, 1884-01-10
The Newsboys' Thanksgiving.

The Howard charitable association
of Boston. gave an annual dinner
on Thanksgiving day to the newsboys
and bootblacks of that city. The
following account of the banquet at
the Meionaon Hall. last Thanksgiy-
ing, when $50 boys were feasted, We
take from the Boston Transcript of
that date:
1t was Hungary against Turkey
On one side horde OF wild, impetu-
Gus ussailants clothed in all sorts of
uniforms and brandishing Us their
weapons sharp knives and tTdent5
on the other side long rows of we'll
dressed troops, without arms. pres
enting their bare breasts to the en-
envy. They were no chicken-neaTted
troops, but true representative of the
kingdom of Turkey. they were young,
not tUugheled to the service. and III
their present condition incapable Of
flight, 50 that on the first onslaught
OF the opponents they We're literally
cut to pieces and almost at once an
initiated. The gallant $50 with their
lions seeking whom they might de
your. first attacking the outer breast
works and then plunging upon the
right and left wings of the enemy
IEe drum sticks beat ominousiy to
%ethar as the cold steel cut its way
through the sinewy lines that encir-
cled the heart and head quarters Of
the yielding forces, but finally they,
too, We're taken in hand, and then
everything was swallowed up by the
victorious band.
Turkey having been overcome, the
happy host of newsboys and boot
blacks, no longer hungry, but with
appetites Just sufficiently whetted to
make them sigh for more birds to
conquer, turned their attention to the
feast of victory. The other fowl and
vegetables disappeared in fabulously
short time down those $50 human
abysses. and on that table where once
lay the tender form of the tender
farmyard bird now remained but the
fragments of Il disjointed chicken.
The little fellows were at the hight
of their happiness. As they march
ed into that hall, 1T the beginning, in
quickstep time, every face Wore an
expressive smile of qualification and
self-conscious glory, but now that
smile had broadened into prodIg1-
Gus grin of contentment, and the con
tUTtiOns of tine mouth as it changed
its functions of eating to laughing
and then back again to eating Were
remarkable, to say the least. One
aesthetic urchin had clasped firmly
IN his hand the large white lily which
had adorned the center of the table,
and throughout the entire meal sat
holding the flower with one hand.and
struggling with turkey and coffee
with tae other. Another little fellow
was so tremendously happy that he
did not know how to begin. He star
ed bewildered at the plate ot goo!
things before him, and at last b.gin-
ming to realize what it all meant, at
tackled it with vim, only stopping
now and then to look up and laugh
seemingly in the most meaningless
way at the spectators who watched
| him. All around the room gentlemen
and ladies stool enjoying the scene.
Among the number were Rev. PhiliI
| Brooks, Rev. DIFF NJ Ellis and othel
prominent citizens. 1t was certainly
unique scene they looked upon ano
one calculated to give the truest idea
of what Thanksgiving really means
Hundred of boys were enjoying sucD
meal as they never taste or dream
of tasting at other times, and amid
surroundings which would have awed
to silence older heads in their posi-.
ton. But those sclf-reliant street
boys made themselves perfectly al
home 1t was, Waiter, bring this;'
and Waiter, bring that" as if the
distinguished diner always had ladies
of the best society to serve his noon
day banquet.
Sudden Y terrific clatter arose
As IL an electric current had struck
simultaneous each arm, every hano
grasped spoon and began n cease
less click, click, against the sides oi
the crockery mugs. while such Ra-
| b of voices rang out that it wa -.
possible Tor the unInItiated 10 tell whul
was the matter. That's their sigma
for ice cream" ex Jlained q portly ole
gentleman whose beaming face show.
ed that he always enjoyed his Thanks
giving 10y visit to this banquet. ana
so t was evidently interpreted by th,
walters, for in a few moments the
boys were reveliing i'll the cold con
tents of the ice cream cups. These
emptied to the very last atom, the at
tractivc display Of .uits and nuts
were called to the attention of the
lads-and that was the last seen OF
apples, oranges, raisins and nuts,
When the boys left the hall they did
not go Immediately to work. They
couldn't. 1t would have been like
stuffing a paper balloon with the
fruits of the earth and then expect
ing it to fly up in the heavens Three
hundred and fifty boys had entered
the Meiona0n weighing. altogether.
some 21,000 pounds. When they lef
an hour later they weighed nearer
23,O00 pounds. The directors of tEe e
Howard association, under whose
charge the banquet was carried ON,
met after the dinner and voted ''Gha
the thanks of this board be rendered
to the proprietors of the Parhe
House, Young's Hotel, the Tremon
House, the Brunswick, the Vendome,
the United States Hotel and Ameri-
can House for contributions made
toward the dinner"
In reply to assertions that MIS-. A.
S. Dunniway, of Oregon, was trying
to secure the office of Governor cf
Washington Territory, that lady say S