The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-08-30
THE CHILDREN'S HOME.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox Says Something
About 1t.

The following article from the pen
OF Ella Wheeler Wilcox in the inter-
est Of the Children's Home at Sioux
Falls recently appeared in the col
umns Of the New York American
Journal Examiner:
If New York woman were to
meet a stranger and learn from con-
versation that she had been reared in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. the New
Yorker would instantly feel a secret
| sense Of superiority. II asked to ex-
plain this feeling, she would proba-
bly, say that. while the Dakota woman
| was as good as the New Yorker. she
| could not. in the nature of things,
have enjoyed the same advantages of
culture which life in the metropolis
| affords. That her mind must lack
the friction with the great arts and
great artists and great events which
are q part of metropolis
But meantime something is being
done in Sioux Falls which Is greater
In its magnitude than anything Of its
kind done in New York. Greater
from the fact Of its influence upon the
future Of the nation.
| received not long ago the follow
ing card. 1t read :
Help us depopulate tho peniten-
tiaries by surrounding the dependent
children OF the nation (the material
from which criminals are made). with
| pure moral influences"
| With II came a booklet which I
read with absorbing interest, because
| the subject was one which has been
| treated over and over in this column.
1t was a Joy to know that practical
| application OF cherished theories was
| being applied in the far west with
moro wonderful results than had been
| imagined.
AT Sioux Falls is established the
National Childrens Home society. and
| the work done by this society Is great
er than that Of all the churches In all
the states Of the union in practical
evangelization.
The society Is organized to seek ana
| save the unfortunate children OF the
| land and to find desirable homes for
them. Not only to find homes. but to
| watch over these children after they
are sent to new homes. and to see
that they are properly treated.
| There are twenty-seven branches OF
| this society. but, oddly enough, not
one in New York or any New Eng
land state.
The booklet received makes this
| truthful statement:
| There is not a city In the land
having a population of 5000 or moro
| but has Its quota OF young hoodlums
who are menace to the peace and
| welfare Of the public. as well as a
| heavy burden on the taxpayers. by
reason Of the large police force need
ed to keep them under control. In
the large cities they number several
| thousand. A few years ago the pp-
| lice department of Chicago reported
| over 1900 arrests OF this class In one
year. II the Children's Home society
| had sufficient means at Its command
SO as to be able to transplant these
| lawbreakers while in embryo into the
| pure atmosphere Of the country, this
undesirable element In the citizenship
of the nation would in fifteen years be
wholly eliminated. and in their places
| would be honorable, Industrious
young men and women, q blessing and
profit to society"
New York clubmen waste enough
money every week in cards and wine
and cigars to endow this society with
| five hundred new branches.
| IT the really philanthropic men of
| the country could know just what was
being accomplished by this National
Children's Home society, 1 have no
| doubt they would raise a fund for Ats
| extension In one sitting.
| Surely Mr.. Carnegie ought to real-
| ize how much more useful Is the work
| OF such an organization, for making
good citizens, than the establishment
Of 80 many libraries.
| Nfnety-fve per cent of the children
| taken by this society turn out we'll.
The stories told by those engaged in
tho work are more marvellous than
any tales Of fiction.
NUh n NJ hn oh too l.
| has to say about the result Of their
| effort:
Does 1t pay? Put your ear to the
phone and let the rc.d workers an
swer. Let Superintendent O. S. Nor
row OF Kansas have the line; his an
swer to the inquiry Is: A profiigate
woman OF no reputation abandoned q
little five-year-old girl at one Of the
inland county seats of Kansas. The
| child was turned over to the public
authority and placed IN the county
poorhouse. Here the associations
| were SO bad that nothing but a life Of
| ignorance. impurfty and crime was
before her. The authorities gave her
| to the Childrens Home society and
she was placed in a family Of superior
advantages and plenty OF wealth; but
the child was 50 high tempered and
| absolutely uncomfortable that this
| FAMILY, after more than a years trial,
| gave her up and said II was no use;
| they never saw such ungovernable
| temper. Then another family tried
her. but she was too much for them.
| and abe was returned again to US.
Then she went TO the third family.
who were more fully equal to the
| task. and our girl improved SO fast
| that within year she was practically
| beyond my knowledge The progress
was continued until now she Is a
young lady eighteen years OF age.
! beautiful In features and more beau
| tiful in character, sunshine and
daily benediction TO her foster par
ents, a universal favorite and q bless
| ing to all her companions"
Would you know more OF this work
Write TO w. b. SheTrard, national SUI
perintendent Children's Home society.
| Sioux Falls. 8. d.