New-York daily tribune., 1854-03-31

ciety and deal with its rags. and h!tA aud crime
ard destiution Such are the Ragged schools % eA'
tens,ely established in London; such are the schools
for street children the lodging houses snd the juvenile
Asy lum now in cheering state Of prosperity here
One needs much Of that experience which can only be
gained by personal observation of underground lie
before be fully realize the importance OF these and
kindred institutions. People may talk vaguely OF
the thousands Of juvenile thieves beggsrs and prosii-
tutes, rot yet twelve years old the scores of
both sexes who sleep in the open air in summer,
and in alleys and entries aud station houses
in winter the statement of the fact may excite
momentsry shudder, ending perhaps in sigh, or
Thank God, they are not ny children 80 But let the
inquirer go with policeman competensfriend
down among these outcasts see them in al their
oah-omeress huddled into cellars without regard to
sge aud sleeping in piles like hogs associated
with proessed burglars snd sged criminals who zeal
ously teach them all the secrets Of ther business see
drunken mother ferOciously beat her child, because
the poor creature had not stolen enough during the day
s buy the liquor required for the debauch OF the night
let bin these awful fsctsknow from acualo ob,erva-
ton that in scores of the dark, dismal subterraneous
deus il this City, children at this moment being
trained TO professional crime taught TO lie and steal to
swear and drink, to look upon themselves as fore
doomed to inamy, and upon the world as field they
sre to ravage laugh the idea of reformation even
after the prison or the gsOws shall have marked the
limit Of their career, end TO anticipate an unre-
pentant and defiant death as the way TO pOsthumous
fame we say to see and know these things, must
arouse the observer to the immediate and pressing ne
cesity of OF stopping these springs OF evil
and srrestDg the dissemination of the social poison
that wells from them.
Out of knowledge of facts like these has grown
Institution TO the first years operations of which We
ask moments attention. The New-York Juvenile
Asylum commenced practical operations in January,
1853 Its object to rescue such street chill
dren Of the male might be legally entrusted TO
its care BY magistrates and others. During the year
G26 boys were committed TO its tutelage. OF these
boys 2J3 were discharged within ten days satisfactory
proof having been presented to the magistrates Of the
propriety Of such a The number fully com
mtted to the Asylum for the year was 36l 100 have
been ndentured IL surrendered to parents, sent to
the House of Refuge, to the Aims House, dis
charged by magistrates, sent home by permission
sent to England, 80 escaped, died, and 1913 remain
There 80 without parents - with mothers only
and Isl with fathers, with both parents 46 were
from ) TO 10 years old, 28i from 10 to II, beyond
which none are received. There were born in the
City, li9 Ireland, So Germany 90 90 in the United
States beyond the City and u in foreg countries be-
side those named Sixteen could read write and
cipher 81 read and write 81 read only and l6l could
not read OF religion, if such children have
religion, III were Roman Catholics II Protes
tants, and GO unknown OF the parents OF these chill
dren as far ascertantd ia born in Ireland, 81
in Germany 10 in England, l6 in other foreign coun-
tries and AZ in the United States. OF the children
themselves there were a vagran.s As truants, As
thieves, II dsobedent, IL dlers 30 Of good habits
These are the materials that employ the attention
Of the founders and friends of this institution which 10
conducted under strictly paterna system Of govern
ment.
By means of udicious scheme of rewards and pun
ishments, excellent discipline has been nnsinsAinod'
We observe that the punishment of whipping has bt en-
discountepanced. the endeayor being by gentle
to win the cd to the performance of duty rather than
to cOerce him by fear The punishments here
used are graded from simple marks Of dsap-
probation to solitary confinement. The rewards
chiefly by promotion in the classes. All the
inmates put TO school at once, and generally
advance rapidly in rudimentary educaton-for these
boys, however deprayed and abandoned, are
markedly quick witted and face to learn The only
religious exercises reading the Bible prayer and
singing; and in this the utmost care is taken to avoid
sectaran teachings Combined with these is the very
excellent addition of n anua labor Each alternate
day con mencng at is spent by majority of the
boys labor the time being devoted to it the
school Nothing is more desirable than to teach boys
habits oil industry and steady employment, and soon
as they begin TO feel that labor is necessary TO their
happiness, We may look with great certainty for
their permanent improvement Street boys almost
always contract idle and slotbul habits which must
necessarily be broken up before can count with
safety on their reformation. During the year. the
boys have been engaged almost exclusively in closing
shoes, and so expert. of them that they caa
close with toerable thirty pairs OF mems shoes
in day, and could they procure sufficient work and
have comfortable shop, they might do much toward
Sefrsyipg the expenses of the Asylum The proceeds
of labor for eight months has been $50 about 800
a month. Besides those occupied in the shoe shop,
several boys are employed tabe-waiters, kitchen
tenders, stable and errandboys and in the sewing
room
Such ale some Of the interior arrangements OF this
truly noble institution. Through s means men likely
TO do them good have become quite familiar with these
street children, their condition tastes of edu
cation, and religious Instruction. have become sc-
quaIted with very large number personally and have
their confidence thus constantly gaining information and
influence smopg the csss They clearing the streets
of such children by their influence. Parents under
stand practically If they do not care for and edncae