The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03
GEORGES WEE REPUBLIC.
WHERE EAST SIDE BoYs AND GIRLS
LEARN WORK IND POLITICS.

EuuthNNOn- N NEuihNHNNs VIZ
che Chihdren Governed Themselves
The fashionable women OF the League for
Political Education listened yesterday morning
to another lecture at the Berkeley Lvceum. This
newcomers, who had looked forward TO some
tbIng dry and technical, were surprised to find
themselves listening to n talk which was as full
OF life and interest ~ q romance. They laughed
over the funny stories and paid such good att
tention 10 the facts. that Mr.. James A. Cruik-
shank. who told them both the stories aud the
facts. must have gone homo highly PLEASED with
his abilities as a speaker.
Mr.. Crulkshauk had an interesting subject.
He told OF the workings OF the George Junior
Republic. and he told the story well. The
Junior Republic IA an experiment in the educa-
ton Of Stun children. IL was organized By Mr..
William II. George. who, as the speaker an
nounced In n tone very unnattering to Henry OF
tho same name. 10 not in any way associated
with the sinRle-taN man.
Mr.. Cruikshank's Mr.. George is q young man
who takes a tremendous interest In the slum
children OF New York. Five years ago he began
taking some OF these children out into the
country for n few weeks in summer. lilo did
not pick out the GOOD boys and girls and give
them this outing as n reward. He took the
worst children he could find. Boys who had
been in the reform schools and tho jails were
Mr.. Georges delight. They were the ones who
needed most the training and influence he
meant to give them. Mr.. Cruikshank spoke
with genuine longing Of n boy ho has been read.
ing Of in the newspapers. The boy lie IL years
old and has been arrested eight times.
Il mean to have that boy. II | can get hold
OF him" declared MIR. Cruikshnnk.
Probably no one will object TO spering the
youth unless the Warden of the jail wants his
society. A better thing hardly could happen to
this young ruflan than to go with Mr.. Cruik-
shank for n summer vacation. Worse boys than
he have tried the scheme and learned a thing
or two in the trial. The experiment is one of
the most interesting now making along soc!a-
logical lines. The republic part of 1t Is recent,
dating from last summer only. AT that time
Mr.. George took l35 boys and 40 girls out to a
farm near Freeville in Tompkins county. He
had various assistants. young men and young
women. who gave their time and labor TO the
experiment. After they had settled on the
farm. the boys living in tents, the girls in q
dormitory, and the helpers In the farmhouse IT.
self. Mr.. George mounted a barrel one day
and made a speech. He told the boys that
they were to manage themselves; that a govern
nent would be organized of which he would be
the President, but the boys should elect their
own Congress. make their own laws, have their
own courts, police. prison. In fact everything
necessary for their government. At first they
sneered. snickered. poked one another in the
ribs, and laughed. But when the President, as
MS tltle now DtCbHe. uuIsutu hs speoCu, ING
boys were sober enough. The workings OF this
miniature State are decidedly interesting. In
the first place there were industrial classes,
carpentry. landscape gardening, and farming
for the boys: cooking, millinery. and sewing
for the girls. Every child was enrolled
in one Of these classes. unless lie pre-
ferred to DO idle. No one was COM
PEELED TO work. but il he did not work he
became a pauper, lived in pauper quarters. and
una fed an manner rafipna The induatrial
classes were divided into three grades: the I'M
skilled. the middle. and the skilled laborers.
After II child had worked faithfully for five
days in one Of the lower grades. he was pro-
NOTED to the one above. The unskilled work
man received so cents n day; the middle class,
20 cents, and the skilled laborer, 90 cents. This
was not in United States money. but In camp
money pieces Of pasteboard Of different sizes
and colors. corresponding with the denomina-
tons of American money.
Mr.. Cruikshank explained carefully that this
was not play money; that 1t was redeemed at
the close Of the camp in articles OF real value.
The children not only earned money. but they
spent 1t, too. They paid the Government ten
cents for each meal. ten cents a day for lodging,
and three cents daily for taxes. ne taxes were
applied to the care of the pauper and criminal
classes. Tho hours for work were from $50
A. NJ. until noon. In the afternoon the children
were free to do as they pleased. They might 60
swimming. or rowing, or ball playing. or flower
hunting, always of course under the supervision
of assistants. They were also free to
pass the afternoon in earning more money.
For this they devised various schemes.
One boy went down to tho village barber and
secured the use of a pair of clippers. These he
ANY o yoase feiiers sotd like yer hair cut can
git IL done fer ten cents a cut" He was crowded
came a bioated plutocrat with q large bank &C
count, Tor there was q bank. The boys might
three per cent. interest for It II It was left in long
enough.
eater. no one knew why. was very much given
to collecting curiosities. He picked up half:
earned much ridioule and contempt thereby.
But finally Frogeater went to headquarters and
Of the tents. He cultsined It Cd. arranged. his
su mS:sam s on = nc, .9u ,ns and then said he had
IN mq TSs eo sns sass the 1s ssy th %ui shsss sy fs Il e oSss
themselves to look at Frogeater's despised
Some other boys formed q syndicate, rented
s ons ol the T tents ss ana o z aSa M hSts1 on Their imd own
the purse proud Of the camp could afford to I
dine on Its 26-cent meals. The girls also were
Washing. dId n mem d and nudis otherS Shss in sSUa ID
their incomes.
had ot Sae ons sxsfy SSy TON e on on t issf po iiss t slS%
To get on de force at the camp it was necss.
;sss w 70 n 2 ssvs E /. siSn to %sss *. so ssa% That soe sss
by crowds to make their applications. but they
came away eadder, ana II not wiser, at any rate
with a determination to become SO. Some OF the
policemen were little fellows, and 1t often be-
came their duty to arrest boys much larger than
themselves, which duty eptailed some very
pretty fights, but in no instance was club
hing reported. The boy Z" COPS were provided
with clubs and permission was gwen them to
use their clubs II 1t was necessary. although
they were warned that such action would be
rigid)y Investigated. But although the Super
intendent himself says that he was a witness on
several occasions when clubbing would have
lren justitiable, the boys always refrained.
They were required to do their duty, however,
and II one OF them showed the white feather he
was discharged from the force and fined.
Prisoners were arraigned In the criminal
court; the District Attorney conducted the case
for the people; some OF the boys adopted the
profession OF the law, and, II the prisoner was
able, he hired counsel; II not, the Court ap-
some one to defend him. Ajury OF boys
rat IN the bog. the right of challenge being given
Ia both the defencs and the prosecution. There
were sometimes di~sagreements in the Jury, but
Their decisions were remarkably just II the
prisoner WAS COnyicfpl la racaIvsd a aaptarno