The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-06
inquiry with Jaw. so on you Joisey
watcher tink ann
Man WHO I<noyys How.

Man VINO KNOWS HOW.
Bue the novice should not feel the
rebuff too keenly. because even In the
presence Of the one he calls the wise
the street boy and tho way to his heart,
the gamin IL not abashcd. though he be
sure his impertinence Is then a mark
of favor rather than derision. A little
story in point is that told by Mr..
Charles D. Hilies. superintendent of
the New York Juvenile Asylum, who
deyotes all HIS time and energy to
the rocks of crime everywhere present
in the slum life OF the greater cities.
Each boy sent to the Children's Village
OF the asylum is taken before Mr..
Hilles to be questioned as a means OF
learning Ills Individual traits and as a
method Of establishing ainicable rela-
lions. This particular boy had come
Gus occa sions, but with the cleverness
of his kind had long elnded attempts
to bring him before the Children's
Court. When asked by Mr.. Hilles
with what offense he was charged, he
replied:
II was playin' o. game OF checkers
wild de cop, and 1t was my turn to
move and didn't move and 30 he
Jumped me. see!" His address he said
was No. 70 Lemon Street
h Abnormal Humanity.
II not according to the ethics Of good
behavior and manners. these answers
we're at least friendly and only uncon-
sciously impudent from the specialists
point of view. In fact the boy spec
sialist who sets himself the task of deal
Ing with delinquent children Of tho
city's manufacture must realize first
OF all that the gamin is mall ways
abnormal. having lived an abnormal
life. and that he Is to baRjudged and
weighed by no CO. mon standards.
Even with the most modern sort OF
plant for making good citizens. snci: as
that Of the Juvenile Asylun-with its
widely spaced cottages built to ac-
.commodatc no more than twenty boys
each. its hospital, farm, school. trades
tea ching shops, merit system of mark
ling which lncites to personal endeavori
because 1t provides personal rewards.
Its huge playground and Its many
acres of woodland-the whole, to be
EFFECTIVE, must be vitalized by the '2er-.
sonal touch" by the knowledge of the
boy specialist. According to- Mr.. Hl1les
land experience WILL tless coa-
vince each Of IFS of the correctness of
his statment--no two boys are by any
chance exactly alike4... mind or body.
Opportunity Is given the boy specialist
by. the CO ttage type OF TeIOTf1dtOTy8to
study each boy, so that each may be
treated as an individual.
a Pathetic Case.
Eve regard each of our charges as a.
separate problem, says Mr., Hilles, and
from the very first use every endeaYor
to me rit not the boys fear, viii ll might
easily be achieved through strictly en-
forced arbitrary rules md accompany-
Ing punishments meted out by g keeps
crs, but his love and confidence"
Something is almost Invariably ac-
complished during the nrst interview
between the delinquent and the boy
specialist. though often not without
|dift1culty. a boy recently admitted to
the Childrens Village had not only
been deprived OF the guidance Of both
mother and father In his fight with
the world, hut had also suffered the
loss of one lag IN al Understanding epl-
sode upon a freight train, He had lived
by begging. and was so successful
because Of his affection that8he earn
ed much more han enough for his
needs, The surplus which he had ac-
cumulated had drawn him into evil
surroundings. His home had been in
a house Of nnsavory reputation and
his com papions criminals o. both
SEXES. Upon his arrival at the Chill,
dren's Village 1e5 was called In to the
Isnperintendents Office in no very anlia-
BILE frame OF mind. 10 q Ions list Of
persuasive questions he answered only
with s\,ry nlonosyllables until Mr.,