New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20
A FRIEND OF DICKENS.
THE CHICAGO MAN WHO AS BOY KNEW
THE "KINDEST MAN THAT EVER
LIVED" - HIS FRIENDLINESS
TO WORKING BOYS.
From The Chicago Evening Post.

, some interesting memories OF Charles Dickens.
Mr. Jones was employed in hrickyard where
| Dickens was In the habit of stopping on his
tours OF observation. and the boy with whom he
talked longer and more frequently than with
any else in the place remembers him Tow
In his years Of three score and ten with an ador-
| ing regard
Charles Dickens the kindest man thst
| ever lived In England. and believe 40 kinder
man ever lived In the whole world" said Mr..
Jones. He had q kind and pleasant word for
every one. but more especially think for Boys;
Why for boys? oh. because Of his own neglected
childhood. You know II IS said that the early
! history Of David Copperleld = the story Of
I his own youthful days. know he always spoke
/ to boys whenever he would CONF into contact
with them He had way Of laying his hand
on boys shoulder and Of looking into his eyes
and saying. Well my little man. how are you?'
I that made the boy mt mbcr il as long he
4 lived Yes. | have had the masters hand on
my shoulder many time. 1t made me proud
/ then to be noticed by him. but | more i'm
pressed with his kindness and goodness than his
greatness. | admired his appearance too. Some
B Of his pictures Of that time resemble him. but
he wore when knew him nice brown beard.
and his pictures never make that beard rs nand
some and becoming a. II really was. He was a
noted man then. for H. had published two OF
his great nOvcs-'Oliver Twist and Nicholas
I Nickleby'-and all England was talking about
! him. have all his works and they are nay
greatest comfort.
/ "Our brickyard where | worked" continued
Mr.. Jones was just short distance from
/ Gads Hill. the home Of Mr.. Dickens, and scarce
! ~ day passed that he did not come 10 visit
400 O'Clock in The morning, although the yards
only opened at 4. He was 80 fond OF watching
/ laboring people. and brckmaking is-or was at
that time I'm Encland-a slow and ted us proc
! ees one brick being made by hand ut q lime.
/ In 1917 they could make six bricks at time IN
America. but before that had heard 81 the new
country across the sea where bricks were made
I by machinery. and | talked with Mr.. Dickens
about plans for corning here. often wondered
| If the men were rude or surly and if that was
why he talked 10 boys in preference, but !
suppose he liked TO get into boys THOUGHTS 9rd
that is perhaps the secret Of his capital studies
of boys.
sr,ect for him a fact which noticeable. tor
brckyard boys are rule. a rather tough lot.
They were all tho way from eleven TO hfteen
years Of age and their greatest sport was the
! molestng Of passers-by. They always threw
stones o. called names after everybody not Ok
their own class, and had quick and complete re-
vcnge on any one who dared 10 oppose or an
swer them. Many a ruined suit Of clothes they
were responsible for. and the offender could
| never be punished. for too many werc guilty.
Put they made great exception If Mr.. Dick
| ems When any enc saw him coming down the
street he quickly informed the rest and the boys
would all stop 10 brush their hair with their
hands and rub OF the clay on their clothes.
and all were glad and excited. The cry would
go forth: There's Mr.. Dickens coming-dont
/ zee see him
."rhen he would come IN and shake hands
1 with them all. He had such n hearty hand
shake. and he always told us that NJ h9norei
the hand Of laborinC boy moro than that or
/ the greatest landowner. And W. believed MN.
/ II you ever read his will you will know how he
remembered all mis- servants. and instructed his
/ executors not to put Mr. or Esquire on his
tombstone but just Charles Dickens Ard ]
think his reference to the lessons - mo Wv
Testament in that last document gives the VI noe
/ character Of the man.
I Il am sure he mentions the hrickvare. -
rather hrickfeld. they are called In Enc'a"d.
in one Of his works. think it is in Edwin
taking NJ copy Of David Copperheld" ho
turned the leaves slowly and said; "a read
Of bov's har1ships and sufcr-nCs as they are
recounted here I feel the thrill Of his toDch
uDon nv shoulder and hear again that pleasant.
kindly voice saying. as in the old DAYS when Nc
wa tched me making bricks: Wei, my boy. now
] are TO day.
Reinr asked If David Copperheld' was not
/ considered an autobiography Mr.. Jones SAID;
/ Well that is hard to say II is told that MI
Dickens had stepfather who was very cruel
10 him and that might be in his mind when
no wrote the book But he so kind to bows
and such good friend to them that he would
! naturally he more synnathetIc IN teIHng 'he
| story Of their wrongs. Perhaps. though, II was
because he himself had suffered at a tender
age"
Mr. Jones became master Of his own art and
prospcred in the country or his adoption. The
/ courthouse fremont House. Palmer House.
| Cook County Hospital and other large and i'm
| nortant i.liIdines were constructed from ma
| ,erial furnished by him. but for many years
/ nov. he has lived retired enjoying the compe-
fence his business afforded. He does not regret
that he never knew Charles Dickens after he had
grown To mans estate
/ II should not then remember him the friend
| OF boys or given him that niche in my heart
which ne will occupy as long as that heart
heats for il the and friend that
what ne had wrtten-it was his own personality
that impressed me most and made me remem'
Der him longest"