Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-26
STRENGTHENING THE TWIG.
WORK OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS
AID SOCIETY.
Interesting Account OF a Grand EE-
fort in Behalf of Humanity
and the State.
lKEcoRD-UNIoN Correspondence ]

DAN L RANCISCO. July 10, 1901.
Veal subscribes so readily TO Zola's terrible
views ofthe dark workings of the law ofhe-
redity-to the belief that the evil that a man
does lives after him in the third and fourth
generation Of his descendants the prop
osition that from the filth and dissoluteness
OF parents is evolved the criminal instinct
OF the child, the crime of the grandchild
and the degraded semi-idiocy of the great
grandchild we pretend to see the logic OF
such development, and to consider it so
irresistible that very few people ever dream
Of the equally irresistible, though infinitely
more difficult, evolution of good char
aCter of "seli-reYerence, self-knOwledge,
self-control " in the third generation, from
the tiny seed of good implanted in the
heart Of the child who is to be father to
those coming men; the awakening of the
dormant angel instead of its brutalizing
stupetaction. This last law of heredity is
that on which the
BOYS AND GIRLS AID SOCIETY
OF San Francisco does its work, with the
practical motto that it is less expense to the
State to save children than to support
criminals The headquarters of the society
are at IS Clementina street-one Of those
strange little continued in our next side
streets that bisect a block, have no exist
Gnce in the next, and then reappear in the
next, 10 end in brick wall or a stable half
way through the next. The building of
the Aid is not at all what It's friends would
Ike it to be. II is tall, not very spacious
wooden house, encouragingly free from
bolts and bars, bat without an inch Of
ground where the inmates could have out
door work or play; lack much deplored
by the society. Going in at the narrow
hallway, the first door at the left lets you
into the Office, where, on a small railed-in
platform, AIr. Dooley, the Superintendent,
and Mr.. Kemp the assistant Secretary and
di5cipHnarian, sit on each side of a big
desk and do their writing, receive COM
plants, settle disputes, and reason with the
strange samples of parents who make fire.
quent attempts to get back their children
from the Aid, in order to enjoy the small
sums they can earn, although the children
have in most instances been removed from
these peoples custody because the latter
bad shown themselves totally
UNFIT TO CARE FOR \ CHILD.
Perhaps the Aid was hindered from
prompt recognition of the manner and aim
OF its work by the record of its first man
agement 1t was a trife namby-pamby,
and made almost entirely local to the few
streets of the ncighborhood, and the chill
dren it housed were nearly ali public school
children; the rest had work, and all had
homes Of their own Charles L. Brace,
widely known in connection with the Chill
dren's Aid OF New York, recommended to
b. McF. Davis, an early President Of the
San Francisco Aid. e. I. Dooley, as Super
intendent Mr.. D0oley accepted the call,
and with the cooperation of the manage
ment, proceeded to remodel the work of the
Aid somewhat, directing it toward the
homeless, or worse than homeless, rather
than toward those who had homes already.
Grown girls were excluded from the even
ing classes of singing and sewing, and by
magic the big boys began 10 drop oil, and a
Troublesome element was got rid Of. The
Aid aspires to stand between the Courts
and the State Pcniteniary. A ease Is not
disposed of where a child is committed to
the best institution in the world; true
penal science ponders upon what to do
with an inmate. The Aid does not call
itself an institution; it does not aim to
board q criminal class, but to be
FRIEND TO THE CONDEMNED
One, whose youth gives hope, to avert the
despair bred Of being branded criminal.
The Aid works under Section 1888 OF The
Penal Code approved March 10, 1853. The
section provides that Final judgment may
be suspended on any conviction, charge or
for mis1emeanOr or felony
where, in the Judgment Of the Court in
which such proceeding is pending, there IS
ground to believe that such
minor may be reformed, and that a com
70 prison would work manifest
injury in the premises Such suspension
may be for as long period Is the circum
Etll-os of the case may seem to warrant.
During the period of such suspension the
Court may commit such minor to the
custody Of the officers or managers of any
strictly non sectariau charitable corpora
lion conducted for the purpose Of reclaim
ing criminal minors" Here the Aid steps
in. taxes .the child and houses
and feeds 1t until a home is found
for il in the country. The Code goes on
q such Court may further, in its discretion.
direct the payment of the expenses OF the
maintenance Of such minor during such
period Of two months, not to exceed in the
aggregate the sum of So, which sum shall
be paid by the county where such criminal
proceeding Is pending or direct action be
Instituted for the recovery thereof out OF
the estate Of said minor, or from has
parents
PLACING ~ COUNTRY HOMES
Ia placing the child in his new home in
the country. the Aid goes farther even than
the New York society with It's children ii
requires = written agreement as to what
the neW employer viii pay. and 20 whom,
and makes an arrangement with q respon-
sihlc resident of the child's new home that
ne viii act as agent and bonding
member Ter the boy, making sure that the
boys WAGES are paid and be is kindly
treated and morally influenced. These
promi1eAt citizens are 0l,eu selected by
the aid Of the Postmaster of Che place. al
communications being confidential. il the
Ala had means they would place q visiting
agent upon the road TO call upon every boy
ald girl sent on from the Aid. Tie chill
dr,n sometimes get an iOea that their EeW
employer must be q friend of Dir. DGoicy.
and Chat ANY eXaction is cOunteDanccd at
head quarters but this idea is eraa.ca.ed as
mach Us possible ~ the society IS iuuci
more
ANXIOUS ABOUT MS CHILDREN
Than about the strangers who make app.i-
cation t3a them. There is q printed post
script upon every letter sent to p former
inmate O.. jhe Aid saying: Let me hear
ii l4li N'fi. lt- waiting Ai H tl4ti-l-- "A stilt
have reason 10 feel unhappy, don't lake
matter, into your owu hands and get into
more serious r9ubie but just le, me know
and { viii =traiEb-en things out In the best
way for YOU Il is SO hard TO make chill
dreu believe that any grown person is on
their side is taking their part, and harder
with these poor oppressed liule Ishmaei-
lies ll9n With other more Fortunate boys
and girls, The enthusiastic ladies Of the
Board uf Trustees are about % make APP
pedls for monthly subscriptions and for q
fund for o building I'm which the Aid Is
much 10 need. IN another letter I shall
describe individual eases, ana some OF the
inner workings of this excellent charity
W H. Mills of the Central Pacific Land
Department, has been made one of the
Trustee OF the Boys and Girls Aid
PHuIP SHIRLEY
NEs1zzzssusus------a-uSaszu=D
\ WoNurBFUL WHISPERING GALLERY.
The greatest whispering gallery In the
world is hat of the Grand Canyon, Colo