New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-07
A Boys Commonwealth.

About ten years ago there was IN Chicago man
named Her1non I. Swift, who loved boys-pOor
oogs' and homeless, neglected, friendless boys-so
vel that he spent much OF hts time going here
and there in the Sums helping them. Whenever he
raw some poor waif sleeping in packing case or
cellar, or digging out food from garbage pals he
would say TO himself:
oh, II that were nay boy. what wouldn't give
70 the man who would lend him helping handE'
One day he read that sixteen thousand boys had
been arrested during the previous year.
i am going to devote the rest OF my life 10 help
ing boys he said.
So in 1897 he opened a house In Chicago into
which he gathered al the forlorn, neglected lads
ne could ind room for, and after a while he would
ee homes for them in the country or positions in
the city. where they could have a chance TO rise.
Later he became convinced that the city not
me best place for boys anyway Out on the banks
o. Pine Lake IN Boyne City. Mich. he found
Estate Of 80 acres with large, dsused hotel build
ing on f.
Just the ding for my youngsters" said the man
@ho loves boys So he bought the place, calling II
beuleh Land Farm. and the boys came out from
EhieagO-lSs Of them within a year-and they made
TIE farm into commonwealth. The boys dug a
swimming pool and fitted up a gym" They
planted sugar beets and other vegetables, ana
eaen not farming. they worked at their books or
played. Ana now-for Il is several years since
MS commonwealth farm started-they print and
The best thing about Beuah Land Farm is the
way II is governed. The laws are all made by the
ooss' and regulate the amount of work to be done
y each member the Anne be shall get up in the
morning the time he shall so 10 bed and all the
eutes OF his daily life in between. The boys also
nk The fines for the infractioh Of the laws. When
boy breaks a law mis- punishment is meted out
% him By officers elected for this purpose from
his own rank
OF course. tie fines are not heavy. but, then. no
eey ses 70 part with his quarters and dimes for
Nythiig especially when he has worked hard 10
s es thein- IL IS rare that fellow has TO pay
s,as nan = cents fine for an offence bnt' what
tst me nne, he must pay IL In actual cash out OF
~ pocketbook or his bank account.
Inc way he earns his money Is this: After the
r.elnt OF work laid out for each boy f. done. all
- ne does beyond this amount he is paid for in
otoance VITA the effort put forth So IL follows
Sat the more industrious a boy is the more money
Wi save in the course 81 the year
.h.i iOo-aac this IL one of the finest things
@sost u all-eVeFy boy who enters the common
hsslh becomes Immediately a stOckhOldef IN the
S,.slaess once year. on Thanksgiving Day. the
-te. deouct the total expenses and divide The net
eohS according 10 the number Of shares held by
Aow do they know how many shares a fellow
49, Well IT'S this way: For every hour OF good
1sLd earnest work ne puts IN he gets three credits
~ ~ one hundred credits equal one share. SO 81
M. nol take much arithmetic 10 md out how
49, ~ coming 20 each
ers course this way Of conducting business gives
% ~ young citizen a deep interest IN the success
80 increases the value Of tie property or ia
sv sttS4 automatically enriches each boy. and
In. snlig that depreciates them tends 20 make
- 49, poorer, the boy who does not do All IN his
,n ~E, % make success Of things IS lacking both
~ Of this stamp drifts into the commonwealth
esT. .lsr boys. recognizing AZ once that his don't
~, -thsy are shareholders. file charges against
Hnrdsg y e 4,s case q The People AGAINST Tom
avn " FNnD smith or Jack Roberts right
And because the financial interests OF all are