The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
REFORMED TRUANTS CLUB.
MAS ne MEMBERS NOW AND MANY
MORE IN PROSPECT.

n ~ II ANNNA sNAN AANh w.
Is Turning Former Inveteratc HOoky
Players Into Models OF Excellence.
The Reformed Hooky Players Alumni Club
meets every Friday afternoon. This isn't the
genuine official name OF the organization. al
though II states tho case quite AS truthfully
and rather moro picturesquely than the real
title. which is THE Parole Club Of the New
York Truant School" or something like that.
Einety-twO ox-truants now belong to the club.
which is growing at an appalling rate. The
appalling feature OF it is that before very long
the club will have outgrown its quarters.
Then. by way Of furnishing merit. tho boys
who have been most faithful will have to be
dropped from the rolls. and their only way OF
getting in again will be to play hooky indus
triously and be sent to the truant school once
more.
The ways Of truant boys have always been
considered devious and past finding out, but
Mrs. Alger, who is now in charge OF the truant
school, seems to be spelling the mystery. Out
OF ninety-six boys who have been admitted to
the Parole Club only four have fallen from
grace. The reporter was present at the Friday
evening meeting last week and met several OF
the leading members Of the society. who proud
ly displayed upon their swelling waistcoats. or
whatever stood for n waistcoat in their ward
robe. a large red. white and blue button. This
button is the badge OF membership, and can
be retained only during good behavior. The
ex-truants agree with the poet. who says:
How pleasant is Saturday night
When we've tried al. the week TO lie GOOD!
Only they would change Saturday to Friday.
II a Reformed Hooky Player brings to Mrs.
Alger a blue ticket. ora note from his teacher.
or a probation card giving him n good record.
he is admitted on Friday to the joys Of the club,
which are manifold and thrilling. In the first
plaoa thara IL n cnpDnr CONSISTING Of inprpUiblA
quantities OF bread and jam. Then there is a
Btereopticon lecture by Mr.. Keyes of the City
History Club. This is a bully good thing. the
youngsters say. There are heaps OF pictures.
and. besides that. this is the time to pay those
little attentions to ones neighbor. such as
pinchinR and kicking him. which are %particu-
larly appropriate when the lights are low. At
ter the lecture comes the military drill by a
real drillmaster. who says Guide right" and
"s'lootl' and First platoon. 'tentionl" and
"For'rd h'archl'
The button system among the truants was
introduced by Mrs. AlGer. A boy who has been
committed to the school wears a red button
during the first week he is there. II he behaves
himself during that time, he is promoted to a
blue button for the remainder OF his soJourn.
Then. when he is discharged. comes the proud
moment when he gets a red. white and blue
button and becomes a emb Of the Parole
Club.
Owing to the red tape OF the official workings.
the committee failed to act Oh the button ques-
ton and some of the boys havo been waiting
six weeks for their badges. But at last it is
settled that the bill will be paid. so the buttons
will soon be on hand. Mrs. Alger bought a few
flags to be used in drilling, but the majority Of
the boys have nothing at all to carry and, to the
spectator. the guiding right and left and other
simple an9uvre do not seem Of absorbing
interest, The boys keep at them, however.
said Mrs. Kiger. I could do almost anything
think they are. All they need is somebody to
take a real. personal interest In them: See
tie thS Italian ALI nn0!"ST That o' boy was "a a a perfect outlaw wv.
he attacked another boy with a knife did it
tt sSnded In H sse to SlastF TitR his IL t sas 3 sSnq ran he out a Of
his books In at the teacher; went down on the
S SefSse a and ssa ae"Ftsp back H@ t "apf the BAG sssho ,1ii
room and threw the stuff il. He vas aPpar-
ono eney q III the as best esa Boys Ss s' I e 2now. oe what H&w did Dc IT. T.
Teaching him to obey and then making him
feel that | was his friend and cared how he got
pm, The teachers have too much to do. II they
had the time and the inclination to really get
acquainted with their scholars. there wouldn't
be SO much need of q truant school"
Mrs. Alger was the truant officer up on tho
and even then she had a large acquaintance
used to try to keep them on their good be-
hayior from week to week" she said. -" If they
waTded them BY letting then, come to see me
lighted as II the front room had been a palace.
and finally my good list got so long that the
day afternoon callers. They didn't want to
have a lot Of anal boys gathering up and down
boys meet me in a v~acantlo lot near the Park, II
as eop qai only only have eH 4 e elH6r rs for them Mnl and ri
'Thpra'g IiyOliOb she went on "Tiypltp
plays the harmonica in marvellous fashion, and
he has, informed me that four other boys
wei as he does. Llvolio has suggested that
we have a harmonica orchestra. and I think. so
him so cents With which to, purchase the in
struments. / shouldn't wonder II We devel-
/ can't let all OF the boys play, however. be-
ssSuse singing Is one of The clubs strong points.
The reporter was delighted, SO the boys were
halted in their marching and drawn up in a
S9anester was ifnysitod to start =" the song and
after the first note the others loined, in. 1t was
The Blue Bells Of Scotland y and the way the
lines would have done good to the soul Of any
SlasS citizen it;7s ! n RE search tTd. OF a sensati3 ion, The
sslESs ,.,i With fEs N %ss fs s. ? @;Ssr 70 T b he s.S soG}s e
t6rrowi rasP back their SiiiHhM heads so o'i as to get DsoT The f fuii
I wish ceboni was here tonight" SAID d Mrs.
Alger.. "Caboni is a queer little Italian, boy,
only IL years old, and is In reality an assistant
truant officer In his district. Caboni is bent on
making the other boys reform as he has. 80 he
has allied himself with the regular truant Off
GER. The officer finds 1t pretty hard to catch
the boys a good many times. and then Caboni
turns up:
Say he begins conndentially. such and
such a boys on the hook to-day. an II you want
hin, you, Just go down to such a place an I'll
tine oficsr goes to the appointed place, and.
eure enough, before long the boy turns up.
They all know, the officer, though. SO the min
ute they see him they start to run. Then Ca
boni throws himself Into the game: catches the
or holds him until the officer can get there,
DO you, see that boy there? He Is halIbov
in one Of the big uptown hotels. He was sup
posed TO be utterly bad until / worked with
him. Now he Is steady and is earning his own
living. live only a few blocks from the hotel
whore he works. and every Wednesday evening
IN II m so %%n ff { me- He He w y1H another Tee fme b boy
boy. but he is keeping his place and giving
boys this winter. Am | afraid they wont prove
thapn I fall than fhat 10 than l,pit hnh .,n