The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-12-27
EvERYBODY'S BOY.
BY NJ. QUAD.

My son, drop that dime novel or fash
paper, and let's have little chat.
Yes, Indian and detective stories ara
thrilling. but don't go too fast. The
chances are that you will never see a
1--we Indian outside of circus or a
street parade, and as for killing EN-
don't.
No doubt you could strap a bowie
knife and revolver around your waist.
and take loaf of bread under one arm
and the pamphlet life of Buffalo Bill
under the other, and go West and slav
Indians by the cord, but don't think
of it.
An Indian has feelings, the same as
white man, and as few of them have
lad by any bonds or mortgages, or in
vested to any great extent in life insur-
ance, you must realize that the widows
and orphans of your victims would be
left in sad plight.
As for detective stories, go and talk
with real detective or a county sheriff.
Ask 'em about ok Sleuth's" disguises
and exploits and magic luck and then
listen carefully while they tell vou
what fool you are making of yourself
by grinding the end of your nose
against pages OF such trash fiction.
We want You to read, but for the lands
sake look about for something differ
ent! There are good boy-books, your
father takes the daily papers, and if
you should read 8 page or two of
history now and then YOU wouldn't
waste your time
That crowd of New York publishers
who are flooding the country with fash
papers and dime novels are your worst
enemies. No matter to them whether
You grow up respectable man or a
murderer so long as they get your
money. Their stories are the basest
lies, too silly even for boy 10 years
old to believe.
Now, then, look around you and see
how many men in our stores and fac
tories and Offices and upon the streets
are getting gray and wrinkled and old.
Twenty years from now not one in ten
OF US whom YOU see in business to-day
will be able to put our shoulders to the
wheel. Even decade will retire tens
OF thousands. What then! WHY. nv
son, this is world which knows no
stop. This is . life which knows no
rest until old age cona,els Il.
When the men of to-day are laid up
in dry-dock the boys of to-day will be
the fresh set of hands called on deck to
work the ship. They will be the mer-
chants, farmers, manufacturers and
professional men of the future. You
will have to bear the burdens and ankle
lies of keeping this country on the
track of peace and prosperity, and your
voices will sound from the halls of Con-
gress and your pens write words to
burn III the memory of future genera
tiQps. 80
Come, now. begin right, Don't get
it into your head that an Indian killer
is about four pegs above !. State Sena-
tor. Don't imagine that q detective
wouldn't trade places with lawyer
very quickly if he had his say about it.
Don't you believe that an embezzler,
burglar, or murderer is hero, and that
men admire him. Drop your novels
and flash papers as starter. The boy
who feeds on such trash gets false i'm
pressiOns of the world, and is more GER
tain to bring up in State Prison than in
respectable employment. If You have
q pistol fling it aside. The man who
carries one about the streets is cow
ard, and men mark him as such. If you
have bowie-knife on hand turn it over
t. yoar mother for . meat or bread
knife. Ii you have sand-club lying
around loose shy it into the ditch be-
fore anybody finds out how empty your
head has been. That pair Of brass
knuckles can be tossed into the river;
sold Sleuth" and Buffalo Bill" will
make good bonfire, and then You are
ready to begin life and to ask yourself
what trade or profession shall he yours
when done in the school. l.-Detr0H Free
Press