Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-06-02
IMMIGRAN SSHREWD
TO PLACE CHILDREN IN
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
COURTEOUS PEOPLE
But They Are Suspicious of Kind
ness, and italian Children Are
Much Unlike the Progeny Of
other Races in This Coun-
try.

Philadelphia, May 29.-Oficial rep
resentatives of relief societies, who
spend their time among the poorest
class OF the foreign population OF the
city, note some interesting character
istics of the different races.
did you ever hear of the cruelty
man? 2" asked one of them the other
day. Well, he is the boyle man
that these slum youngsters use 10
| brighten abusive parents with
I'll bring the cruelty man to YOU
they will shout when their father or
mother starts to pound them; and TIE
/ old folks are apt to be cowed by
this threat. The agent of the Gerry
society they mean you know.
Which nationality do l prefer 20
work among? Well, l am fond OF tie
| Italians for good many reasons.
Among even the very lowest you will
encounter the most charming cour-
tesy. They are always polite, md
nothing is too much for them to DO
for you when you go to their homes.
They are exceedingly temperate, and
for that reason almost always have q
bank account. They will get all they
\ can out of charitable organizations
/ but IT, is not to spend; it is to put in
the bank They will go right n
working, and calmly stow your money
away. / was called in to see a family
| said to be in need one day. The
house did not look to me as if they
were in need of help, and | said to he
old lady, suddenly, Let me see your
bank-book?' Confused by the sudden
demand before she realized what she
was doing she had shown me the
book, on which | found neat little
sum.
''Do you know that some Italian
families come to this country tor the
express purpose OF getting their
young children admitted to charitable
institutions? They go before the
courts and effectually prove that they
are unable to support the children,
which are sent to asylums, while ne
parents go joyfully home to Italy aud
boast that their children are in
college in America. Yes, that's
what they call it-'college.' And they
are as pleased and proud as Americ N
parents are when they have placed
their children in a good school, They
think the children are being educated
in America, and it is step up il
life.
But when the child is old enougl
they want to get it out to work. That
is the worst thing about Italians, the
one blot on their character. Every
Italian child seems to them to be
born for the express purpose of sup
porting it's parents. The good Of the
child does not enter at all into the
calculation The good of the parents
is the only thing considered. Parents
want to put their children to work
just as soon as they can hold The
, needle, and they regard it as afbittel
privatiOn that they cannot get theil
working papers, as they call it, til
they are IA years old. Mothers have
come to me, and in the frankest ans
most innocent manner begged me tc
relieve them from the prosecutions oil
the truant officers. They cannot IN
derstand the activity of the factory in
spection and truancy departments
From their point of view it appears
nothing less than diabolical.
Il once had half-bright boy placed
in a farm school out o. the city
where they could take special pains
with him. The mother came in and
demanded that he should be brought
home to work. [ explained to her that
the boy would never be bright unless
he had some chance to improve anu
some special treatment But do you
suppose that made bit of difference
with her? Not at ALL
HES got to come home and work
for me- she said.
and she wept, and, I have no
doubt thought me a hard-hearted
brute for not. complying with what
seemed to her a perfectly reasonable
request.
It is very difficult for them to com
prehend our point of view AS a re-
suit, Italian children are not like
Other children. They have no play
and no happy life In fairness,
though, I must say that | never knew
an Italian to beat or abuse a child.
"You can't say the same of the nus