The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-11
HOodlumism.

Westward the rag-tag-and-bobtail of
creation takes its way. In San Fran
cisco, the HlflDId H,i5ie of civilization, We
have being who possesses every bad
trait, and Of whom no good thing is
known How shall we describe him
His name Is "hOOdlum." His dress
consists OF felt hat with soft crown
and Il stiff. fiat hrim, a sack-coat, peg
top trousers, and high-heeled boots.
Tie creature glOries in his hair, which
he wears long, puiIed out behind, and
dripping with grease. He is essentially
a cheap creatgre-that is, 10 himself.
His clothes are cheap, his tobacco is
cheaper, his literature Is cheapest. lie
reads, ii he can read, "Slxteen-string
Jack" ''Diek Turpin," and Jack
Sheppard" when he feels equal 10 heavy
study; he prefers the Police Nelrs for
light reading. He organizes bands and
scOurs the streets ut night in search of u
woman TO insult or Chinaman 10 NAL
treat. Under cover of dark night, and
with clear field for flight, he has been
known, when strong in numbers, to
throw stones at a White man, and to
Kill him. He has a paramour of his
own class, who Is as bad as himself in
every way. He defies the Inefficient
policeman, and the Inefficient police
man ignores him. And wall goes up
from the people because of the hood
lum.
There are several popular delusions
with regard TO the hoodlums. In the
first place, they are always spoken of
and considered as boys-not in the long
sense of "BOwery bOys," but as JOH0
fde youngsters; whereas, they are in re-
ality, TO all intents and purposes, men.
Is not a full-grown youth of eighteen or
twenty-and many of them are older
as capable for mischief as man, and
ought he not to be treated as such +: In
the next place, they are generally
thought 10 be out of work, and therefore
driven to do evil by idleness. This is a
| fallacy; almost all of them are employed
/ in some trade or business during the
day. Thirdly, the hOOdlums are looked
Z upon as desperate animals, full Of cour-
/ age, and dangerous 10 me,idle with-as
| barbarian hordes, who may at any mo-
ment take possession of the city and
murder the inhabitants. Wrong again
/ the hoOdlum is an arrant coward and =
sneak.
Many methods of suppressimg tlie pest
have been suggested, but one which Ina:
been adopted with success i'm othel
countries has scarcely been hinted at
This is the lash. The hOOdlum has n;
dread of the county Jail or the industrial
school. For moral punishment he care
not one lota, and the physical privation
he suffers at these places is not mucl
greater than at home. But let the viii
be applied, and he wSnld soon come I
his senses. II costs 5000 per mont
for cleaning the streets of San Francisc
for seven months of the year, and Il
average of s., $50 for each Of the Othe
five months. Ii chain-gangs wer
formed TO sweep the streets, how muc
of this money might be saved Alas
for the long hair and high-heeled boots
they would soon be no more under thes
circumstances.
such is the cure; but how is il abou
the prevention ? 1t appears to Us tha
if certain mothers would recognize tn
truth of the saying that charity begin
at home, a taste for hoodlnmiSm woul
never crop out; and we would likewis
suggest that IL certain hOrny-hande
mechanics, who, "as citizens, have
right TO be heard regarding the stud
I OF Sophocles and beet-raising in on
. University, would exert the parenta
authOrity-or the parental club, if nee
beat home, the elder hoodlum Nigh
be taught 10 keep his hair shorter, a
also his tongue, without the assistanc
of the inefficient policeman or tn
I worthy police judge. ge.--OUerldRd Monthly