The San Francisco call., 1905-01-10
PLEA FOR BOY
OF The SLUMS
Jacob A. Riis Says Environ
ments Are Responsible
for Making of the Tough
LECTURES AT ALHAMBRA
Sprightly Humor Enlivens
a Thoughtful Address on
Reforming Street Savage


ience that crowded the Alhanbra last
night. He told of the making of the
tough" how the environments OF
the slums stified moral sense and de-
veloped the character Of the hoodlum,
driving home his thrusts at society
for denying a chance to the boy OF
good opportunity. There were fire.
quent sallies of humor
In battling with the environments
of tenements in thickly populated
streets and alleys, In improving the
conditions to give the boy chance,
lay the keynote. the speaker urged.
of any plan to reclaim a community
from the terrorism of the hoodlum
gang. Twenty-Five years of earnest
work among the slums of New York
have taken out of Riis the folly Of the
theorist
The name of President Roosevelt
was frequently mentioned in telling
of his efforts while Police Commits
sioner, in cooperation with the speak
er, in the war they carried on for the
light and air and health and better
conditions In the tenement districts OF
New York. Jacob Riis is very earnest
on the platform. He pleads with heart
afire ito let the boy play ball. He
says the lad is like a boiler and there
must be an exhaust valve. The boy
must let off steam in play, and when
the policeman drives him off the va
cant lot he becomes one of "the
gang" and seeks his joy and glory
and spice of danger in acts of hood
lumism. Fairgrounds, good schools
and good homes are what Riis wants
for the boy.
WANTONNESS BORN.
Denied every advantage of life vir-
tually was Tony and there was notn-
ing in the institutions of society that
he had respect for. The lecturer oe-
scribed how the spirit of wantonness
was thus inculcated on every hand III
this boy, whom he caught in the act
of flinging mud at the stained window
of a church. Even when he laid his
hand on Tony's shoulder the boy
started as if policeman was on him,
for the thought could not enter his
mind that it was a friendly hand.
The speaker had small patience with
the theory that heredity is factor
of any consequence in the formation
of character. Environment is what
goes to the making of the boy, he in
sisted Here Riis told one & his best,
stories. He said:
1 discussed this question of heredity with
Grover Cleveland on one occasion he as
agreed with me and in illustration of his point
safd that he believed it was due to character
inherited from his good New England ancestors
that prompted him. when very small boy,
to return the egg that neighbor hen hdu
l. IN his fathers yard.
ow my father and mother were very gooo,
God fearing people, and / can remember now
coaxed neighbor's hen. by laying OUT
trail of grain to come over into my fatner
yard and lay the egg she was cackiing about.
There is not so much in heredity as
people think" declared the speaker,
''and thank God for that, because it
gives us a working doctrine to shape
things. 1t is the environment, the
drunken father the want of good
mother, the corrupting influences of the
tenement, in fact, an utter lack OF any
and all opportunities to grow into good
manhood. that makes the savage OF
the boy Tony"
BEWARE OF TENEMENTS.
The warning was sounded to San
Francisco to beware of the building OF
tenement houses, some of which had
been erected, according to letters re-
ceived by the lecturer. You will have
to pay a frightful interest in money.
in wasted manhood and bad citizen
Ship" was the message of one who
knows the depths of the tenement evil
of New York. He said:
In the kindergarten problem there are two
pillars of truth that must be observed FIRST,
ulay is the normal occupation in which the
child first receives knowledge of moral reia-
tions: second the child learns by doing Things.
There must be ample Fairgrounds and IN IN dong
things he must come in contact with the good
things of life. But every little plot of ground
that municipality possesses is usually fenced
off and big sign reads Keep off the grass.
1t looks as II the nation were worshipper OF
grass.
Riis argued that it would be far bet
ter to let the children have these
grounds for their play.
For the most part the parents OF the
little savage of the streets are of for
eign birth Tony comes to regard his
father as Dutch and SLOW" He loses
the respect for paternal authority. He
grows UP without moral sense, without
character, and the authorities in the
reformatories will invariably say that
it is this weakness, and not wicked
ness, that ails the boys.
GODS IMAGE THERE.
But" said the lecturer, "the image
of God could always be found where
the face had been crusted over with
the slums" There was abundant hope
for the urchin of Tony's class. The
speaker related the story of the arrest
of the Kid" one of the most hardened
characters of darkest New York.
While being marched to prison between
two policemen, it remained for the
kid" to risk his life to save child
from being run over by a car. The
spark was there that should have been
kindled when the now desperate GRIM
inal was a boy.
Fighting Mary" was one of the sad
dest productions of the New York
slunls, yet when she was caught Sc
creting food at a charity dinner for the
poor her confession was that her moth
er was starving at home. Here as well.
was the wisp of a flame that might
have been famed into good woman
hood.
Reformation of the landlord, the
kindergarten school. the settlement.
and, most important of all in the
speakers estimation, the boys club.
were the principal lines of effort to fol-
low in the making of a better boy of
Tony. The boys club is intended to
head off the reformatories, not by
teaching the three RS alone, but the
three HIS as well-the heart, head and
hand. 1t must be guided by the three
S's-sense, sympathy and sanity-and
when its fruits shall become manifest
there will be less disposition to follow
the political boss and a great upbuild-
ing in good citizenship.
The entertaining and instructive lee
ture was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause. and it was evident that Jacob
A. Riis held warm place in the hearts
of his auditors. He was introduced by
Fairfax III. Wheelan as "our brother =
and the sentiment was given more
than warm approval.
Tomorrow evening Mr.. Riis will lee
ture at the Y. M. c. A. auditorium on
"a Uacation in Dopp, a rlx - IF will he