Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-10
A New York Orphan.


| Uetroit free Press.
| One of the lambs picked up in the
streets of New York by Whitelaw
Reid and sent west to find a home
was adopted by a Detroit family
about two months ago, and ere this
is published Mr.. Reid has received a
big postal.card announcing that his
dear lamb has gone west to fight the
Indians, and that he needn't mind
about sending on another to take his
place.
This New York lamb was thirteen
years old. He said so at the depot
or his arrival, and half an hour later
he reiterated the statement at the
house, and added:
sand if you don't believe it, then
call me liar That's the sort of a
spring gun | am, and don't you for
get il !"
They didn't forget it. He gave
them no chance to. He ate with his
fingers, wiped his mouth on his
sleeve, and gave the family to under
stand before breakfast was over that
he didn't come west to have his hair
combed or face washed as a regular
business. On his frat evening he
slipped out, had three fights aud
stole o dog, and when hunted up he
was about TO take his beer in sa-
loon.
The family expected to wrestle
with the boy for while and they
didn't sit down on him until it be.
came painful necessity. During his
first week he stole So in money, a
gold chain, revolver aud pair of
earrings, and he got drunk twice.
When reasoned with and asked to
do better, he took q fresh chew of
plug tobacco and replied
"Oh! you Michigan folks are too
soft \! If Teller can't have a good
time what's the use of being an or
phan?'
On Monday of the second week he
sold the family dog to a stranger for
a quarter, threw the saw and the ak
into the alley, and when locked UP
in closet he tore Sunday coat to
pieces. 1t was thought best to have
a policeman talk to him, and one was
called in. He put on his fercest look,
and lectured the lamb for about fif-
teen minutes, but as soon as ho
stopped for breath the young sinner
replied
Nov see here, old buttons, you
are wasting time ! know my little
gait, do, and if you think I've come
to village like this to be bluffed by
anybody, you've missed your train.
He was taken 10 Sunday School
by the hand. He hadn't been there
half gu hour when he was taken ont
by tie collar. He seemed anxious
to punch the head of every good lit
tie boy within half mile OF him, and
be told the teacher of his class that
when she could stuff Moses the
bulrushes down him il would be af-
ter she had bleached out her freckles.
They gave him Sunday School
book 10 fit his case, but he fitted it
10 crack in the sidewalk on his
way home.
When moral suasion had no effect
on the wicked youth his guardian
tried the rod. He was bigger than
the boy and he walloped him, bat
within three hours two of the nuts
were taken off his buggy and thrown
away. There was a second seance
in the woodshed, and before dark
window. glass worth eight dollars
was broken.
That orphan was faithfully, and
duly, and persistently wrestled with.
He was coaxed and fattered. He
was licked and reasoned with. Am
bition, gratitude, fear, and avarice
were alike appealed to in turn, but as
he was the first day so he was the
last, A few days ago be was told
that he would be sent to the Reform
school at Lansing, if there was any
further trouble with him. That night
he stole s. of the cook, a butcher
knife from the pantry, pie from the
sideboard, and departed the honse,
leaving on his bed a note reading as
follows:
"This town ar no place fur a N.
York orfun. I'm goin' out on the
planes to fife Injuns. 1t will be yuse-
less to foller me, fur l can't be tux
Alive %