The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-06-17
A New York Orphan.

One of the little lambs picked up in
the streets of New York 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 the Indians, and that he
needn't mind about sending on another
to take his place.
This New York lamb was Is years
old. He said so at the depot on his ar
rival, and half an hour later he reiter
ated the statement at the house, and
added:
"And If YOU don't believe it, then
call me liar That's the sort Of a
spring gun / am, and don't you forget it. !"
They didn't forget it. He gave them
no chance to- He ate with his fin gers,
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 or his face washed
as a regular business On his first even
ing he slipped out, had three fights and
stole dog. and when limited up he was
about to take his beer in saloon.
The family expected to wrestle with
the boy for awhile, and they didn't sit
down on him until it become painful
necessity. During his first week he
stole So in money, gold chain, revol-
YER, and pair of earrings, and he got
drunk twice. When reasoned with and
asked to do better, he took fresh chew
of plug tobacco and replied
ooh you Michigan folks arc too soft!
If Teller can't have a good time, what's
the use of being an orphanT
On Monday of the second week he
sold the family dog to stranger for
quarter, threw the saw and tho AK into
the alley, and when locked lin a closet
he tore Sunday coat to pieces. 1t was
thought best to have policeman talk to
him, and 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! l know my little gait, l
do, and if you think I've come to a vii
lage like this to be buffed by anybody,
you've missed your train"
He was taken to Sunday school by
the hard. He hadn't been there half
an hour " hen 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 after she had bleached out
her freckles. They gave him Sunday
school book to fit his case, but he fitted
it to 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 q second
seance in the woodahed, and before dark
a window glass worth eight dollars was
broken.
That orphan was faithfully and duly
and persis'ently wrestled with. He was
coaxed and hattered. He was licked
and reasoned with. Ambition, graft
tude, fear and avarice were alike ap-
pealed to in turn, hut as he was the first
day so he was the last. A few days ago
he was told thai 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, a pie from the
sideboard, and departed from the house,
leaving on his bed note reading as
follows
"This thown ar no place for N.
York orfun. I'm goin out ON the
planes to fite Ip]uns. 1t will be useless
to follcr me, fur can't be took Alive !"
Detroit Free Press