Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-05-25

the old man interrupted me, and HI
said. Mr.. Collett, look here; lister
10 this and he began to read me {
part of the letter; Your report o
last month on hand: am sorry TO hav,
10 say 1t is not altogether satisfactory
| would like to know what is the mat
ter MIR. Collett.' he said, 4 thought
| was behaving. Haven't / done my
best? haven't you done your best
We have hunted for work all over this
| city He was a barber | said, i
am doing the best for you 1 can
have said you are going to have EN-
ployment. and you snall. He said as
ne crumpled the letter. take me back
| to that institution-no. will take one
OF my razors and cut my throat from
| ear to ear first As looked at the
old man, | saw murder in his eve
self-murder. and then he staggered and
fell to the chair behind him. buried
his face in ais hands-for a solid hour
not whisper. At last he lifted his
face from his hands, and he looked
about us, that nurderous expression
that had seized upon him for the mo.
ment was gone. and in its place was
the blackest despair ever saw de
picted on human countenance. and
he looked about. as though he longed
for somebody to take hold of him and
support him, for a little while and ne
started for the door and he said, 4
guess | will go to bed, but there won't
be much sleep for me said, 'Cneer
up. man. and We will have help for
you before long We sent to Las
Vegas. New Mexico, by permission OF
the warden, and got position
Shortly a letter from Mack, hallelujah
on every line: ne had found work
he didn't know now to thank us. and
girl. L want to give ner little pup
py.' He wanted 20 give everybody
something, he felt SO good. so happy
and rich.
You must live with the boys as
do; you must have your feet under.
meath the table with them, and SO get
their confidence; the confidence will
not be abused tnen you will come to
know them as men that have done
wrong, AS you and | have done wrong
and looked 10 God for forgiveness, for
life and strength to encounter our
tasks.
Il have called on business men,
and said to them. look here, won't
YOU help US with this? and they have
said, On, Mr.. Collett. We have so
many poor in our community viii
you tell me of any who is poorer than
the man whose character is gone, rep.
utation gone, and who goes out OF
prison, on parole, as three-fourths OF
them do? The state does not give
them anything, no clothing. no ex-
pense money; absolutely notnlng for
them. II he does come out with his
three and half shoddy suit and So,
how long will it last him In Colorado
Springs, Pueblo or Denver? A po.
liceman on every corner watching
for him. Tell me of somebody poorer
than ne?
Il want to tell you tne poorest have
chances far above the chances of that
man. When We have done all we
can to help him, he is branded ex-
convict, Stunned by employers, shun-
ned by society. hunted by the police.
You are an ex-con, are you? You
are one of the fellows from down al
Canon? You come along with me
and take ride In the little wagon
Every door, | say, of employment.
and every door of home, and of all
social opportunities in life. every door
shut and barred. like the prison doors
that once held him. No. wait a mo-
ment-every saloon door in town is
open; three-fourtns to nine-tenths
went therefrom; every gambling den
is open to him, every opium joint, ey
cry nouse over whose door is the
scarlet letter-all those are open, and
the society of ex-convicts, like him
self-all that is open to him; but !
want to tell you, we are going to
open other doors. We are calling
upon Christian Endeavorers, and upon
people of the different churches. BY
the chaplain's leave and the en-
couragement OF our society. we are
trying to put hope into every boy
Letters piling up on my desk last
week, told mo how all the boys are
talking it over amongst themselves;
how they begin to read the word of
God. and begin to pray and strike out
the evil habits.
Don't you think they ougnt to have
help? Don't you think they ought to
have chance?
THE philanthropists OF tomorrow
will put trade school In every city
like this.
I'VE want someone VINO loves boys
and men more than dollars to take
them home, rather than railroad them
to reformatories. We need more men
like John L. Whitman.
I'VE have about $50 in our Chris
ton Endeayor in Canon City. out OF
the more than 100 in Canon City.
THE prosecution OF the every one
of these boys cost on an average one
thousand dollars, and his depredations
fifteen or sixteen hundred dollars. and
from that on up-every one of them