The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-24
CANDY AND ORANGES.
They We're Plentifully Supplied
for the Urchins.
Left Court House Loud in Their
Praises.

81 do suttingly guess dat dis here
am de place whar or Man Sanity
Claus does lib"
In this wise manner, indicating
qualities of real Sagedom, a little col
ored boy summed up ehe Christmas
festivities which r. r. Hayden, judge
Of the Shawnee county probate court
arranged for the incorrigible young
sters who have in time past been ar
raigned before his juvenile court, and
are now under his care and charge for
the purpose of seeing if better boys
cannot be made of them by letting
them go at their liberty on their
honor that they will be good.
They We're a quaint odd thirty chill
dren which gathered in the assembly
room of the county superintendent OF
instruction at the county court house
on Saturday afternoon. In sin and
crime is one place where the color line
IS not drawn. About half Of the boys
were white and the other cOlored. All
were young. Some were clean, some
very dirty. Some seemed to be a lit
tie ashamed of their associates, others
seemed to have the biggest frolic in
lives. Some wore fairly good clothes,
others were ragamuffins. There was
plenty Of humor to be seen, but also
plenty Of pathos to be felt. They
were boys everyone, and who does not
love a bOy2 There are lots OF people
who say, like Bill Mackey, the United
States marshal for Kansas: Il am for
boys. like EN-"
Most of the faces were still touched
with innocence. In the majority of in
stances it could be seen that the Of
tense which had been committed was
chat rather of omission than COM
mission, rather that of thOughtleSs- 4
ness than premeditated WickedneSS. /
rqr4f on 1
student of man and men would have
found expressions not to his liking, !
characteristics pointing the wrong |
Way-indicatiOns of inbOrn or lin /
again even with the most of these it /
could be seen that not all of the seed !
was being cast on stony ground.
The boys were told to be on hand !
promptly Al o'clock The advance
guard came at one, and from that time
on until the appointed hour, they kept /
struggling in. AS soon as they got in |
side the building t4ey removed their |
hats and caps, kept perfectly quiet, and |
tiptOed silently up the three flights OF 1
stairs. Judge Hayden is hammerlng /
manners into the youngsters. 1t is as |
much a part Of his system as Of a /
female seminary
The Judge was not on time, but about j
fifteen minutes late. Paul Eaton, the !
juvenile court officer, asked a visitor to 1
give the boys a spelling match County /
superintendent Carter provided a spell |
ing book and the fun was on. Only !
few of the youngsters refused to take /
part in the proceedings The majority /
waved their hands like a flag Tapping in |
q siXty-mile an hour breeze to get a |
chance to spell. Three or four were /
found who evidently knew little or moth |
ing about their letters" Words like |
pigeon coal" sacks Chicken |
and others evoked shouts of laughter /
and merriment. All of these things have |
been "sWiped' by various ones of those /
present, and for that reason were taken /
before the juvenile court. TIL boys gig /
gled clear down to their Wristbands over /
little matters like this. They were not /
funny to the grown-up people on hand /
but a boy has a reputation for being /
able to laugh under any circumstances !
When Judge Hayden arrived he said !
to the obys; L am sorry that cannot |
stay very long, for I must catch a train. |
] am going away this afternoon. I want |
all of you to be good boys, especially /
now during the Christmas holidays /
when there may be lots of temptations |
cast in your way. I have brought you |
here to give you a. little treat. I wish all /
of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy /
New Year"
Same to you, Judge; same to youi" |
shouted back in chorus the little fellows. /
Two OF the largest boys were delega- /
ted to get the STUFF which Judge Hay /
den had provided for the youngsters.
They brought in a box Of oranges, two
big waste-paper baskets full of nuts in
sacks, and two more baskets filled with
candy in boxes.
Then the circus of distribution began. |
Each boy was given a package of candy, /
a sack of nuts and two oranges. There |
was more than enough to go around. /
Some Of the youths slyly pocketed an
extra orange or package of candy Paul
BATON, the Juvenile court officer noticed
this and said. fNOw boys this is the
place above all others to be honest. Each ]
one Of you shall have two oranges, a :
package of nuts and bag of candy
Several OF the youngsters Wiggled
around uncomfortably, disgorged the |
extra orange or package from their
pockets and pushed them out on me
desk before them, or gave them to the
boys who were making the distribu-
tons
The meeting broke up with a little
talk by the juvenile officer. The young
sters quietly went down stairs, but when
they got outside the noise broke loose. /
Howls OF glee and merriment rang up
and down WanBuren and Fifth streets.
Guess dat jedge amt it, all right?''
screamed one little fellow diving into
his candles. HE is the business, you
bet" echoed back another. And down
the street they went, full up to the brim
with JOY, shouting the nraises of their
friend, Dick HAYDEN. The boys got a
good touch Of the real Christmas spirit
Russia's New Minister Of Marine.