New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-22
ASACOG BOYS CLUB.
Formal Opening of a Brooklyn Asso-
citation this Evening.

A big white walled room. with the sunshine
pouring down through wide vaulted skylights upon
the bare floor and the low brown bookshelves that
yun sround the sides-the ROOM IN short. in which
s.Janioe Meredith" and several other novels first
saw the light. the old Ford library in the house
on Pineapple street. in Brooklyn. in which Paul
Leicester Ford used 70 shut himself up for quiet
when he wrote. But il is not library now. Sat
urday morning crowd OF boys filled it, standing in
long rows across the floor. There were big boys
ana little boys, boys in all stages Of neatness and
Of dnapidation, boys who evidently had been near
a wash basin quite lately, and others who as eV1-
: IDENTIFY had not. II front OF them stood a slender
and why man. BY his side was a small boy.
swelling with importance.
Attention" thundered the man.
Attention" shrined the small boy.
Mark time" ordered the man. and II any Of the
Revolutionary ghosts evoked by Ford's pen still
fingered in that ROOM they must have been pleased
70 see how energetically those boys thumped the
floor with their feet. The man, who seemed TO be
everywhere al once, pushed one boy into line. sin
ged out another in the rear with his eye ana made
him stand straighter, sprang @ on the little stage
and struck few bars on the piano, Jumped down
ugain snd went at the drilling harder than ever.
And who were the boys? Why, members of the
new Asacog Boys Club. latest development OF Asa
cog Settlement, on Sands street.
81 suppose" Miss Mabel Doyen, headworker at
Asacog House. said TO Tribune reporter. that
bows anywhere in Brooklyn. or in greater New
York for that matter than this little spot around
the bridge Sands street IS thoroughfare
for sailors and longshoremen All about here are
Loolrooms. saloons concert halls Of the worst
fype all varieties Of evil lying tn wait for the boy
who has no particular place 10 go. It's always so.
Won know around bridge entrances and along
,raterfronts But nobody doing anything good
tor the boys here.
@Asscog House has been established for ten years
41,, w1u and
women. For a good while we've felt that We
ought 10 reach the other members Of the family,
the boys and the fathers felt that stil more
after visiting the chidren's court last year. and
gathering data there The number Of boys brought
before that court from this one little part OF
Frookl,n charged with petty larceny and truancy
and offences Of that sort, IS something alarming
J believe the child prisoners from the bridge
entrance region amount TO one-tenth Of the num-
her from all Brooklyn.
Every fall Asacog House has large public
meeting At our meeting last fan We called at
senton 10 the need Of the boys Of this district
the need for place where they could go and
have healthy. innocent play and occupation
little while after that number OF Brooklyn leo-
pie took the matter in hand and made themselves
financially responsible for the branch club
house for boys which you see here, and which viii
have its formal opening Monday evening The
men are r. Ross Appleton. Frederick b. Campbell.
Isaac II Cary II Edward Dreier. Francis I.
=
the Rev John Howard Mellish- They are called
the advisory board. but really they are much more
than that.
Then came the search for place. For a while
II seemed as II we couldn't find spot even an
empty left. When we lighted on this big old mouse
we though We were very fortunate"
Captain Avery who belonged 10 the ! ntea states s
,egular army ioTeIy; i o Tilis and games Al
Intervals he does few hundred 9Iner us icb a5
ellfs
library tho first floor.
This library. which IS immense, will be the gym
nasium and general assembly room The upper
book shelves have been taken away IeTIiS a e
al one end is an exhibit dear TO the boys hearts,
Philippines BY the caretaler Of the building. who
fought in the Philippine war curious, Wlch t
old Moro chief who was CONQUERED IN me laKe
decoration in this peaceful hall devoted 10 boys
Were going 70 have military drill for the BOYS
Miss Doyen said but we're not going 10 p9t
thoughts 81 war into them. Only, military dIlIl IS
ha6 anything like discipline in their homes or lives
Apd they do love the maTG kaI q another immense
room. which viii he used for roller Skaune sIld
there IN carpentry and other work with the hands.
with teachers and benches 10 work al L ne Ooy >
are building stage now, and by ana 10y tAeE ~ .
going 70 have dramatic entertainments: ~ ~, .
are several who have COCO aea4 On s songs IS in a
real theatre 49, u,-,-
The basement aoor will be used by Asae9g Ei IT'S
sometimes. TOO for their affairs and by the
women. sure Salo one cl tt, Aee.I..-s o.. ,.t
woman with theatrical cravings. sure we can
lave minstrel show, now we've got mat DIX
hail.
But the work IL 20 be sor and among the boys
chiefly and most OF all Il Is an enoft 10 get mo
personal relation with the boys OF mat dlstricl
70 get into their lives. Already. though me cum
"a barely started Captain Avery has placed SIX
hoys IN better positions thar those they held be
sore. anding out by talking with them what they
AT the boys are feeling exceedingly important
over the formal opening. They are gong 10 nave
shackleion's Military Band 10 make the music
Every boy IL allowed 10 invite Two or ultes Iilehos
and most Of them have chosen 10 biAlS Llelr
mothers, a sister.
Soma 81 the other attractions at the opening VIII
be Greek George with his troupe OF Araps- Ihen
there is be 4 sketch by Francis W lnders and
Walter McCSraf The boys themselves viii give
exhibitions of drills and singlestick Lencing and
when the programme is over they VIII De allowed
% have dancing The women Of the Asacog Civic
Club will be there. and viii the girls OF the
Asacog League and AEacog Junior League In
tact, many people are coming thar. DIG as me
Rooms are. they VIII not be too big to-lasht-