Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

and finally a place was found for him
as a page at Wards island. Over
there they said they would give him a
trial if we could get two recommends
tions as to his character. We hunted
up the butcher for whom he had
worked and he willingly supplied one,
while the deputy clerk furnished the
other. The boy was in rags, so we
had also to find clothes for him.
"The upshot of it is that he is the
most grateful youngster In the city
and immensely tickled with his new
job. We all of us get letters from him
at frequent intervals which make UP
in enthusiasm what they lack in
grammar and spelling. ] went to see
him the other day and found that he
was boarding his pennies In order to
buy violin and study music, of which
he seems inordinately fond Possibly
we have rescued a genius; at any rate
there is no other organization which
could have taken the place of the Big
Brothers in dealing with such case
as this"
Boys Meet at Building
Each Tuesday night about sixty OF
these boys troop to the building
where they have been organized into q
free gymnasium class by the Big
Brothers. Athletics indeed is a great
factor in holding the boys and provid-
ing an interest which Is common tc
all of them. Glasses are held also in
various churches and neighborhood
houses distributed about town.
One of these classes resulted in un-
looked for good. 1t was held in 9
certain neighborhood infested by g
gang of young crooks who literally
lived by burglary and worse. One
night seevral members of the gang
appeared and stood about watching
On a succeeding occasion three OF
them returned and asked to be al
lowed to join. They were given per
mission to do so upon conditions OF
good behavior. That was the begin
ming of different life for all three
but one in particular proved remark
able. After a time he professed Chris
tianity at a nearby church and later
asked permission to organize a GYM
nasium class. This was given and he
culled from his former pals gooo
sized class.
Some of the experiences of the Big
Brothers are not only strange, but
unpleasant. One Big Brother was me-
at the cavernous door of an inside
tenement by an irate woman with 6
tub of dirty suds which she threatened
to use. He had to use the utmost di
plomacy to persuade her that he wal
in reality upon a friendly visit. Otter
members are taken for officers, bu
they usually win out through the
mothers. The boys themselves are
hard to know and usually several Wis
its to the house are necessary.
Men Assume Duties
L.
1y an effort to take the responsibility
of the boys from shoulders which are
not able to carry 1t and lay It upon
others who are better fitted to assume
1t. 1t is recognition of the fact that
the community is primarily one body.
no member of which can afford that
another member be lost through lack
of a chance AS a result sullen and
embittered children chafing under re-
straint are becoming a thing of the
past. Now the city's "bad' boys re-
turning from a reformatory in the
country, such as the children's village
of the New York Juvenile asylum,
where they have room to stretch their
bodies in healthful outdoor play,
bring back to the city large measure
of health and no little knowledge. Also
the time of the boys discharge Is
known to the Big Brother who is es-
pecially interested in him, and no boy
as of old, begins the battle to live
straight friendless and alone. The Big
Brother completes the work which the
country asylum has we'll begun or he
undertakes 1t alone, If for q number
of reasons 1t seems to the authorities
as represented by the childrens court
that just little boost is necessary.
Indeed, IN a word, the purpose of this
Big Brothers organization is just to
boost, and the records which they have
kept show what wonderful results a
boost may bring. Not dozens, but
scores of successful young men In the
city today can and do trace their sue
cess to the help of Big Brother
Some, indeed, who were once little
brothers have now become Big Broth
ers themselves.