeless boys, inmates of the casual wards, who might
wish to come, it being the desire of the gentlemen inte-
rested in the fate of this helpless class to attempt the orga-
nisation of some plan by which they might be rescued
from crime or destitution. The Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr.
Hanbury, M.P., and several ladies and gentlemen inte-
rested in the refuges for the homeless and the destitute,
gave their adhesion to the movement. It was expected
that about 400 boys would have presented themselves in
response to the invitation ; but although it was ad-
mitted at the meeting that the workhouse officials of
the various workhouses had, with one exception, readily
promised to acquaint the boys with the invitation,
there seems to have been a feeling on the part of many
of these voun: "casuals" tkat it mi! h _be intee.l.o /-.Fr
a ap or em, an. a it would be prudent to stay away.
About 170 lads actually made their appearance, in addition
to the 100 boys who are the regular inmates of the refuge
in Parker-street.
A good many friends of the movement were present to
witness the despatch of this public supper. The lads be-
longing to the refuge sat on ono side of the room, and the
specially invited on the other. The spectacle presented by
the latter section was very affecting. Many of the boys
were without shoes or stockings, most of them in rags and
tatters. Many of them had that air of cunning and preco-
city which comes with too early an acquaintance with
misery and vice. Here and there a fine head and intellec-
tual countenance stood out sharply from the general mass.
Whatever might be the daily miseries of these poor
young creatures, they were dispelled for the time by the
good cheer provided. The repast was ample, almost to a
fault. Each had placed before him, in succession, half a
pound of cold beef, with plenty of bread, one pound of ex-
cellent plum pudding, and a pint of coffee. When the plum
pudding came the decorum of the lads quite gave way, and
they set up a terrific cheer.
After the supper the lads and visitors repaired to another
room, which is the workshop of the Parker-street Refuge,
and the boys were addressed in turn by Mr. Williams (the
secretary to the refuge), the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr.
Hanbury, M.P., and others. The boys were at once taken
into the confidence (f their well-wishers, and the consenta-
neous readiness of their various responses to the interroga-
tories of the speakers was remarkable. Mr. Williams, after
stating some statistics .with respect to the operations of the
Parker-street Refuge, detailed the causes which had
led to the present gathering ; adding, that it had struck
himself and friends that some means might be devised for
rescuing these boys from the career of crime and misery
which awaited them, and by the institution of some scheme
of employment prevent them from becoming tramps and
vagrants *nd a pest to society. He had no definite plan
to propose, but it was clear that most of the assembled

- •
lads only wanted some friendly hand and a fair_ start_—
in

life. The Earl of Shaftesbury next addressed the boys, in
a series of direct questions, having first enjoined a
truthful and fearless response to his interrogatories. The
answers came promptly and decisively, and constituted a
most interesting feature in the proceedings. The first
poser was, "Let all those boys who have over Leen in
prison hold up their hands." About 20 or 30 hands were
held up. Then "Let those who have boon in prison twice
hold up their hands." About ton were hold up. " How
many in prison three times ?" Five hands were upraised.

"Is it the case that the greater part of you boys are run-
ning about town all day, and sleeping where you can at
night?" A general response was made to this query. "Dow
idnogyohuolgseets3:”ou,,rßleivgegliinhgo,v? "C 7, some boys called out, "Hold-
like to get out of your presentlelai nu ien
ofg life, boots."an d ea"tWeroiunitdo you
of honest industry ?" A general and enthusiastic "Yes"
was the reply. " Supposing that there wore in the Thames
a big ship, large enough to contain a thousand boys, would
you like to be placed on board to be taught trades, or
trained for the navy and merchant service?" A forest of
upraised hands settled these alternatives in the affirmative.
" Do you think that another 200 boys out of the streets
would say the same ?" Answer, "We do." Proceeding
with words of encouragement to the assembled boys, tell-
ing them that they had a great duty to perform in this life,
and that although they might be poor God held them in
esteem—that although some pooplo might be rich and
others poor, all classes wore dependent on each other —the
noble earl said that all classes, both rich and poor, must
work together, to make good men and good citizens of
Queen Victoria. The noble earl concluded b y exhorting the
boys to " a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether,"
—a sentiment which was received with deafening cheers

by the lads.
et
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assemblage broke up.
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lodging
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Parker-street
Nothing of a positive character was determined on with
respect to these poor outcasts, but it was felt that the ground
hadm
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sa was and
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40 additional
Re Ng°. We may add that every lad on leaving the meet-
ing had 4d. given to him to procure a
night.

