The Portland daily press., 1880-05-13
He Declines to Grow Upwith Detroit and
Prefers to ''Fite Injuns.'
Detroit Free Press.l

One of the little lambs picked up in the
streets of New York and adopted by Whitelaw
Reid and sent West to find home was adopted
by Detroit family about two months ago, and
ere this is published Mr.. Reid has received
big postal card announcing that his dear lamb
has gone West to fight Indians, and that he
needn't mind about sending on another to fill
his place. This New York lamb was thirteen
years old. He said so at the depot on his arri-
val, and half an hour later he reiterated the
statement at the house, and added: "And if
you don't believe it, then call me liar That's
the sort of spring-gun am, and don't you for
get itn' 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
understand before supper was over that he
didn't come West to have his hair combed and
his face washed as regular business. On his
first evening he slipped out, had three fights
and stole dog, and when hunted up he was
about to take his beer in a saloon. The family
expected to wrestle with the boy for a
while and they didn't sit down on him until it
became painful necessity. During his first
week he stole IS in money, gold chain, re-
volver and a pair of earrings, and he got
drunk twice. When reasoned with and asked
to do better, he took fresh chew of plug to-
bacco and replied: ooh. you Michigan folks
are too soft! If a fellow can't have a good
time, what's the use of being an orphan?" On
Monday of the second week he sold the family
dog to stranger for quarter, threw the saw
and axe 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
fiercest look and lectured the lamb for fifteen
minutes, but as soon as he stopped for
breath the young sinner replied: 'Now see
here, old buttons you are wasting time! 1
know my little gait, l do, and if you think I've
come to village like this to be bluffed by any.
body, you've missed your train!' He was
taken to Sunday school by the hand. He
hadn't been there half an hour when he was
taken out by the collar. He seemed anxious to
punch the head of every good little boy within
half mile of him, and he told the teacher of
his class that when she could stuff Moses in the
bulrusheS down him it would be when she had
bleached out her freckles. They gave him a
Sunday-School book to fit his case, but he
fitted it to a 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, but within three hours two of The nuts
were taken off his buggy and thrown away.
There was second seance in the woodshed,
and before dark window glass worth IS was
broken. That orphan was faithfully and per-
sistently wrestled with. He was coaxed and
hattered. He was licked and reasoned with.
Ambition, gratitude and fear were alike ap-
pealed to in turn, but as he was the first day,
so he was the last. A few days ago he 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, butcher knife from the pantry a
pie from the sideboard and departed the house,
leaving on his bed note reading as follows:
''This town ar no place fur N. York, orfun.
I'm going out on the planes to fite Injuns. 1t
will be yuseless to foller me, fur can't be
took Alive"