The sun., 1905-12-02
VIE SUN. SATURDAY. DECEMBER 2. 1908.
THIS CLUBTHE NEWSBOYS'
STARTED NJ ONE, WIN M nun
FROH THEIR POINT or JIEW.
Almost Too Fine Gymnasium and Reading
Room Fitted Up on Fourth street
Glasses In Reading and Writing Later
1t A All Jack Sulliyan's Idea.

--aInSSfS IN HeRulnS ana writing la te
1t h All Jack SullNan's Ideu
A scheme known as the Newsboys' Ath
letic Club is just getting into working orde
in Fourth street near the Bowery. 1h
scheme involves a gymnasium, u readinI
room and Il club with newsboy membership
If the story told is straight and it sounds
straight az IL die--the scheme has very un
usual backing. Jack Sullivan, a newsboy
is practically alone az founder, manager
and hacker. He has fitted up two floors
and done it expensively. He has gone some
$4,000 into debt for it, He has given, it Ii
said, just his record and word as security.
Jack Sullivan is perhaps the best known
newsboy in the city. 1t was Sullivan that
organized the newsboys' strike and carried
it through. Last summer at the Coney
Island dinner Jack Sullivan was depended
upon to keep order, and he did it. The
police had failed before, and 1t was cer-
tain they'd fail again.
Sullivan was left to shift for himself
at 8, Like the rest. he began under the
Bridge, and under the Bridge he is pretty
nearly worshipped to-day. That is his
capital.
Say it's dis way he begins He is a
dark, we'll dressed fellow, and stocky-
something of a prizefghter, like most
newsboy leaders. "Dere amt been nuttin
like dis since Moo York was up. De kid
on de street amt got show now. At night
he stays on de street or. strikes dc gnmills
De Y. NJ. c. A. amt in his class When he
gets along ways he finds he can't read,
den he's ashamed to go to night school
wild the young uns. Whenever de rich guys
start anything for dc boys they put up
preacher on EN-, and it kills it. See?
II wuz kid wild de rest OF em. | woked
wild de Sun and de Void, an most all Of
'em. Then Il man picks me up an says
he teach me to read an write, an he does.
Since den I've alus had it in me nut to
give de mex kid a better show. Sure, it's
sort o. hobby. Well, l knew jontd
have TO have a gymnasium an athletic
apperatics to fill de bill OATS de way to
get de kids off de street.
Now, I've got wholesale place O. me
own on Frankfort street, but | amt been
near it fur tree mont's, see? I've been
up here riggin dis joint. Foist went
aroun' to me fren's and says out me scheme.
don't stand fur no con, see? When you
get de goods We'll chip in and help ye wild
it SO / goes in to get de goods
81 got Spalding to put up fur de appera-
tics on credit. l borrowed from me fren's,
an dug up meself. Desc two. floors are
5000 behind in it. Everytin' here is all
right. This here apperatics is right up to
tomorrow.
1t is. The first floor used to be a dance
hall Now it is big gymnasium, with
rings, bars, trapezes, two punching bags,
apparatus. The room is finished off with
modern gymnasium lights and barred
windows. 1t is first class outfit and
full one. The second floor has an Office
and a reading room. The reading room
is hung with engravings, mostly poets and
Presidents. 1t has good oak chairs and
tables. Elsewhere there are shower baths,
lockers and room fora few beds. 1t ID all
first class stufff-perhaps too first class.
Now, de club works dis way De boys'll
I'll let off Newsboys wild good character
can all belong. When things gets going,
I'm going to get somebody to teach 'em
readin' an writin' upstairs. Dat gives 'em
de chance.
DE main ting is dis: Dey can't shoot
no con ON me. OATS de difference. |
an me fren's know em all. If they tries
to shove any bull on lis, | trows em out O
de window. See? If some kid tries to
sleep here who's got a home, me fren's
de con in "A minute. He don't do it twict
First of all, We'll have about twenty cots
upstairs 70 de kids. When we get de money
we get more. When we get de money |
we'll fix up de heatin' better, too. !
Now, all want is dis: | want some |
body to chip in an help us along when we !
gets started an dey sees we got de goods !
hero. Mr.. Herman Metz is goin' to help /
some, SO is Dr. Hills over in Brooklyn. !
Dere are some more. Deyre just waitn' |
to see lis get goin' good. / told Miss Helen .
Gould all about it a vile ago. | don't want
dem to give me no money | want dem to |
pay de bills SOS | can do the work, see?
It's all me an me frien's that knows de bows
now. When de Joint gets goin' good, III !
drop out and 60 back and tend to me place
in Frankfort street. But it's Just dis way;
Nobody dat amt played de game knows
whats what. see? I'm. showin' what's
what. Den if somebody'l come alongside
and put de place straight after dey see
we got de goods, all + want is to have dem
say | started il.
Il don't want nuttin' out o. dis but de
startin' o. it. cause It's de real ting fur de
kids like | was. I'm gettin' even cause /
didn't have no chance meself. ] never
give an inch to no man, and I'm straight.
De boys on de street all know me-"
The club is already organized. II. Nor
genbeSser il Jacks ce-president and NJ.
NJ Becher is secretary. Nicholas Meyer
Is treasurer. They are all former news
boys or close In touch with the clan. There
is going to be an opening of the club OH Sun
iay, and more formal one the next week,
The exact address is "A Fast Fourth street,
floor