Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-02-20
TREATMENT OF BOYS.
Let Them Alone, Advises a New
Jersey Father.
HIS HAVE SEPARATE HOUSE,

To Have Peace Mutually Agree Not
to "Butt ln," William Jeffrey Tells
Harlem Liberal AIIiance-How the
"lndependent Five" Like the Life.
William Jeffrey of Berkeley Heights
n. j., addressed the Harlem Liberal
alliance the other night ut 100 West
One Hundred and Sixteenth street,
New York, on How to Live In Peace
With Children" says the New York
Times. The meeting room was filled
to the outcrmost door. The essence OF
Mr.. Jcnfery's teaching is:
Don't butt in on the children If
they will agree not to butt In on you"
Jeffrey IS the man who built u small
bungalow out In his back yard last year
for four OF his sous and II nephew. The
"inGependent five have been running
their own affairs. y" Jeffrey made a
sort of report OF = cess. He said
that 1t WAS Il ho ..Ag success. al
though. thank heaN en-. lie and his wife
didn't hear the howlS. And he was 60
ing to add his other sons to the indie
pendent back yard group as fast as they
got old enough to endure the wear and
tear of the lie in that climate.
Il used to live in Manhattan" went
ON the speaker. But l had t. move.
The landlords got after me too hard.
went to Plainiield, n. j.. and that
week the rents were raised there. One
OF NOV Il ln1 To 1.-Two
out in the open. and that's how l got
to Berkeley Heights.
I'VE liked the land, and l decided to
replace the tent with a house. So
built one as l want 1t, its framework
being Of hewed oaken beams. We COM
pleted 1t last summer.
"Then one day my wife raised IN
unusually loud protest about the boys
coming into the house. tracking up the
carpet and breaking the furniture. You
see, l have six boys and one girl, with
q nephew from Brooklyn. He Is nine
teen years old. My boys run down
from fifteen. Four Of them are above
eight years.
These last named young persons
were the chief offenders. so decided
that there would have to be another
bungalow. The question arose as to
who was to occupy it. The boys said
that they would take it. agreeing not
to butt in on my wife and me IL we
would agree not to butt in on them.
And we did that.
"And SO we put up q 10 by "a foot
bungalow In the back yard. The four
older boys and the nephew took charge
Of it. OF course they eat with us. but
they take care of their own house. II
they don't. 1t gets no care. It's up to
them. They may turn the stove upside
down; they may stick their heads out
Of the window. It's their own funeral,
and they know it.
AT first | thought that would in
spect their bungalow once day to see
that they Kept it clean. l gave that up.
There is no more reason why should
inspect them than that they should in
spect me and my wife.
This arrangement has been kept up.
l like it. My wife likes it. The boys
like it. We call it the Pleiades bunga-
low out there in the back yard"
Mr.. Jeffrey then read some testimo-
mails Of the five independents. The
Brooklyn nephew. who had asthma.
testified that he had been cured Of it.
Willie, aged fifteen, bore witness In
writing that he had farmed two acres
Of land and raised pigeons last year.
He had furnished vegetables to the
family and had bank account Of
500.
Charlie, aged thirteen. testified that
he had no trouble waking up in the
morning, because if he was inclined to
sleep somebody was sure to throw
piece of coal or Il water bucket at him.
AS for worldly goods. he had begun his
new life with a hen and rooster.
Now he has thirty-four chickens, feed
in stock for them and money-a little
in his pocket.
Fred. aged eleven, who is described
by his father as "one averse to work."
bore witness that he liked the life in
the Pleades bungalow. it's freedom be-
ing very congenial to him. He told no
stories of wealth accumulated His
parents will give him course in for
estry.
Richard, aged nine, testified as to his
enjoyment of the Sunday night con-
ferences with his parents. He declared
that at such times the back yard colony
asked their father questions. Some
times he couldn't answer. Then he
went off and asked somebody else and
answered next time.