Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-24

nim Is the comfort and betterment of work.
1ngmen and working women. Weekly lee
lures are given by professors and tnstruc-
! tors from the university. Series of Satur-
| day night talks are given during the win
Ter by the younger men Of the university,
graduates and undergraduates, who have
! seen or done something of interest. Camp
/ Ing parties are formed for the summer,
with a Harvard man in charge who aims
for the two weeks outing to maintain mil
fary regulations over the boys under his
care.
Two years ago some of the students start
ed free library for children down In the
slums, and its success was such that last
year a whole house was rented, and the
scope OF the movement greatly widened.
This house has now it's student warden
who is Mr.. A. B. Parson of the class of
39OS. Harvard House, as 1t is called, is now
the center Of an interesting work
Boys clubs in natural history, chair can
ing, debating, dramatic entertainments
basket ball, sloyd, games and calisthenics
have been started, together with sewing
Glasses for the girls. Mems clubs in politics,
current events and literature are also a
feature. with an open reading room. Sum
DAY afternoon talks to boys and a reading
room for the children. Donations of books,
papers and magazines come from students
and friends.
Wharf Reading Room.
There is also wharf reading room, down
among the shipping. with a post office and
feading room for sailors. Twice a year
there Is systematic collection of clothing
throughout the university In December and
April-a kind of rummage collection for
charity The clothing thus gathered Is
turned over to responsible charitable agen-
Giles for distribution or sent to Booker
Washington's Industrial institute at Tus-
kegee Ala Even the secondhand bicycles
gre collected and put TO a charitable use In
connection with outings for poor boys or
helps to would-be messenger lads.
Thus there is organized In the
university making 1t possible for every
etudent to do a bit of volunteer charitable
WORK There Is committee on clothing
Collection. on conferences, on finance, on
Entertainment troupes libraries, excur-
eions, lectures and visitations.
Taking last night in Harvard House for
p sample of the methods used in gathering
up the boys, it will be seen that the stu
dents are having diversified life. There
were seven clubs that met. The boys are
Of all classes, gathered from the streets and
pyways. from waits and wharf rats up to
any grade of responsibility. Boys are very
Democratic, especially II there is an OPEN
Ing for games The boys are, divided into
squads of from six TO fifteen in number
Each squad IS put in charge of two college
tnen, who amuse them, teach them disci-
pine them ard assume responsibility for
Their behavior and welfare while In charge
Of the Harvard House. Often this superyi-
eion extends to the homes of the boys IL
they are especially needy. The clubs as
eume every conceivable FORM such as gym
hastic, tumbling. fencing boxing pool.
checkers. chemistry, story ASTRONOMY
Shair-caning. whiting; In fact, clubs of SO
many kinds that they cannot all be enumer-
Ated
Seventy Men Engaged.
At present there are about seventy Har-
ward men taking part in this work. doing
all sorts Of stunts. from teaching the He
brew junk dealers the elements Of the Eng
fsh speech. to acting librarians for the
children OF the vicinity. These clubs take
On odd and grotesque names in many cases.
For instance. THE Happy Hooligans," one
very attractive aggregation, In which the
boys come regularly each Thursday evening
at o'clock. Each member pays his week.
" dues of cent in return for which he is
entitled to all the privileges of the house
They always feel as II they had the worth
OF their money. and wind up with 8 taste
OF more or less orderly ''roughhouse" One
evening is given up to a ping-pong club,
tumbiing club and pool club In the
afternoon the library Is open from to 5
O'clock. This attracts all the children of
the neighborhood. 1t is safe to say that
the students of the university who engage
IN this work get more than they give and
In a boy. than they could learn from all
the books in the university library. The
Inspiration of this work proceeds from the
social service committee. having its head
quarters in the Phillips Brooks house, me-
mortal built by friends of the good bishop
and dedicated to every form of Christian
work. without sectarian bias, open to all
denominations. The common impression Is
that Harvard Is dominated by liberalism to
the exclusion of orthodox ideas. but the
Phillips Brooks house and the work of the
Social service clubs show the error Of such
an idea
Boston Globes Article.
The Boston Globe OF last Sunday calls at
tention to the fact that Harvards most
prominent athletes are most active in the
charitable and Christian work of the uni
Nersity. The men who have become ia
nous for the development of the body are
20 be found In large numbers as the lead-
ors OF the spiritual work. THE presidents
Of the four great religious organizations at
Harvard. the Christian Association, the
Religious Union. st. Paufs Society and the