The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-22
REV. DANIEL RBETHEL MORGAN
SURPRISED THE RED WING
CONFERENCE
BY THE STORY0F A YOUNG BOY
HOW THE SAME STORY SOUNDS
TOLD BY THoSE INTERESTED
IN THE YOUTH.
HE wANTED4TH LAD TO WORK,
But He Wouldn't Peel Potatoes and
Sweep Because His Board
Was Being Paid.

Rev David Bethel Morgan is I'M
fortunate. If he had had somebody to
tell him when to speak and what to say,
he would be all right. But he goes
stumbling along alone and the result
is he is always falling down. Last week
he went to Minneapolis to attend a
meeting of Minneapolis citizens called
to consider the question of the best way
TO provide for the care and assistance
or men without work and without
homes. His ideas offered on that oc-
| cas1on gave some of the men who have
some feelings of sympathy for their fell
low men a chill. mo work, no food
IS the Bethel preachers motto. 1t isn't
the motto, it seems of men who are in
! sympathy with unfortunate humanity.
| so Mr.. Morgan was criticised freely for
| his plan and his remarks the following
day by Mr.. Sherin, of Chicago, a man
who devotes his time and money to the
work.
Rev. David had hardly heard the
last of his Minneapolis break, when he
started off to Red Wing to attend the
| meeting of Corrections and Charities.
He had to give the convention the bene-
fit of his knowledge there and again
made himself ridiculous in the eyes of
number Of people who knew what he
was talking about and how incorrect
and unjust was the story he told about
boy who had been sent to his Bethel
beat.
| 1t was in connection with the discus
sion as to whether it is best to send
/ dane 5Ar,4 .l-s
provide it with home The subject was
discussed pro and con by the delegates,
and then Mr.. Morgan rose to his feet
with the remark that he would like
to give his personal experience with a
boy from one of the Minnesota institu-
ticns. He said that some time ago a
boy came to ST. Paul, came on freight
| car and was cared for at the Bethel
The boy in accounting for himself, said
that he had been placed by a Minnesota
institution in home on farm; that
he did not like the place or that the
! place did not like him. At any rate,
for some reason or other he left there
and applied for place with some other
/ farmer. This man kicked him out in
! short time and his experience at the
! third place was the same. So he had
! found shelter at the Bethel. Mr.. Nor
/ gan went on to say that the attendants
| at the Bethel had attempted to put the
! boy to work First he had been given
! a broom and been told to sweep. He
knew nothing, according to Mr.. Morgan,
about the use. OF a broom Then the
boy had been requested to peel potatoes
! and various other duties which the
| Children in institutions, Mr. Morgan
said, are supposed to be taught to do.
! None of them was he able to accom-
plish. At last he was asked to harness
! the reverend gentleman'S horse, but
/ he knew not one end Of the harness
! from the other. The boy apparently
! knew how to do nothing but read.
| And remarked Mr.. Morgan, II said
! to him no wonder the farmers kicked
| you out; you do not know how to do
anything Which was the argument
Mr.. Morgan wished to put forth as
against state institutions.
There was very apparent uneaSi-
ness among many of his hearers during
the recital Of the story, and at its
! close National President Johnson arose
! and asked for the name of the insti-
| tuition in which the boy had been
! placed. Mr.. Morgan was not willing
! to give the name of the place. but
! said that it was in st. Paul. And here
! Mr.. Morgan and his personal expe-
rience were dropped by the members
| of the conference.
! 1t was learned later from some of
! those who heard Mr. Morgan
! that the true story Of the case is this:
! About eight years ago when Mrs. Bling
! ham was matron at the Protestant Or
! phan asylum Of this city, she had in
her care a small boy not more than
! four years old Of whom she was very
| fond on account of his brightness and
! pleasing personal appearance. This
| little boy was placed with a family in
] T1,n AI,1
! tended to adopt him, but did not do
| so owing to the opposition Of relatives,
/ as the law of adoption provides that
it's object inherit it's adopted parents
| property. So the boy was allowed to
! drift away from home, and after a
series Of misadventures he came to
st. Paul aboard a freight car He
went direct to the asylum on Marshall
avenue and learning that his old friend
| was there no longer hunted her up at
| her present residence. He remained
/ with her for a few days and then she
reported the case to the women of the
board and they in turn reported to
| Secretary Hutchins. The boy, now tall
| and large for his years and exceeding
! ~ bright, was placed at the Bethel and
his board paid till suitable disposition
could be made for him. That he re-
fused to know how to work while there
was boyish prank which he INDUCED
! in, knowing that, as he was having his
/ board paid, Mr.. Morgan was
not keeping him for charity,
and the little fellow was wise enough
to know that he didn't have to sweep
/ the Bethel and peel potatoes and har-
ness the horse when he was a boarder
at the boat. He was not expected to
work by those who sent him there
| He was at last sent East where he is
at present engaged in work with a rel
ative, and it will be news to Mr.. Nor
gan to know he is doing we'll. The
women of the board at the asylum
were amazed to hear the manner in
which the story was related by Mr..
Morgan, and are not exactly pleased
1