Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-11
REFUGEES
Oddities Of the Youngsters Some Most
Interesting characteristics.

About the only occasions when the
house of Refugees on Randall's Island
attracts public notice is when there
occurs mutiny, "a fire, an epidemic an
attempted escape or a murder among
its inmates, says the New York Sun"
None of these events dissipates any of
the prevalent idea that the S00-odd
boys and the 200-odd girls there may
properly be described as tough. Yet
there is another side to the place, and
since o. V. Sage became its superinten-
dent Mrs. Sage has been busy finding
the better part of the children and
making the most of it.
One of the first innovations Mrs. Sage
established was correspondence with
all the boys and girls. In every State
institution any inmate is allowed to
write to the superintendent. Now all
the boys and girls at the House of
Refuge have the same privilege, and
divide their letters pretty evenly be-
tween Mr.. and Mrs. Sage.
One might not expect to find vanity
and sentiment among 800 such boys;
| but those emotions are there along
with many a case of inconsistencies.
| The vanity takes shape in a great OBJ
lection to anything made on the island.
A boy with a pair of shoes purchased
in New York speaks of his 'cities."
Suspenders are a never ending source
of gratifed vanity. The small muffin
who arrives with his remnant of his
trousers tied uD with any old string
would two months later no more con-
sent to be seen without his suspenders
than the Prince of Wales would be
caught wearing a Shirt waist. AS there
are both island-made and city-bought
suspenders the greatest anxiety pre-
walls to acquire pair of 'cities." Mrs.
Sage received a request for an inter
view from a small boy recently:
"Me mothers comin' to see me ter
day." was his story when the audience
was arranged; on woncher please,
Mrs. Sage, get me a pair of suspenders
l wouldn't have her catch me 'thout
em for nothin'"
Mrs. Sage almost smiled in the boy
face and merely told him how fashion
able shirt waist boys were trying to
penders were his ambition, she grave
ly promised to see that he was suitably
arrayed so far as suspenders were con
cerned. AS she dismissed him he sug-
gested with anxiety that he'd really
like "cities."
All the babies" as they call the
small boys who are kept in the girls
department, have their own individual
looking glasses, before which they may
tie their red ties on week days anC
their yellow ones on SUNDAYS. But the
bigger boys are not provided with such
luXuries, and the fellow who manages
to possess himself of two inches O
real looking glass may trade tht
chance to peep into it for almost any
thing he wants. Likewise the bo!
who gets hold of an old shoe brush il
sure of friends and can make many
good trade for himself. One of thu
improvements that the boys appreciate
is the chance to wash their faces ant
; hands before meals. Formerly non,
but some of the shop boys got NOR
than one wash day.
When the boys line up at night t.
march into supper there is always
> In the caps of half a dozen will b
tucked rose or a bud, and in the but
tonhole of the coat of every boy VIII
can by any hitch acquire it is flower
The chance to work in the green
house is the most, coveted of all jobs
One of the guards who has 180 of tn
big boys has never failed in the time h
has been there to receive a boutonnier
every night from one or two of tn
boys, who look on the DreSentatio
with all the feelings which the presen
tation of a diamond-studded watch to
district leader would arouse.
Lettersfrom home are treasured. an
as the lower class boys have no lock
ers and nowhere to keep any treasure
these letters are usually carried insid
the shirt and at night placed under tn
boys pillow. The boys who care fc
their letters somehow seem to be tn
ones who turn out best in the EN-
Miss Arncr., principal Of the schoo
e who has been on the island for fiV
It years teaching, was telling the othC
day of queer little pack of letters OF
2, of her pupils once offered to let HI
l. read. There was one from his mothe
one from his busy father. who was
T. thrifty butcher, one from an aunt, as
|; whom the boy said he knew 81
would like his teacher, and then
r. stately, dignified eDistle from an o
q 4. Il. Io Nj,