Arizona republican., 1909-11-20
JOHN E. GUNcKEL, FISHER OF
 BOYS


 In the November American Maga- zine. Brand Whitlock writes most in terestingly of John F. Gunckel of To- ledo. and of the Newsboys' association which he has organized there. Says MT Whitlock:
 The work that John F.. Gunckel has and indeed among the newsboys of the United States. affords an interesting example of the power of personality.
 More than a score of years ago he was employed as an agent for the Lake Shore railroad. He was busy. and sue cessful in business. and he had two re creations .-one was the boys, the other was fish.
 -Gunckel became interested in boys nearly a quarter of a century ago. The first little group he gathered in the streets and he helped them. not in any patronizing sense; he revealed himslf to them simply as a familiar friend.
 This work has developed into a movement. into an institution. Today II ia an organization including l,600 boys, all Of whom sell or deliver news papers on the streets of Toledo. This organization is not governed from above it is not run by GunCkel; he has taught the boys to govern them selves and the NewsbOys' association presents to the contemplation of a city which is trying to learn to govern it. self a little democracy of wise chill dren who have learned a great deal of the art of self government. The newsbOys in Toledo generally dp not swear: they do not smoke cigarettes: they do not lie; they do not steal. And when I have said this l hasten to cor rect a possible impression that they are in any sense priggish; they are not that: they are real bOys-noisy, rude among themselves. they fight and are not at all angels. These boys know how tO conduct their institution. They have their own politics. elect their own officers, transact their own business. and do it about as well as grown up people elect their officers and transact their business and do it much better than it could be done for them.
 The Newsboys' association has built with the assistance Of the people of Toledo who believe in Gunckle and love Gunckel-as all of them do-a large auditorium in which. besides the theater where the boys meet on Sun day afternoons, there are kitchens, dining rooms. gymnasiums. swimming pools and a good library full of books which the boys actually read. This is the material expression of Gunckers
 enn newsbOys' associations in other cities of the United States. all of them af- filiated in a national organization with the original one here in Gunckle's home. The work has not suffered from being institutiOnalized. and it will not. at least so long as Gunckel lives. To see him one would say that-he will live long. as one would hope that he will live long. He is in middle age, of stout. hale figure. with white hair. and a large. smooth-shaven. gentle face
 You should see him on the street with a group of his boys chattering about him. or you should see him ad- dress one of his Sunday afternoon meetings More than this. if you could lit NOu StS him in consultation with them at headquarters. helping them over the obstacles that come in their lives, as in all lives acting as judge and umpire. imparting wisdom and comfort and by his own just heart teaching them to do justice to themselves. How he does all this no one knows. He does not do it by rules. or by following precedents. or by founding institutions. He does it by the influence of his personality. by the faith of pure heart, by the power of love. He does it by being human. by being humorous. by being gentle. by being kind.