Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-29

special meeting of the Newsboys' Aid Socf-
ETY. was held yesterday afternoon at the Temple
cafe. In the absence of the president, the first
and second vice president. Mrs. DIR. Presbrey
presided. The special object Of the meeting was
to listen to report from Mrs. Darwin RJames,
the president, and the recording secretary
stated that at the request OF Mrs. James the
report had been submitted to q committee for
their suggestions The report was then read. as
follows: "The Newsboys' Aid Society desires
to call the attention of residents Of the city of
Washington to the need of organized and in
telligent effort in behalf of class which hitherto
has been almost entirely neglected, viz the
newsboys. In other cities the necessity for Or
ganized effort for the physical and moral well
fare of this class has been recognized, and there
banks for savings, and other Institutions, to the
end that they may be surrounded by Influences
which Will help them to become useful citizens.
In Washington, excepting q short-lived effort
shortly after the late war, nothing has been
done for their improvement except to confine
trespassing or breaking ' the law Their oecu
patton Is desultory, their education is much Of
1T obtained In the street or in the low pool
very largely, as they have much leisure time
1n these places they learn all manner of evil,
and it is not to be wondered at that as many as
thirty nave been confined In the Jail at one
time. A large proportion of these boys are
colOred, to whom the trades and many regular
White boys, they have not therefore the incen.
tive to make much effort for success in
life. Statistics of the criminal classes show that
want OF regular occupation Is more frequently
the disposlng cause to crime than ignorance.
An editorial in q recent Issue of The EVENING
STAR says 1T is evident that there is q growing
spirit OF lawlesSness amongst the vicious and
ignorant portions of the negro population, as
shown especially by the murderous assaults
upon policemen &c. or the seven hundred who
more or less follow the occupation OF the news
boy; large proportion would be glad to learn a
trade, as they grow older, or engage in some oc-
employment. To aid them In this direction is
one of the aims of the Newsboys Aid society.
We need at the outset large room, which shall
cold weather, sufficiently furnished and sup
piled with illustrated papers and inexpensive
games; and a such other proper things as viii
where they could gather while waiting for
papers, instead of being forced to go to their
We aim to provide opportunity for the deposit
of their savings and to encourage them to de-
post in bank the money which is now wasted
served out in the low saloons. Licensing them
and furnishing them with badges has been
found very helpful in other cities in restricting
lawlessness and melting to we'll doing. We
are hoping in time to accomplish this end, We
propose to form regular classes for instruction,
to hope that in the near future we may be able
to establish an industrial school, either through
government aid or by private liberality, where
these boys, shut out from learning trades, can
be taught various trades and thereby obtain a
wider field in which to find honorable and re-
munerative employment. The advisory board
zens, which is a guarantee that all money
placed in their hands to assist the Newsboys
Aid society will be wisely used in the promo
ton of the best interests of the work. Prompt
and special contributions towards the rent of a
room, as indicated, are solicited"
Mr. C. G. Mitchell, Mrs. l.. A. Gregory and
Miss Josephine Chester were appointed COM
mittee to secure the publication and distribu-
ton OF this report. Mr.. b. II. Stinemetz was
added to the finance, committee. The ladies
| are now looking for q suitable place for q news
boys home.
The members of the advisory board are as fol-
VI. Corcoran, Judge Macarthur, Charles B.
Beall, b. II. StinemetZ Prof. r. T. Greener, Col.
w. G. Moore and Gen. John Eaton.