The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-14
DUMPS AS BREEDERS OF CRIME.

DUMPS AS BREEDERS OF CRIME.
 Clay holes used as dumping places for garbage and rubbish and junk shops are said to be thfe cause of the down. fall of many children of her district by Mrs. Margaret M. Fitch, principal of the Prescott school, which Gustave Marx and Peter Niedemeyer are said to have attended in their early child hood. Incidentally, Mrs. Fitch said that as clearly as she could remember Peter Niedemeyer he was ''an excep- tionally bright boy and good student while in school" Mrs. Fitch did not remember Marx, but thought that both of the boys left school shortly after completing the fifth or sixth grades
 "The people in my school district are industrious and honest" declared Mrs, Fitch, "but it is that industry and hon. esty which prevent them from follow ing closely the habits of their children. This is especially true during the years when the children most need care. "I think that the clay holes which are used for the dumping places for rubbish and garbage and the accordingly handy junk shops are the real causes for the downfall of many of the children. The | boys pick over the rubbish and take rags, bottles, old pieces of iron and l everything else they can get penny 1 for, and sell it to the small junk shops. l Their parents give them little, and as soon as the children get their pocket money from the junk dealers they ] spend it, often for bad literature and l often for liquor. It is from cash thus obtained while out of sight of both the parents and the school teachers that l the boys get their first bad start.
 t"The houses here are small for the most part, and are usually owned by their occupants. The mothers like to have the children out playing so they will not be bothered with them, and the husband is busy at work and cannot watch them. Thus the little ones drift around the streets.
 "Being industrious and honest them. selves. the parents are the more quickly
 deceived by the children when they
 have not been at school or have done
 things they should not.
 "As I remember Peter Nfedemeyer
 he was an exceptionally bright boy ant a good student. I have no doubt tha the dime novels he is said to have reat
 were purchased with money which h.
 secured from the junk dealers.
 Aside from the trouble of the cla! holes the children of this section oftel stop going to school before they hay
 reached the fifth or sixth grade, thu
 missing the best part of the training At the time when the boy is reaching
 the point where he finds study a pleas , ure and has a desire to learn more c the world he leaves school.
 : "We have been much annoyed a times by petty tilefts and while we kee everything locked up to prevent ifs be ing stolen we do so more because we not want to put temptation in the chi - dren's way. Only recently mothe = found in her house a pocketboolz whic her daughter had taken during the ia t term. The parents, when they find sue things, always return them and punis the children"
 :. Mrs. Fitch maintained that the pupil = are usually more amenable to diseiplir
 than many of wealthier districts. Thel n are 1,1e4 registered, The principal hs r been in the one school since it ws - started with only four roonls.-Chicas as - News.