Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-10
A WEE REPUBLIC.
Forty Acres Peopied by New YORK
CITY Boys.
CNew York SUM

comnany OF l2O boys. armed with
wooden guns. swung from Desorosses
street into Broadway yesterday morning.
and marched up the busy thoroushidi7
with two noisy little drummers al thet
head. AT Fourteenth street tney tuI"et
off into University Place ana III Ho,1
~ IS tbav disbanded. with cheers. Nearly
everv one of the small soldiers FOUND d
mothers arms waiting to clasp MINI
This conpany of mimic soldiers was the
Rows Brigade Of the George lhuus. "a,
Camp. For the last two months the po's
BRIGADE and forty girls nave Desh on
forty-acre farm, near freeNlhe III w
lake region round Ithaca. llilarl n,
George VINO is the protector OF the Boys
I'D mad decided that he would try
an entirely new method in goVerhihg oiie
Youngsters who 20 from the city Sums
70 breathe the fresh country air. lie hau
read that the only way 10 prevent w
development OF criminal instinct III eIo
Young was to inculcate spirit VI 20
,riotism and respect for the law d. no
came 10 the novel plan OF making ui9
fortv-acre farm miniature repuoiic anu
Is,tIng the Youngsters. TO a certain GA
tent. govern themselves ..o
A. election was held a day or two after
tho excitement OF the arrival had SUI
eided Mr.. George was elected freslucnt
~ tho new republic without one dissent
ing vote Senators. congressman JUICES
and policemen were chosen. Laws were
enacted and they were enforced strlSuy,
The farm was an Industrial one anu
every class OF work had its represei',a-
tive in the Senate and the congress Oh inc
land For the boys. however, the police
most lmDOrtaDI one.
The eleven policemen, when they TOOK
Once gave solemn promises that they
would enforce the laws OF the lana, ana
they did. For the first weeks the ponce
had a hard time. Law-breakers were ar
rested with surprising importantly ana
dispatch. They were taken before Judge
and Jury Of their peers. Many a youhgster
naesed davs and nights in the lookup du-
ring his first week in the camp. Al hrst
II Impressed some OF the chlldten as
great Joke 10 be arrested by Mickey
de Con-: 10 be tried by "Reddy' de
Judge" and to pass time In JAN guaru.
ed by skinny Bob; but the novelty Oh
this soon wore away, ana one OF tWo
terms OF the prison life was seheraly
enough TO convince them that they haa
had enough In the last two weeks be-
fore the dissolution Of the repuDllc not
mans lob was a sinecure-
The most serious obstacle to success III
tho industrial camp was laZiness. 80 prev
alent was the desire to lounge or play
1,,rira tho second and third week In camp
,hat an extra session OF Congress was
called 10 consider the crisis. The repre-
sentatives adopted stringent measures 10
correct the evil that threatened the new
republic They enacted a law declaring
that those who would not work shouiu
not get anything except breaa anu "ale,
at meals Two or three days Oh the pehai
diet convinced the most sloVeniy that IL
was better TO work and eat than to play
and 20 hungry.
THE republic was kept, as nearly as
nossible a thing by Itself. The boys
earned 80 cents a day each and received
their wages In money made on the
grounds This money was always AT
mar in the camr. The youngsters might
buy sweets with It or they might place
II In the National Bank and draw
per cent interest.
While the boys were busy learning thelr
trades the forty girls were Kept In the
house to learn cooking, house-cleaning,
and other things OF use TO good house
wife. The hardest part OF the girls work
was to keep in repair the boys clothes.
Mr. George says the plan OF IettihS the
boys govern themselves was greater
success than he had expected. The best
part Of II was he said. that the young
sters had got an idea Of the way they
are governed in this country and OF what
part they are to play in political life
All the boys in the camp were compelled
to take part In the military drills every
morning and evening. They were
not compelled to take active part
in the religious services. although
many of them preferred to DO
so. Mr.. George says that the whole
two months outing was comparatively in
expensive. The money was obtained from
charitable contributions. Mr.. George ia
now anxious to purchase the farm near
Freeville. and an effort TO get the neces-
sary 5000 will be made. At all events
next summer new republic will rise
from the memories OF Freeyile. and ~
VIII exceed I'm population. II not in area
the republic that fell yesterday.