The San Francisco call., 1896-03-29

youngsters, and they are taught by kind
ladies who devote afternoons from 3 to
o'clock to the work of instructiDg the little
fellows in such useful trades as may be
easily mastered.
The members are taught, for instance,
| the art of making wicker-baskets and
demijohn-covers; how to make mats out
of rope, and hammocks out OF cordlng.
Their work is sold at the market price and
the profits are divided among the workers.
Here Is the beginning of trade education,
with an immediate incentive to learn.
The boys work faithfully, spurred by the
knowledge that their labor will bring re-
quitement. The club is not a religious
affair." but is maintained by contributions.
Mrs. Phoebe Hearst is one of the most lib
eral among the supporters of the plan.
In the evening the club is open from
to $3.50 o'clock and Manager dughson,
who has had experience with boys In con-
nection with the New York Trlbune's
| fresh-air fund, acts as athletic instructor
and defender of the peace at these evening
meetings.
| 1t is not only in Girvan's lot on Bay
street that boys can slog with the gloves.
! In the City Front Club there are boxing
mittens of superior make. There in the
evening the arabs gather and have set-tos
that awake enthusiasm and thunders of
vocal as we'll as pedal applause The boys
have beautiful scraps at the club, but they
never get i'll natured about such affairs.
Each one learns to take his medicine like
man, and although some hard hitting is
| INDUCED in nobody whimDers and nobody
complains.
In the athletic-room there are pendant
rings and turning boards, horizontal and
parallel bars, trapeze and mat and dumb
bells and swinging clubs. If anything
would attract the average boy of the
water front these opportunities for athletic
exercise and sportive enjoyment are the
things.
They have reading-room. When there
are not chairs enough to seat all the boys
the floor is not too good to squat down
upon, and the boys are not bit averse to
settling down on the floor and there puE-
suing their reading or picture studies.
The shelves in the reading-room contain
many picture books, magazines and
periodicals that good people send in. The
Youths Companion, Puck, Judge, Har-
per's Young People, Life and host OF
other publications are strewn about.
There is also the nucleus of a library on
the shelves. Robinson Crusoe is in evil
dence, besides Fenimore Cooper's stories,
Pilgrims Progress, Fairy Tales, Dickens
works, Scottish Chiefs, Mark Twaln's
Merry Tales" and number OF stories OF
travel and adventure. And there Is also
an American Encyclopedia.
In another room there are various
games and Observation-Disclosures chess,
authors, bagatelle and the like. In few
weeks an entertainment will be given by
the boys, and Manager Hughson expects to
astonish the patrons Of the club py feats
that will put them in mind of Olympian
games in the infant stage. The club men,
bers are telling other boys on the front
about their fine boxing gloves and punch
ing-bag and trapeze-and these very things,
let it be hoped, may serve TO break up
and even reclaim the gang known as the
white Rats of the water front'-boys,
as was mentioned before, not altogether
devoid of good traits-boys worth the
strongest efforts to save.