A TRUEPRIEND OF TUE POOR SOIIOOL-CITILDREN
OF LONDON !—The annual treats to the scholars of
Claylands Sunday School took place in the school-rooms,
Clapham-road, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
evenings last. On Monday there was a social tea-meeting
of the children's parents. On Tuesday the elder scholars,
after partaking of a substantial tea, assembled in the
lecture-room, where Mr. W. H. Miller (whose namo has
been known and honoured throughout London as one of
the most energetic promoters of the Ragged School move-
ment) gave a very amusing lecture, entitled "A Journey
from the North Pole to Spain," illustrated by a moving
panorama. The school children sang at intervals a selec-
tion of music, concluding with " God Save the Queen."
The entertainment provided for the younger scholars on
Wednesday consisted of a series of beautiful dissolving
views,

Yesterday evening an ordinary meeting of this
association was held in their rooms in Sackville-
street—Mr. Syers Cuming in the chair. A great
number of curious and interesting objects were ex-
hibited by several members. Two pieces of earth-
enware found under highwater mark on the
coast of Lincolnshire were shown, which were con-
jectured to have been the implements used in mould-
ing the clay in ancient potteries. They bore on
parts impressions of the rough skin of the hand of
the workman who had pressed the clay together in
forming the implement, but no clue has been ob-
tained to the date. Mr. Gaining expressed the
opinion that they belonged to the Roman period,
and he thought that if further search were made
near the place where they were found some traces
of a Roman pottery would be discovered. Mr.
Greenshields and Mr. Cuming exhibited three
ancient doigtiers of bronze that had been employed,
like the medixval moulines, for bending the cross-
bow. An archer's thumb-ring of Aventurine paste,
the material made at Murano in the 17th century,
but the ring itself of Oriental manufacture, was
exhibited by Mr. Cato. Long oval guards of bone
for the left thumb of archers, from Kamtschatka,
were exhibited by Mr. Cuming, and a somewhat
similar thumb guard of bone from au excavation in
Lombard-street was shown by Mr. J. W. Baily. It
was stated by Mr. Cuming that the Asiatic archers
were accustomed to pull the bowstring with the
thumb, and it was for protection against the friction
of the string that the first thumb guard was used,
while the object of the others was to protect the left
thumb from the blow of the string. Some specimens
of earthenware Roman pottery, found at a depth of
18ft., in digging the foundation of a house in Grace-
church-street, were exhibited by Mr. Roberts. A
curious plaque of impressed horn, bearing the Ber-
nini bust of Charles 1., and the badge of the Stan-
leys, an eagle and child, was exhibited by Mr.
Kendrick. It is believed to have formed the lid of
a box once the property of the first Earl of Derby,
who was beheaded at Bolton in 1651. Mr. Gordon
Hills read a notice of a manuscript compiled with
great labour and research by Mr. Walton, contain-
ing lists of the deans and other dignitaries connected
with Chichester Cathedral from the 11th century to
a recent period, with occasional entries of the most
remarkable of them. These details, he observed,
threw great light on many parts of the cathedral
and its history. Mr. Walton, who was present,
expressed his thanks to Mr. Hills for giving interest
by his exposition to the facts he had collected, and
he complimented Mr. Roberts on having detected by
his examination peculiarities in the structure of the
building, which thefacts since collected from various
records had fully established. The meeting then
adjourned.