The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20

Do many of the boys turn out badly after they have been at the school?" I inquired.
 Very few" said Mrs. Johnston proud ly. 'Six hundred boys have been in the school in the ten years of it's existence, S98 having been dismissed and these have been some of the finest little fellows you ever saw. When Governor Conner was inaugurated the band from the school went down to Montgomery and during the exercises while the boys were resting, a large crowd gathered round them among the number being four boys who had formerly been at the school. They were delighted to see the boys in the band and let me tell you of my delight, when I found that three out of those four little fellows, were supporting their widowed mothers-the only support in fact, that these poor women have in all this wide world. So many people ask If the boys try to run away, which Is very amusing. Mir. Weakley gives them full liberty at all times, tempered of course with a firm discipline. that puts them on their honor, and the open door policy is soundly recommended, which we find to be the best principle in ruling these little recruits. When the boys were taken to the fair last year, after they got home MT. Weakley discovered that three out of the POT were missing. Rus ty the little drummer boy who always attracts attention at the school, was one of them. Of course MT. Weakley was not fearful that they had run away, but while he was going over in his mind that what might have happened to them the three arrived about 9 o'clock, hav- ing gotten lost from the crowd. Rusty had avowed that if he couldn't get to the school any other way he would drum his way home.' You see we are not trying to make agnels of our boys and sprout wings, but we are trying to sprout char acter and usefulness and real manhood, out of the stubble and hay, which has been discarded"
 "I am so enthusiastic about the school,' I said deeply interested in Mrs. John ston's recital, that I just feel like ask ing every man, woman and child in Bir- mingham, as we'll as all over the state. to join in a campaign for these little un- fortunates, who, if we do not help them, will go through life without support or character or position"
 .!And that is just where this fund which has been started, will assist us so nla- terially. It is a mystery to everybody how we have kept the school alive, for you see we cannot touch any of the money allowed by the state for anything
 
 but the actual expenses of the school. Why, we haven't cent provided for fun eral expenses, should one of the little fellows die Fortunately, in the years, which this year marks 8 decade in our history, only three deaths have occurred. The boys will tell your of their happy life at the school; of the good. whole some food they have, even on cents meal; and of how well they 'are taken care of. One of the finest boys that we have ever had in the institution is now a paid officer in the school having returned there and taken up his work. like the splendid young fellow he is. You have heard, of course of the little in- cident during the Y. NJ. c. A. campaign, of one of our boys now employed by one of the largest wholesale house in town. and who is filling his position creditably who went to the owner of the business, one day and asked if he could get off for the day, and upon being questioned as to what he wanted day off for, said that