The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-28
The Stain Wiped AlDay
. New York Letter in Cleveland plain Dealer.


4 YOUNG LADY who is connected with the work Of
"A the East Side Settlement house is very enthusi-
asc in her endeavors to eliminate the warfare forever
existing between the street gangs Of small boys Of
the East Side
In pursuance Of her mission she attempted the
other day most dangerous and perilous experiment,
and one that settlement worker has ever before
imagined could be possibly carried out.
She invited the boys Of gang that has It's head
quarters on seventy-sixth street, and another gang
that hangs out Seventy-second street, to amalga
mate for the day, and accompany her picnic and
baseball game to Bronx park.
The boys Of each of these warning factions ac-
cepted not 80 much because Of the expectation Of
pleasant outing but from fact that refusal would
be construed by the other crowd craven fear Of
their ancient enemie for the warfare between these
two streets has been going on from time immemoria
and the enmty that exists has been handed down from
the fathers to the oldest and from them passed
on to the little fellows Of today. The acceptances
were therefore prompt altho friends who looked upon
the movement with anxious solcitude sadly informed
the youngsters that every one Of them would reach
home by way Of the morgue. 1-U4
The young lady had one moment Of fearful anxiety
and that was when the warriors Of the conten ding
streets fronted each other on the platform Of the
elevated railroad by which they to be conveyed
to the sylvan pleasures and the diamond shaped at
fractions of Bronx park.
b. It was with deep sigh Of relief that she found
the two armies amagamated, with only occasional
frown or the sly exhibition Of fist offered by one
youngster for the nasal inspection Of another
Even these hostilities died away in the excitement
and pleasure Of riding train with knees planted
on Seats and heads far out Of the windows and the
exchange OF pleasantries with the casual watchers
hanging from the windows Of tenements that lined the
roadway Of Second avenue
The park reached in safety. The outcome of
the maneuver was still in doubt but the Developments
of the day crowned the venture with eminent
In describing the actual the head worker
OF the settlement expressed himself follows:
1t might have been Sunday school picnic. The
game was played thru without killing without even
cussword, tho frequent changes Of umpire might
have shown the lady, had she known how to interpret
the slgn that the current Of feeling running deer
and strong. There was trouble even over the dis
trbut1on OF the lunch, and the appointment Of the
soda water, tho the gangs thirsty, and several
OF their members had to take pull from the same
bottle. Everything went lovely as marriage bell
Atruism was in the air, and each member was Ches
terfeldian In his behavior
But an end had to come. All the engineers i,
the world cannot build dam that will hold the Mis-
sssippi. 1t happened the homeward trip Some
kindly 1ntentioned old lady remarked to neighbor
What nice little boys these are!' and then Bedlan
broke loose Out Of Difference to the lady the gans
could be goodt could be polite; it could repress it
natural feelings it could refrain from swearing an,
40 other things equally unaccountabe and unreason
able to it, but to sit quietly by and be called mic
little boys-that was too much In the thick Of tn
conflict the police appeared at the One Hundred an
street station, and the gang was eiecte
from the train but victorious and happy that it ha
redeemed itself from the charge of being nice it'll
boys" -, = -"