Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-23
suggestive OF stampede OF mice at the
appearance Of a cat,

appearance Of a cat.
The hamlet OF Chicago, in the State OF
Illinois. is stirred up over a new issue in
which the urchins or that thrifty village
are involved, Recently some one who
Ens never been boy probably some old
LADY, applied TO Mayor Harrison to de-
tail policemen TO arrest youngsters who
hitch on to street-cars and thus steal
rides. IL was thought by the would-be
reformer that a compliance with this re-
quest would doubtless check the angel
Fastening process which, It Is believed
will sooner or | ter follow the tricks OF
the boys. But the Mayor, who can pro-
duce afhdavits to show that he himself
was once a boy didn't see Il that way.
and he declined TO sick his constabulary
on the juvenile offenders when was a
boy he said. II would run a long way
TO hitch onto street-car, and | have no
doubt you did the same" And so. by
virtue OF this quondam propensity on his
part the boys will be allowed 10 continue
their monkey business
Maybe Il is MIR Harrison's idea 70 re-
lieve Chicago OF its congested condition.
and probably he thinks that there Is no
class which can be 30 well spared as the
puerile imps who dehantly fly In the faces
OF the street-car conductors and subject
their lives TO great risk solely for the
pleasure OF doing something which they
know they ought not TO do. But 1t is
hardly possible that any Of these boys
Will get hurt-they are not the kind to
get injured. Their very meanness makes
them invulnerable. 1t is the little boy
who goes TO Sunday school and keeps his
face clean and gives his pennies TO the
heather who always gets struck by the
only brick which falls from a house or
who gets beaten 20 pulp by runaway
horses or street-cars. a bad little boy
could peep into the muzzle OF cannon
Just as the gunner was about TO fire IT,.
and that would be the one time in mil
lion when the cannon would refuse to
explode.
Some newspaper. commenting on the
Mayors position. ventures the assertion
that I'm the days when this official scoot-
ed after street-cars these convevances
only made five miles an hour. whereas
they are now running twelve or fifteen
miles in the same period Of time. That's
very probably true but the deviltry Of
the thing is Just the same as II used 70
be. and the more danger there is In the
trick and the more people object to H..
the more the young rascals can be re-
lied upon TO disobey orders and risk their
| lives.
AS the father OF the worst covey Of
young males who ever terrorized com
munity and made life misery 10 every
| one except themselves. / venture the
! suggestion that the Mayor may have
| meant well, but that he didn't exactly
! handle the matter in the right way II
| he had really wanted the boys to stop
stealing rides he should have issued a
| proclamation calling upon all youngsters,
as good and faithful citizens. to devote
| all their spare moments 10 hitching on
TO the cars He should have begged and
| besought them to pursue this vocation
| as long as the street-cars ran and boys
| had legs, and should have pointed TO the
fact that such occupations lead heaven
| ward-in short. he should have created
the impression that II was his hearts
desire for every boy In Chicago TO stea
! car rides. and then-why. each and every
urchin In the village would have sacred
| " abstaned from doing that which the
| Mayor urged them to do It's the Joy OF
| my life 10 manage boys. If you take them
| right. they're mighty sweet but gosh
| It's mighty hard TO know how to take
them right sometimes.