The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-21
UNCLE SAM'S JACKIES
NEW YORK PHILANTHRoPIsT WHO
 IS SPONSOR FOR 10000 BOYS.
Work Grew from Effort to Give Chance In Life to Homeless Youngsters Drifting to
 Metropolis.

New xorks June SU--lSpeclal. D-Of- ficiai guardian of something like 1o.- 900 boys--that is the probably unique title held by Herbert Van Dyke of this city. well known in connection with the Newsbays' Home and various other New York philanthropies. Mir. Van Dykes title Is not an empty or hcti- tious one for he is the legally consti- tuted guardian of all minors in the navy of Uncle Sam. who have no par ents to sign the consent which must be obtained before a boy can take up a naval apprenticeship. Likewise he assists them in handling the bits of red tape which are to bind them to the service.
 For twenty-three years Mir. Van Dyke has been chaperoning boys into the navy sometimes at the rate of as
 many as .;n tho''anS year DiltHG snsiI ssaiII0iafssip ss stands ss ssss of what is probably the largest legal family in the world, even though the coming of age of it's rnem- bers deprives him of several hundred his name for this purpose was in 1ss3 when during his presence one day in Surrogates Court a bright little fei- low came in who had been sent there by a recruiting officer to transact the usual preliminaries. He lacked. how GNgIs any lANt1tk EcldktOHbhtR WntCR might be transformed into guardian ship by which to effect the legal con- sent that would make his contract binding. From all evidences he was as desirable a young recruit as could be found, and on the other hand the navy was as highly promising a solution of his homelessness as anything that could be thought of. Thereupon the court suggested that the difficulty be overcome by MT. Van Dykes acting as guardian in the case which he straight away did, to the ultimate satisfaction of all concerned.
 Shortly after that 1t became neces- sary for several other boys to be guar dlaned by Mir. Van Dyke who was sub- sequently asked by Captain Wiltsie of the Minnesota, then receiving ship, at New York. to perform the kindly office whenever 1t became similarly neces- sary, and the authorities at Washing ton soon afterward delegated complete powers to Mir. Van Dyke as guardian, abolishing the need of formal proceed ure in each individual case. Indirect iy Mir. Van Dyke recruits most of tn ose for whom he acts as guardian and to hundreds of the boys whom he has assisted in this manner his ofiices have meant the opening up of useful life in place of vagrancy or worse in this city. For the training school of vice or crime. the training school of Uncle Sam Is substituted.
 The field is fertile one for it Is said that from fifty to i5o stray boys wander into New York every day. run aways from good homes or bad. or mere wanderers without homes, single units in the large army of boy tramp dom, many of whose numbers unless aided in some way. eventually join the army of crime. Of course some of these boys are restored to their homes. generally to stay, but the majority must be taken care of In other ways by those who are striving to make them into good citizens. Some land in the Newsboys' Lodging House where they may be "put wise" to q good po- sition through Mir. Van Dyke and oth- CTS. or they may be taken in charge by any one of the children's protective societies of which there are several in ferred via the Childrens Court or the Bureau of Dependent Children to some asylum In the vicinity.
 Tn some such hospitabIe refuge as this Mir. Van Dykes likely proteges may be housed and sch hooled and alto gether given a chance until they are old enough to support themselves, and in due time to sign tine contract for four years with Uncle Sam. which can not be done below the age of 1T, al- though formerly 14 was the limit. Once received as an apprentice in the navy the boy may be regarded as saved or made. He has a future before hiln provided he works for it. Instead of floating about the city streets in aim- less vagabondage or worse. he is given a purpose in life.
 It is surprising to observe how quick ly the most unpromising characters grasp the idea of proper department m board a man-of-war Lads who pre- vious1y had loafed out their days on street corners soon become as alert to a command as a Jack -in-a-box when the lid is sprung. Boys who were de- veloping all the traits of thuggishness learn their place and the respect due to authority almost as soon as they step On board ship.
 Many of these boys remain fin the service beyond the period of their first enlistment and come to be among the most efficient of Uncle Sam's sea fight CTS. while others obtain a valuable training and accumulate some small savings that give them 6 good start in the outside world. During the four years of his contract all the needs or the recruit are furnished free or charge. He need not spend a cent of the nineteen dollars a month that he earns at first or the forty-five dollars a month he Is getting at the last. But the grimcracxs in the shops at foreign ports are a great temptation to the bluejacket ashore. The privilege of