The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-14
The New York Newsboys' Elk

redl Cnarlty 10 PROVIDE Sucn a recreation Tor
the army of newsboys and shoeblacks in that
great city.-EDs.]
Happy Gamins Sail to Alpine Grove
A Day of Fun and Frolic-Two
Thousand Street Arabs in the Water
at Once.
Four newsboys belonging to party of
1000 fell overheard from an excursion
barge yesterday into the North River OPP
posite Fort Lee. The 1896 who did not
fall over cheered aud shouted in great
glee as the damp quartet were 6shed up by
the small boat that was towed behind
for just such an emergency. One of the
boys was saved just in time. The garment
he was pleased to speak of as trousers
slipped from his waist and encumbered
his movements so that he could scarcely
swim. This precipitation of boys was
the most exciting incident of she news
boys and bootblacks' annual excursion
giving yesterday by John H Starin, the
great excursion director. It's mooted
question with the boys whether the
tumble of the four was not altogether the
best thing of the day. They had all
crowded to the side of the barge to watch
a passing steamboat, when the railing
gave way. Luckily only four went into
the water by the accident, but the police
men had their hands full in trying to.
keep the rest from going to the rescue.
As it was they could not prevent them
from throwing overheard all the deck
furniture they could lay their hand on,
and the surface of the river was dotted
with benches, life preservers, pieces of
railing and boys When the youngsters
were brought out they became the centre
OF jealous circle of questioners Hav-
ing no clothes to speak of and none to
change they basked in the admiration of
their friends and the rays of the sun. In
the former they aired their pride in be-
ing thus distinguished and in the latter
dried their tattered and very wet APP
parel.
The excursion is the fourth which Mr..
Starin has given the boys, and because
OF the success of the former ones the
youngsters have looked forward with
pleasant and delighted anticipation to its
recurrence this year. Last year and the
year before that, the trip was to the
islands at the western end of Long Island
Sound. Yesterday its objective point
was Alpine Grove, twenty miles up the
Hudson and opposite the village of
Yonkers. From the hills at the grove
the boys had fine view. The eastern
bank of the river was spread out to their
vision and admiration. They could see
the turreted top of Greystone, Samuel
j. Tilden's country residence on the
bluff, and follow the course of the river
for miles either way. But they did not
care for that. The glorious scenery, the
identity of famous houses and landmarks
were as nothing to them, and, although
they may have been conscious in a gene
raj sort of way of the existence of
such places, their delights were found in
more immediate Joys. They swan and
ate, drank lemonade, and were noisily
merry. When the management thought
they had been long enough in the water
they drove them on the barges again
task of such proportion as to be only
accomplished with the aid of half a dozen
policemen towed them back to the
foot of Courtlandtstreet, from whence they
had started. The barge John Nelson,
with a capacity of 1000, was devoted to
the boys and the steamer Blackbird
furnished the motive power and accom-
mediation for invited guests. Captain
Fl. Mathews, of the Newsboy' Home, had
executive charge of the boys, and Mr.. S.
F. Buckley, general ticket agent of the
Starin Steamboat Company, had general
supervision of everything
THE START.
The hour for the start was named at
nine o'clock At that time the shore
end of pier Is North River was thronged
with boys representing every caste and
condition of bootblack and street news
vendor. They began to be happy long
before the boat was ready to receive
them. Policemen could not keep them
within bounds They intruded upon the
conservative domains of the Anchor line
docks, and laughed the pier officers to
scorn who tried to drive them away.
They played tag all over the ships, and
when holly pursued jumped overheard
and swan to places of safety, from which
to deride all authority as represented by
bluecoats and badges. Finally it was
necessary to rest all efforts of control
upon an order that, had it been written,
would have read You can do any
thing you please, but please do not do
anything you ought not. After that
the control of the gon1in8 was almost