Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-12-21
Bad Reading for the Boys.
A PROTFsT-A PLEA-SoME sTATIs-
TICS THE MISERIES TO CRIME-A
GREAT EvIL-wORK TO BE DONE.

A PROTFsT-A PLEA-SoME STATS
TICs--THE MIsERIEs TO CRIME-A
GREAT EvIL-wORK TO BE DONE.
The Rev. +. E. Clark writes as fol-
lows in the Christian at Work concern
ing a certain class OF pernicious ltera-
ture which Gnds its way into the hands
of boys all over :he country:
do not mean now that class which
is utterly vile aud openly obscepce.
The devil often enough flies into the
hearts Of our young people on such
foul wings as these, but he more often
comes 10 a vehicle that is not 80 fla.
grantly indecent. refer TO the ex-
citing, worthless aud altogether trashy
novels with which our news stalls and
periodical stores are flooded. and which,
of late, ia so many quarters have been
Justly denounced, Do the parents OF
today realize what tremendous evil
Lnl5 mas OeSDWS
venture to say that they do not, or
they would arise in their might aud
sweep this mass OF corruption forever
away.
In preparing recent sermon upon
'What the boys of Portland are read
ing | took occasion TO become ac-
qualnted with the facts rs far as this
one city is concerned.
In this city OF $4,000 Inhabitants there
are thirteen newsdealers' stores at
every one of which this stuff Is sold.
On the counter OF one Of these stores
counted tweuty-one different periodicals
for boys alone, every one of them filled
with exciting and pernicious if not in =
decent matter. They go under such
titles as The Boys of Nep York, The
Boys of America, Beadle's Dime Norels,
Beatle's Half Dime Norels, Boys Mickle
Library, etc. AT this store are sold
eyery week one hundred copies Of one
OF the most debasing of these papers.
If the others sold in like proportion,
100 would be disposed Of in single
store in one week, and from the thr-
teen stores, 27.300 periodicals, describ-
ing nothing but murder and robbery,
aud adultery and seduc ton, would go
broad into the homes of this little city
every week. But this is doubtless too
large an estimate. Reduce it three
fourths. Suppose that only one quar-
ter of this number ls actually sold. even
then we fiod that more than $500
poison ous sheets are circulated weekly.
am satisfied that this estimate is far
below rather than above the truth.
Each Of these periodicals has, Oh an
average. at least two readers then, in
this one citv, there are oyer $4,000 rea-
ders Of this trash. Beyond a doubt
more than half Of these readers are
Young people, boys and girls, young
men aud women, aud we can safely
estimate that there are 1000 young
people in Portland who are habtual
drinkers at these fountains OF ditch
water.
| have examined few Of these wretch.
ed publications, picked up at random
from the great mass with which the
counters OF our news stores groau, and
fad them, each and every Que, evil and
wholly evil, and that continually.
Every one Of them glorides villaiuy
and presents unreal. distorted pictures
o" life, aud makes crime desirable and
wickedness attractive.
How can cur boys and girls return
conteutedly to the work shop aud the
store aud the school on Monday morn
ing when they have been roaming over
the plains with Texas rangers, or rob-
bing stage coaches with Missouri ruffians
all day Sunday.
How small and mean must the hon.
est nine shillings look for a days work
to those who have had their eyes dazzl'
ed by the gold and Jewels OF a robbers
cave
Listen to some OF the titles of these
stories, and judge for yourself of their
cou!ents: Shorty, Jr., or the son Of
His Dad > shorty OF His Ear : 'Yauk
Shank & Co. : Jim Jams, o. Jack OF
all Trades > Claude Duval > Claude
in a Fix;' Claude Betrayed : Claude
on the Scatfold ; Leadville Luke !
Roaming Rube : etc.
Think. too, for a moment of the ex-
tent of this evil, One firm already pub
fishes 2OS of these wretched stories,
another publisher advsrtises 275 Of the
same class, aud still another lS7 oil
them-670 volumes published for i've
and ten cents by only three of the scores
of firms engaged in this nefarious bu'i-
ness.
Parents, what shall be done ABOUT
this fearful evil? You would not allow
filthy sewer to exist near your front
door, day after day. poisoning the ar
vou breathe, injecting the water you
drink. and spreading disease among
your children aud young friends and
vet these filthy sewers OF dltchwaIer
reading are found on dozen OF the prIn'
cipal streets of every city. Why should
they be allowed to exist ?
You would not allow Leadvllle Luke
or Roaming Rube to run amuck through
your streets, shooting. staboiug, ROD
binp, burning, to right and left, why
should you allow them to ride undls'
turbed through the imaginations OF tue
Young people, where the havoc they