The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-05-03
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
"MOrIey's'' Letters from New York.
NEW York, April 20, 1879,
NEW YoRK's GREATEST PROBLEM.

NEW YoRK's GREATEST PROBLEM.
Turning of Printing House Square into a
side street. the other day, was partly con-
sclous of little urchin trottlng by my side
begging for money, at whom, wrapped In my
own thoughts, was mechanically shaking
my head in negative response TO his appeal.
In a city swarming with bcggars you contract
this habit in very self-defenss. Still he trOt-
ted on until turned into hallway and began
to climb the stairs. Reused from my abstrac-
tion as the little figure left my side, remem.
bered he said he was hungry-he hadn't eaten
since yesterday. OF course, he lied; they all
debut surely he didn't want money for rum
perhaps he was famlshing in big city, and
had refused him n mouthful Of bread! l
turned about and below me was well-knlt
little form, covered with rags and dirt, still
standing in the vestibule. Nimbly respond
ing to my whistle, he bounded up the stairs.
He had neither father nor mother; sometimes,
when he had money enough he bought news
papers and sold them; his home was an ash
box or lumber pile, and he warmed himself
by squatting on the grating over our quondam
friend the Chained Slave under the Spruce
street sidewalk. The dirt appeared a month
old on his hands and wrists; and when, In my
friends office, he got down somewhere near
the skin the little chapPed hands began to
smart, and hadn't the heart to push the
cleaning process any further. A few coppers
brought a moments's CLEAN into his stolld
face, and down stairs he darted, They are
bad lot Of boys on this street. They feed on
the scraps passed out from these Offices after
merchants have finished their lunch. when
they get any money, instead Of going to a
lodging house, they go to the Bowery Thea.
tire, and next day act It all off again on the
street. There's a swarm of them, and all are
bad boys, but keen as raEOrs." So said my
| friend. Passing down stairs, there sat the
little fellow ,perched on a wagon where could
not fail 10 see him, diving ravenOusly into a
huge roll that hid half his still dirty face.
| Here was New York's greatest problem Not
Rapid Transit not new piers and ocean lines;
not East River bridges nor North River tun.
nels, but her own street boys: boys that are
training, every day, for the penitentiary and
the galloWs; boys growing up uncared for by
any living sonl, faring worse physically than
the horses and dogs Of Manhattan Island, and
morally in a darkness and turpltude beside
which the GabOon seems white and pure
This group Of boys, huddling over the warm
grating, will be ehighwaymen, burglars, tramp,
and murderers fifteen years hence as sure
ly as effect follows cause. What else can they
beF Why should not humane Legislation
sweep all these poor boys from the slums int
a State factory or farm, where, under judiei
Gus restraint. they may learn to make an hon
est living, and be taught their superiority t.
a skye terrier or stage horse2 Viewed from
an economic standpOint,it ,it will cost less none!
to save these boys than to hang them. Ye
nothing is surer than that all these thousand
Of street boys will grow up hard, unreasoninI
criminals. preyhg on society till they finally
fall into the hands of the law. Private chari
ties cannot provide for them. They are vi
eiOus, idle, reprobate-why shouldn't they be
1t will need the compulslOn Of law to draw
them from the wild freedom of their vile anC
miserable life. make this appeal to you
gentlemen Of the Press For Gods sake, fol
hGmanliy's sake, use the mighty power o
your hTuorable calling to procure such legis
lation IN Sehalf Of these poor children, anC
their pltifui eocuterparts with which every
large city is teemIng and fostering today, a
will, at least, lin them out Of condition o
life where Ihanllness, purity. and piety hav'
I less thAha ghost Of chance Z
A HINT TO PARENTS ASD sUNDAN school
J TEACHERS.
Put the question 10 a thousand fathers
"What vice do you most fear in your boy 3
future llfef" and nine hundred will answer
"Intempersuce." But what ere the uins