The New York herald., 1878-10-11
STREET BOYS PICNIC.


BLACKS OF NEW YoRK-A SAD INCIDENT or
THE ocoAsIoN-DRowNING OF LITTLE WILL
LIE BROOKS, A IEN-YEAR-oLD NEwsBoY.
Over two thousand shoeblacks and newsboys were
treated to excursion down tho harbor and up the
Hudson River yesterday BY the hbsraity Of Commo-
dors John H. Staru, president OF the River and
Harbor transportation Company. This IL the second
year that the Commodore given the arabs OF New
York . trip or this kind. and II is needless TO say
they appreciated the thing to its fullest extent.
When the two big barges named the STE.
phen Warren and the William A. Sum.
ner towed by the steamboat q. N. Wells,
LETT the dock foot OF Dey street, Pcr No. TO- in the
morning cheers upon cheers were given for the Com.
modore The programme for the entertainment OF
the boys band OF music. orsakiast OF butssrcd
hot buns and milk and feed In the afternoon Of sand
wiches, sponge cake, Lemonade. crackers, biscuits
apples and cream, ana the OF The broad decks
OF the barges TO amuss themselves In whatever way
they deemed most agreeable The band that accom-.
panied the excursion last year declined 10 70
on this occasion, as the boys, It was
thought, we're TOO playfuIly disposed on the
former trip and amused themselves dropping pieces
Of moistsned biscuit and bread into the trombone
and bassoop, 70 the great annoyance and discom.
nturs OF the performers band attended thia
tme subjected TO such practical jokes as
prevailed on tho previous excursion. The boys
crowded the dock early seven O'Clock, and be.
fore the barges lett they pretty well acquainted
with eaen other.
RAISING PAxDBMoxUM.
They were then raising pandsmonium the upper
and lower deck OF each barge, but this was
the merest forstasts OF their capacity In
that line 70 what they subsequently, achieved.
There were boys Of all ages, from six years up 70
~fs - iN>~h h.~>
the cnaps invade The quiet streets and avenues
up town late In the evening and IN deep bass voice
proclaim ''extrse" Of the stale stock OF some
evening papers containing OF horrible murder
or accident. Tho boys. all IN all, . bright se
full OF fun and dsvilment. and prepared give and
take in the most GOOD nasured spirit
FOR usFiLIAL CHILD
Before the excursion started womsn with flushed
face and an angry lock In her eyes and without any.
thing on nsr head came on board seeking after boy
Of hors v no had LETT homo IN the morning, carrying
away every cent OF her available assets Sho look
long and eagerly through ,he juvenile throngs on
SHIRT ana . ireckled face, !" who had run OF with
:. So her whole entire cash but she looked In VAN.
The red shirt turned up subsequently on the voyage
but his mother Was not In The vicinity.
A HARD ROW TO HoE.
Mr.. Charles O'Connor. superintendent Of the News
boys Lodging House, Was charge OF the youthfu
hosi, ana II ever man had hard row 70 hoe had
~ He had SIX poicemsn and about dozen men
nsns but he could control the wild and untsnapls
spirits present.
TIE DROWNING OF LsrTLs WILLIE BRooka
When about the ncigLDornood Of Governors
Island little lad named Willie Broeks, ten years old.
OF No i4i cssny street: s between A.rks:
the daring lads On bosrd-to jump from
QUE barge other fell ovsrboard front between
the Two bargsa Intense sxcitemept prevailed. The
boy disappeared between The tast moving vessels
10 me surface at ths stern, where . man named
Peter Ksiil, seated = row boat by . line
OF th0bsrses and placed there for just sucn
emergencies he saw the boy rise 10 the surface IN
painter that fastened him 10 the barge, but
. sambsr .. boys who did not appear
minutes were lost he nnaiiy got away In the
oil Buttsrmiik Channel, whore Inc waves were high
boy for Q momeEt appear the crest Of wave and
tnen disappear forever The tug William II. Van
.. ss'S Ssss as. s oss f. s J .n s.i Ins
dozen nswspspsr reporters, threw on her lines and
Dor: away for The r:.ss. Of 70: boy. Very soon
wes from bead 70 loot aua rowing IN
troubled sea. All ne bad Of lille
years, rnomas BROOKS, was on board aud he burst
out sobbing wnen neard the news oil While being
family included six boys and one girl. The death OF
Willie Brooks had no depressing snsct mis- CON-
90: 81 ,o was :ss
wnat surprising tnst there we're no more accidents.
now rEK BOYS CUT
body. Al noon, whom lunch sooE place, was ar.
ranged that tnoss who bad tneir rations should 80
Sara. barge SO iSs. ali nigh. ssvs = eh.Ss. OF Of
getting something TO eat Bat toe street
ssce nd 70 tue upper deck than he took the quickest
get ,ck again eptitiousy 10 the lower
This no had 20 do At the risk Of breaking ms neck or
getting drowned and he WAS Wiling 10 risk either.
He had 70 10 forward and drop height Of Twelve or
fourteen isct on the forward deck and then creep
around AFT on tue guard raiL Finally they improvsed
a rope az means OF descent and numbers OF them
came down ana repeated their lunches many times
over.
DISTINGUISHED sswsBors soorBLAcKs.
Prominent among them we're ''sapJsek, ""Moussy
"Bia. Nose Y.ss, asiSa s,ss,s .csscS.,y," % .Pud
d,ns," "Huckie6crry Joe" "Frossy Face Nike"
"Nosey xonoy." "cha~.sbe- Pot -Hooxs." !" 'yonuny
the Rag.r Massey Hayden.n "sDub Nose Mose,r
irss ana Sr.ezy 'Nossy Msioy" saia, in answer 70
Kelly, 81 guess bs'Ii do Tor . sniiI" what
and SAID Bos., II you jess 10, m. ssv. that there
butt OF your cigar III tell you all We feers think oil
He had ne butt ana then, TO the admiration o,
surrounding group Of newsboys said:--"Ws dunno
any rilden or Kelly tbsn ws do about you
but III vote Tor you, Boss, you bet kase you guv me
this ysrs butt Of q cigaE KLoy nor Tiden never
guv me as much. Boys" he exclaimed, turning
around TO his companions, lets vote for tine man
that gives US AZ much ss butt a cigar whom he
can't give us anything ess;' and the boys tnougnt
the sentiment good and cheered.
.'Mousey Miksn said his opinion Of General Grant
was that he was "a snids." ON being asked TO sx-
PLAIN he said :-.o,nsral Grant 70 enc O. these ysre
teIers like 'siop Riley over there tpointng TO very
big specimen oil n newsboye We bsars lot Of nun
yen' bogus EDITION all night IN the streets. an he
don't TO shucks In seliin' the regular papers
Tnem's my opinions. Boss" and the little Bit OF q
onap went away with toe most comtcal wink oi pre-
tended wisdom.
RACING AYPETiTKs
Toward evening tna cool, DrAcing air set the boys
appetites on htrce edgo, and they stood no longer
on the order OF being served 10 rotation but made
hesdlons onslaught on Ihs stock of lemonade sand
wiches and biscuits and carried all before them. rhs
strongest IN muscle made the greatest haul, md
OF the iitte ones we're lett witnOuts crumb, but sew
sra touching Incidents we're noticed OF the big, bury
boys sharing their edibs piunder win their sms and
feebls companions They arrfvsd safe and sound at
tho foot OF the pier they left In tue morning
the afr ring with cheering for Mr. Starin and Mr.
Charles OConnor Tor several mnutes alter they