Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-22
GREAT JONES' !" DRUM A Wonderful Christmas for the
 Little Waif. AND HIS DEEP-lAlD PLOT Meant to Waylay Santa Claus in the Five Points House of Industry and Steal That
 Drum-His Confession.

Now, Great Jones, you must go to bed"
 "Don't want to go to bed. Want to wait up an see Santy Claus
 santa Claus won't come to bad little bovs and girls who don't say their pray CTS and go to bed
 Great Jones was at first inclined to weep, but he thought better of 1t, al. allowed himself to be led captive to the big children's nursery; lie was d tiny waif lodged under the shelteIlhs wing of the Five Points House or ust dnuus fry. and his odd pet name of Great Jones' had been given to him py lns noor family with whom he had louSea before his removal to that klndly chdiit His foster-father a laboring man, haa picked the child up in Great JoIss i' senSt near where that rather grimy tnoroush- fare enters the Bowery. No lnqulrles could elicit the little wanderer haine, so that he had been temporarlly oail1 a Great Jones after the street or HIS hiio- ing. .,st;ro+,y rcd baired and as obstinate as he was red haired Somebody had told him that Santa Claus-gracious giver or gun things-was coming during the SUI, watches of the night to the rive roiiisa a House of Industry and its nursery, Just as he came to the young people Wlth wealthy parents in the grand homes up
 
 town. ,, a bod
 "Toodles,"- was cripple, ana hao already spent a Christmas Tn the M nui- cory had described the gorgeous array of presents which the good saint left by The children's bedsides the year before Great Jones at first proved increduious' but, one day finding the matron nsen- gagged, he questioned her on thls impor- tant question.
 "Yes. Great Jones'" answered the ma iron santa Claus is sent here every Christmas eve by the kind ladles anu gentlemen with presents Tor the papes of the nursery. All sorts or nlce thlhgs he brings, too--candy and toys and pop guns cot
 And drums?" eagerly asked Great Jones' "Does he bring drums!
 When the matron admitted that santa Claus had been known to bring drum Great Jones smiled happily. The ehler ambition of his small soul was to own a drum-a real drum, such as he had seen fin the Peter P Mulcahy association pa rade one night last summer. He was de termined at all hazards to capture the drum which Santa Claus brought.
 But how? Suppose the saint took 1t into his head to give the drum to some other of the nursery children-to ioo- dles," for instance, or to Betsy Ann!
 Betsy Ann was such remarkably good little girl that Santa Claus might well feel like giving her what seemed 10 Great Jones to be the choicest prize or all His heart was troubled over the prospect. He moped in corners think, ing over plans to win the drum ana ashamed to conilde hls sorrows lo thc matron or any one else.
 Most charitable folk know about the Five Points House of Industry and us nursery. In the very heart Of what was once the wickedest spot in all New fork city stands the plain brick structure which shields from the cruel streets so many small men and women. some Of them are orphans. some are the children of parents so poor as 10 De themselVSs objects of charity. Some-lke Great .Tones-are waifs and strays on the great tide of metropolitan life. But all are happy as care and comfort can make them.
 Just now, however. Great Jones. our d-headed founding, was anything put happy. The longed-for drum and the sickening fear of losing 1t oppressed him. He had formed a desperate plot to hide in the hallway outside the children dormitory, and waylay Santa Claus when he arrived on Christmas eve with his wonderful budget of good things
 You must pardon Great Jones for his covetousness You see. he had not been long in the house of industry, and the genial teachings of the ladies in charge of the charity had not yet eradicated the bitter lessons of the sidewalk
 That drum-that amazing drum which he had seen and heard out of the charity window as the Peter P. Mulcahy parade went by still filled him with its glory. He felt that he should surely die did he not secure drum Of his own. After all. what could "Toodles." who was a cripple, want with such toy? And Betsey Anna girl--what fun could she extract from its jocund ''rub-a-dub?"
 So when Christmas eve came around Great Jones carried into execution his desperate scheme The fifty or sixty lit tie ones in his dormitory had all been washed and dressed for the night in their quaint little white linen gowns. Prayers would be said in minute. and then-off to bed, and no chance of waylaying Santa Claus.
 Quickly Great Jones, whose cot was