Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-05-22
Written for the Chronicle.
Our Chicago Letter.
CHICAGO, May IA, 1868


Here's your morning apers-Iri6uns,
Times, and Republican )" but your cores
pondent ventures to assert that few strang-
ers pause to consider how or where these
little fellows live, or what they earn by
their precarious calling. There are more
than five hundred of these gan,ins in Chi
cago, and majority of them are without
/ friends and without homes. Many are the
offspring of sin. who never knew fathers
care, or felt mothers loving kiss, and
have about as definite an idea of their pa
rentage as is given by Topsy in Uncle
Toms Cabin. Others have known some
miserable hovel called home, but fed from
the brutality of those called parents. A
few-a very few-have kindred and per-
| mancnt places of shelter, but they are lit
tie better off than the others. Their homes
are dens of wretchedness and sin, and they
generally go to them with the knowledge
that cruelty will be inflicted if they are
without money that buys liquor for their
degraded parents. Springing from the
very lowest strata of society, surrounded
by the most corrupting influences from
birth-wthout schooling or the slightest
moral training is not strange that they
are rough and impudent; but he who
picks one up for nat will soon learn that
stupidity is net peculiarly Of the class.
They are generally sharp. shrewd ana =: y it
| ty, and will drive a bargain or crack joke
with the best of their customers They
ton politicians stalk horse" with the ease
of Grant or Bonner, and give extended
criticisms upon all things theatrical. But
beyond this, their accomplishments are not
numerous In politics and religion they
are strictly neutral. They favor the party
or sect which creates the most sensations,
| and enables them TO sell papers, A start
ling murder or devastating fire is to the
| newsboy what top and cake is to another
| child. 1t is both fun and food Yet they
are generous and m-hearted little fell
lows. always willing to help one more I'M
fortunate than themselves, provided he
don't encroach upon the domain each re-
CARDS as his own, and within which none
other is allowed to peddle papers, or ''shine
'em up" with impunity.
AS has been said there are over five hun
dred of these urchins in Chicago, the
| youngest of whom are not more than five
| or six years Of age and the oldest twelve or
| fifteen. They earn from twenty-five cents
| to one dollar day. Until lately the ma
| jority have found shelter in ut.housas,
stairways, vaults, lumber yards, and under
! bridges during the summer months, and
during the winter the police stations, and
Bridewell have been their general resorts.
Some time since an organization was
formed called the "Newsboys' and Boot
| blacks Association; home was opened
| last December, and such as were willing to
submit to the easy discipline of the estab-
lishment were allowed to enter as day
boarders at the rate of twenty-five cents
per day each. There has been from that
| time to this an average of about forty-five
| boys at the institution. These boys are
thoroughly washed before they are re-
ceived as members in full standing, being
required to sleep on the floor and eat in
solitude as long as there is remnant of
their former filth upon their garments.
The rooms which belong to the establish
ment, at present, consist of school
dining hall, sleeping rooms and bath
rooms. There is small library connected
with the rooms, which is resorted to by
boys considerably. School sessions are
now held only in the evenings, but in the
winter, classes are heard both night and
day. A Sunday School is also feature
of the establishment.
| AS fast as possible, permanent situations
are found for the boys, and more than two
hundred have been provided for, the stead
Ter ones having been sent into the country
and others placed on board of lake vessels,
or hired to citizens who need their help.
This association is noble one, and it is
| pnvaly cha fol Ia nd ic Jo;,,5s 4
and should receive more liberal assistance
than has yet been given to it. But, alas
there are too many who remember the
music but heed not the words of "Litte
Barefoot" and singing
While we beg for those with plenty,
| And for those to US unknown,
| Wen not forget our little Barefoot
| They are heathens nearer home,
yet do forget them, ard daily pass the
| home of newsboys and bootblacks without
giving it either sympathy or material aid.
The excitement regarding the situation
at Washington, if not intense, is certainly
deep. While the Tribune and Post apollo
| gise for, and almost sustain the action of
the Senators who have pronounced against
impeachment, the Republican, Journal and
Stats Zeitung boldly denounce them, and
read Grimes, Trumbull and Fessen6en out
of the party.
There is a thing which may be mentioned
but your readers can't see it just yet, for
the simple reason that it is not built.
Reference is made to dock which is to be
built in the lake to the north of Chioago
river, and which when built will give seven
miles of additional doekage to the city.
company with several millions of dollars
have taken the matter in hand, and pro-
pose to push the work vigorously. When
completed it will be one of the greatest and
most important improvements ever made
in Chicago.
On the Sd of June next, the remains of
Stephen A. Douglas are to be removed
from the present resting place to the mauso-
leum which forms the base of his uninlsh-
ed monument,wit appropriate..ceremonies
The metallic coffin which contains the body
will be enclosed in a white marble sareo-
phagus, and placed in the center of the
chamber, where it will be seen through the
grated door. The completion of the base
will exhaust the funds, and $50, 900 adj
. ditional will be required to carry out the
original design, which includes column
Of white marble forty two feet in height.
Of the Convention which meets here next
week, and which will have performed its
labors before this is seen by many of your
readers, it is only necessary to say, the
| cr0ud is already oominr apd pronicoc n