Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-22

The Ex-President Gives the Use of n
LnrEe Farm to Teacher Vroom

The Ex-Presfdent Gives the Use of n
Large Farm to Teacher Vroom.
special dispatch to the Philadelphia
Press from Princeton, N. J., states:
Grover Cleveland's farm has school for
boys. 1t started with two boys, and hun
dreds have written to John Henry vroom.
the Princeton graduate who originated the
plan.
Mr.. Cleveland was so impressed by Mr..
Vroom's earnestness that he gave him the
use of his sixty five-acre farm at Princeton.
| and neighbors have added land until it ap-
proximates 100 acres
The publication of the story has brought
a big pile of letters to Mr.. Vroom, bearing
postmarks of towns and villages from
Maine to Texas. The boys are eager The
only question is, Who will assist in estab-
| fishing the farm?
Mr.. Vroom said today that the idea was
not to take children from the slums simply
because they were there, but to offer farm
advantages and thorough English educa-
ton to deserving boys whenever found
Every boy will be self-supporting" said
Mr.. Vroom to a Press reporter An acre
of ground will be given each one on which
he can raise chickens, vegetables, violets
or roses, whatever he considers the best
paying.
Agencies to pick boys will be established
in New York. Philadelphia and the princi-
pal c1tleS OF the United States. So
deserving boys have appealed to me that l
find 1t imperative to push operations at
once. New buildings are urgently needed
There are two now on the premises. Some
body should come forward and help u.s.
Mr.. Cleveland is deeply interested in the
farm, and so is Governor Voorhees,. The
latter has signifed his willingness to help
in any way he can. These boys must not
the farm and others will put up the build
ings. They have promised to do So
Two boys from New York city begged
their way from the metropolis to Princeton
junction and walked the rest of the way
They went to work immediately begging
not to be sent away. and 1 will keep them
If have to pawn all my earthly goods
After they had been put to bed the farm
ers wife smelled cigarette smoke. She
knocked at the door and asked who was
smoking One of the boys owned up, and
next day / said to him: Will we want our
boys to be manly boys around this place
and don't want them to do anything to sap
their strength. If we let you stay do you
think you could give UP smokingT
The boy promised that he would, and he
kept his word. These boys have genius
sticking out of their eyes. I have tried
them in every way. They want to get out
where they can grow and learn something
Our first boys are William ]. Clausen of
No . Tompkins street and Harry ]. Gould
OF No. 246 East 44th street, New York. The
formers parents are dead, and his sister
and brother, both younger, are in a protec-
tory. Gouid's mother is dead. He arrived
in Princeton on August II, his seventeenth
birthday. The boys came together"
Mr.. Vroom showed a big bundle of letters
all asking for admission to the farm Two
letters are as follows:
ASTORIA, L. l., August II.
''Mr. Vroom:
Dear Sir:-I am strong healthy. true
American boy, over twelvs years of age,
and am DESTROYS of supporting myself NV
mother has been widow for the past eight
years, with two younger children to sup
port. and l feel that 1 am old enough to
support myself and help her If can.
Il saw an advantage for me in reading
your plan in last Sundays paper. My moth
er was about to put me in an institution,
when proposed writing to you SO asked
her to wait until received an answer from
you. 1t is my hobby to work out doors and
study, and think through your plan can
work my way up in the world which I am
anxious to do. Please consider my case.
Yours obediently, JOSEPH G. BARRAT"
NORTH BERWICK, Me-, August II.
II am going to write you few lines to
ask If you will take me into your farm
school. If you do will thank you for it. /
am poor and cannot get much money, so
my brother has to feed us. My father died
four years ago. Please take me If you can
and tell me when to come Your friend
GROVER CLEVELAND JACKSON"
The latter boy evidently considered that
his name should be good for admission to
the Cleveland farm.