Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-12-28
A CHRISTMAS STORY OF REAL LIFE. BY
DAVID A. CURTIS.
Copyright, 1882 by American Press Association

u sneers Of pessimists, it
is impossible to realize that only few
years farther back there was such a
place in the center of the city as the Five
Points. Nowadays it does not take UNI
usual courage for q moderately athletic
man to walk alone in broad daylight
through any public street in the city.
Then it was not safe to do so, and even
policemen rarely ventured alone after
dark into the region known by the old
name. Now the horse cars run through
the center of it. Broad streets have been
cut through. and old buildings replaced
with new. Factories and stores stand
where were formerly tumble down rock
cries, that had stood since the last Gen.
fury, and that were swarming with the
most degraded poor and the most desper-
ate criminals. When the Rev. w. G. Van
Meter, with few friends as earnest and
determined as himself, first started a
mission school within the borders of this
valley of the shadow of crime, he was
repeatedly warned by the police of the
dangers he incurred, and it was some
cine after the work was started before
Alc udlGu W TAXI, GNcl cStOIt, Ill
the middle of the day, the ladies who
were anxious to aid by teaching in the
school. 1t seems gov like a story of a
foreign land and another age, but saw
in 1854 or 1856 party of a dozen ladies
and gentlemen mobbed as they started
homeward from the school one Sunday
noon, hustled into the street and assailed
with volleys of obscene oaths and rotten
vegetables, and SO beset by horde of
half drunken men and women that they
were glad to escape with whole bones
and ruined garments. And the police
seemed powerless to prevent or punish
such outrages. for this was no unusual
occurrence.
The region about what is now Paradise
square, for the distance of a couple OF
blocks in every direction, was honey
combed with blind alleys and secret pas
sages, some OF them running under
ground from one block to ANOTHER. 1t
was n city "a refuge lot CRIMINALS. and.
though they warred aiId proved upon
one another with entire lawlessness. they
combined IS unit to protect any one
among them from the processes of the
law. Aside from the criminals the pop
ulation consisted almost entirely, if not
quite so, of the poverty stricken, for
dire poverty and desperate crime then,
rs very often in history, went hand in
hand.
The children, who were coaxed one by
one into the mission scnoolroom, were
crowd of little savages. Their ignor-
ance was something amazing. 1t was
not very uncommon to find among them
boys and girls of 6 or years old who
did not know their full names, but who
stoutly declared that sally" or "Bill"
was the only name they had, and once
or twice children were found who actu-
ally did not know whether they had ever
had fathers and mothers Some had no
homes. God only knows how they kept
alive, for they slept in holes and corners,
and fed like vagrant cats and dogs on
whatever they could beg, find or steal
Impossible? Certainly it is, but it is
true, nevertheless.
Among the widest and shyest of all
who came in was boy who was the
originator of at least one famous joke,
though without intention. The teacher
asked him his name and he said it was
George. Being asked what his last name
was he said that was his last name.
But you must have another name,'
urged the teacher. "Is it George Smith.
or George johnson, or George What"
Nope" he said, shortly. "'Taint
George What, nor George Nothin', it's
\ ODD
But the joke came when the teacher,
wishing to know whether he had learned
ANYTHING at all. asked him. ''Do you
know who made you!"
At the same instant boy behind him
stuck q pin into George. Such tricks
were very common among the little saw
ages, but it did not hurt any the less be-
cause it was not unusual. George jumped
from his seat and shouted at the top of
his voice "Goddemitey.
"well, that's right" said the teacher.
who had not noticed the trick. "But
don't shout So" The story was told
afterwards, with engagements. until 1t
became chestnut" many years ago.
1t was long time-some months-De-
fore the teachers could learn much about
the boy, for he was distrustful to the
last degree. He kicked the Rev. Mr..
Van Meter on the shins very violently,
and twisted himself away like an eel
when that gentleman, according to his
habit, laid his hand affectionately on the
bows shoulder. George thought he was
going to be beaten, and took his usual
precaution of eluding the preliminary
hold. He had, it seemed, never known
what it was to have anybody take hold
of him in kindness, and was no more 10
be handled than young bird or SPUR
rel. There was hardly anything, in fact,
that he did know, as the good mission