Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-05-17
BOYS OF HONOLULU.
Thor snmorai,ty Due 20 Climate
and other Causes

aosH buc 10 Climate
and other Causes.
Boys are exposed to temptations In
Honolulu which they escape I'm many
mainland places OF greater size. In the
east. for part OF the year, there is an
Incentive among them to spend much
time within doors. The storms OF
winter, the long rains OF summer, the
mud OF spring and autumn, help
teachers and parents to keep grow
ing boys under their eye. But here 1t
is physical hardship for restless
urchins 70 stay within doors at any
time. The streets allure, winter and
summer. and boys and girls naturally
get an amount of freedom to run about
which is by no means the best for them
and which is responsible for laxity in
their conduct and oftentimes In their
morals.
Running I'm the street I'm a staid
New England town is thought to be
bad for the young, and it Is. But
what lad sees here is ten times worse
than anything he sees there. The vices
OF Asia, Africa, Oceanica, Europe and
America and the vices OF aseaport which
Is in close touch with its water front
are all concentrated here. Deviltry Is
taught In five languages and in multi
furious forms. The human fiotsam
and jetsam of the world are cast IN
on this beach, and the youngsters come
into contact with them, and as in the
tropics youth develops fast IL is as
tonishing how early boys and girls
acquire bad habits. One passing trans
port left knowledge of the gambling
game of craps in town, and now bows
gather under electric lights after mid
night to play the fascinating game.
and SO prevalent is craps that we
already have in sight q native and
Portuguese population of gamblers.
In what may be called the tonic lati-
tudes there is constant Incentive to
work which is lacking here Boys be-
gin labor without much goading and,
where the need exists, begin at an
early age. They feel like doing some
thing. Here the climate promotes
sloth, and sloth invites the devil. 1t
was easier for Adam and Eve TO fall
In the banana patch of an equatorial
Eden than IL would have been on n
piny upland in the north. Give n boy
his way In a New England town, and
he is ten times more likely to look for
job than is a boy of equally good
stuff I'm Honolulu. Unless taken firmly
in hand the native boy does nothing
but loaf and play craps; the Portu-
guese boy is no credit to his parent
stock; there is an offensive percentage
of lazy white boys. The question is
What can be done to improve them
What can be done to bring them out
of idleness and mischief and make
them worth raising2
The promoters OF the Boys brigade
answer the question in Il practical
way. They say: We will. If supported
in the undertaking, get these stray lads
out of the streets, interest them i'm
games and amusements of q whole
some kind and then give them
groundwork In some of the trades. SO
far as our means VIII allow we will
do the work of n Cooper Union. In
fact, we are doing 1t now and can
point to actual results to support our
theories. If given money enough to
establish few more centers of effort
about town, we will undertake to make
useful citizens out OF hundreds of boys
who otherwise may be burden on
society or menace to its peace. We
do not ask money as n mere gift, al
though such money would be put to the
best OF uses; but we propose 10 earn
funds by means of entertainments.
VIII you help?
This question is up to the business |
men and citizens generally. VIII they
help? If not why not? No cause can |
be worthicr than that OF making good |
citizens for future use, diminishing |
crime, encouraging good morals and |
thrift among the youth of Honolulu |
and saving them from themselves. We
go to great trouble over heather /
abroad. Here are heather at home. |
We try to rescue hardened sailors, but |
here is scheme TO keep boys from
hardening into men that need to lie |
rescued. We perspire over schemes
to lead men away from saloons; here
Is plan to keep boys from going to
them. What do our well to do and
moral people propose?-Honolulu Pa,
cilc CONNER In. Advertiser.