The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-28
CLUB ROOM WANTED
FOR THE NEWSBOYS
What Has Been Done and
Ought to Be Done for
Them

If there is charitably disposed per-
Son in st. Paul who wants very much
to spend some money where il will do
the most good he ought to do something
for the newsboys. There are few cities
the size of this one which have not
club house or room which these street
boys can call their own. Last year
committee of women of the Manufac-
turers auxiliary tried to organize a
neWsboys' drum and fife corps, and
went so far as to have bi-weekly meet
ings at one of DIR. Ohages buildings on
the island, which were attended some
times by over 200 boys. When winter
came on and they could no longer meet
on the island the problem stared them
in the face of finding a place where
they could come together. This they
have never been able to discover, up to
date. The public halls and buildings
do not want a crowd of lawless boys
tfamping their floors, and the only
rooms obtainable are in buildings
which would not be safe for drills.
Consequently, though the women still
stand ready to do what they can for the
boys there does not seem to be any
place of meeting available.
Saturday night some of the women of
the auxiliary gathered at Christ church
guild hall for the purpose of receiving
flag presented by the Distaff chapter,
d. A. r., to the prospective newsboys'
band and invited all the newsies of
the city to come. BY $3.50 there were
a dozen women on hand, two large
freeZers of ice cream and cookies with
out number The boys marched in
headed by representatives of the circu
1ation departments of the different pa
perS to keep them in order
They We're seated amidst a general
noise and Scrimmage, about ten boys
deciding on each seat at the same mo-
ment. Finally order was established,
or something like it, and they were told
why they had come, whose guests they
were and that their being entertained
again would depend on their good be-
haVior this time. The degree of ap-
probation of whose guests they We're
can be imagined, when, after they had
been told they were there by invitation
OF the Manufacturers auxiliary, one
small voice piped up and said, Who's
he?' One little boy sang some songs
very well and was applauded deafen-
1ngly by the audience.
The only disturbances during the
programme were when one sweet little
boy would pound another dear little boy
on the head, and a wild rush would be
IHdue LOT lnelr corner n. nope OIL a
light When they were separated and
sat down hard peace would be restored
for a moment. Towards the end of the
evening something was said about re-
freshments, and pandemonium broke
loose. Suddenly a mob of yelling, hoot-
ing, struggling boys was assaulting the
kitchen door where the ice cream was
to come from. After great deal of
work and disciplining they were finally
separated and ranged round the hall,
where. with awful threats, they were
told to remain.
When one of the young women ap-
peared in the doorway with a tray In
her hands upon which were plates piled
high with ice cream it was a signal for
another outbreak of yelling, and a
threatened onslaught, which was only
Quelled by force. Long before the ice
cream had gone round the room those
served first were ready for more and
many hid their plates and declared
most plteouSly that they had not had
any. The young men were at last COM
PEELED to serve the cream, as no one
else seemed to be able to discern
whether or not they were telling the
truth, but before very long all the boys
were served and some of them two and
three times. A few of them declared
that many doubled on EN-" as they
expressed it. before others had been
served at all. 1t was a most amusing
and at the same time terrifying spec
tacle, and some of the young women
present found their enthusiasm for
newsboys oozing out before the evening
was over.
These boys certainly need a civilizing,
humaniZing influence, and if some man
of this city wants to do a good work
he could not do better than to furnish
a room with games, books and pictures,
have a gymnasium attached, if possi-
Il a,,1 Int
club. But it must be done by men, and
a man who has been one of them can
do it better than young women. They
need a strong hand. and a mind some
where near their level. One little boy
the other night sought out one of the
women who had given him ice cream
and said Thank you" That was an as
tonishing and gratifying incident.
II