Arizona republican., 1908-06-23


 many as thousand a year, piling guardianship upon guardianship until he stands as the head of what is pro- bably the largest legal family in the lworld, even though the coming of age of its members deprives him of sev- eral hundred each year The first use he made Of his name for this purpose was in 1883 when during his presence one day in the surrogate's court a Upright little fellow came in who had been sent there by a recruiting officer to transact the usual preliminaries He lacked, however, any living relation ship which might be transformed into guardianship by which to effect the legal consent that would make his con- l tract 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 Isolution of his homelessness as any thing that could be thought of. There | upon the court suggested that the diff ficulty be overcome by MT Van Dykes acting as guardian in the case which he straightway did, to the ultimate satisfaction of all concerned.
 Shortly after that it became neces- sary for several other boys to be guar dianed by MT. Van Dyke who was sub sequently asked by Captain Wiltsie ot the Minnesota, then receiving ship at New York, to perform the kindly off, flee whenever it became similarly nec- essary, and the authorities at Wash ington soon afterward delegated com plete payers to MT. Van Dyke as guardian, abolishing the need of for nal procedure in each individual case Indirectly MT. Van Dyke recruits most of those for whom he acts as guardian and to hundreds of the boys whom he acts as guardian and to hundreds of the boys whom he has assisted in this manner his offices have meant the op- ening 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 a fertile one for it is said that from fifty to one hundred and fifty stray boys wander into New York every day. runaways from good homes or bad, or mere wanderers without homes, single units in the large army
 
 bers. unless aided in some way. event. .ually 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 Oth- CT ways by those who are striving to make them into good citizens Some land in the Newsboys' Lodging House where they may be be put wise" to a good position through Mir. Van Dyke and others, or the,- may be taken in charge by any one of the children's protective societies of which there are several in New York, and through them transformed via the children's court or the bureau of dependent chil- dren to some asylum in the vicinity.
 In some such hospitable refuge as this Mir. Van Dykes likely protegees may be housed and schOoled and alto gether given a chance until they are old enough to support themselves, and in due time to sign the contract for four years with Uncle Sam. which can mot be done below the age of seventeen. although formerly fourteen was the limit. once received as an apprentice in the navy the boy may be regarded as saved and made. He has a future before him provided he works for it. Instead of floating about the city streets in aimless vagabOndage or worse he is given a purpose in life.
 It is surprising to observe how quickly the most unpromising charac- ters grasp the idea of proper depOrt- ment on board a man-of-war Lads who previously 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 developing all the traits of thug gishness learn their place and the re- spect due to authority almost as soon as they step on board ship.
 Many of these boys remain in the service beyond the period of their first enlistment and some 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 a good start in the outside world. During the four years of his contract all the needs of the recruit are furnished free of charge and he need not spend a cent of the nineteen dollars a month that he cans at first or the firty-five dollars a month he is getting at'the last. But the gim- cracks in the shops at foreign ports are great temptation to the blue jack ct ashore. The privilege of shore leave Is regularly granted for each port made. and many a recruit returns to his ship without a penny left in his pockets. On the other hand every in- ducement Is offered the sailor to save his money, and he is given four per cent interest on what he deposits with the ships paymaster
 When the apprentice has studied and travelled and worked out his four years contract, which has given him by the time of completion a course of training that is equal to any good col lege education in the land, barring the classics. he is given three months leave of absence with full pay and the opportunity to decide during that time whether he will re-enlist and if so what technical branch he will elect for his specilaty.
 Should he take gunnery. for exam pie, he goes to the technical school at Washington, where for a number of months he is trained in all the details of the construction of guns and their accessories. and in machinery and lathe work. There is no finer techni-