Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-23

BY WILLIAM ALLEN JOHNSTON.
NEW YORK, Saturday.
Copyright Herald Co. All Rights seserved)
Y II the urchin who yels 'Pape Pape! Here yare
misterp' and swiftly pockets your penny should
flash in your face a savings bank book with bal
ance of several hundred dollars, you need not be
greatly surprised. If some time you hard up
and need quick loan to tide the business day
why, just consult your Office boy!
Over at the West Side Boys Lodging House, at No.
225 West Thirty-ffth street. they teaching home
less youngsters how to save. 1t is interesting
pertinent on interesting SUBJECTS and the results
quite remarkable, not alone in the accumulation of
fat bank accounts but what is more to the point,
in the development of character and ambition among
boys who have homes to help them, no parents to
guide them, and who backed only by their own sharp
wits and sturdy muscles are holding their own in
the battle of life in big city.
They are waits of the streets, these boys About
fifty per cent are orphans and about half many
half orphans; the others homeless for reason
or another in most instances because of stepmoher
who can't find a place in her heart for another
woman's offspring.
Some are city boys; a considerable number
from the country, "freghting it" in from the mill
towns of New England from the coal towns of Penn
syvana, from as far away Texas. The irresistible
magnet of New York city draws them, just as it at
tracts men, There's 'chance" here.
How do they find the Boys Lodging House? Why,
policemen bring them in, the Children's Aid Society
sends them but principally, they introduced by
other boys already inmates of the home Every other
night or so waif is to the desk stands there
hungry and hopeful
Say" says his sponsor. "Herc's a kid wot y can
look over He's been Iivin in cellar on Grand street
fink he's all rightI'
In all likelihood the applicant is admitted and
then the problem-quite a probem--of his uplift is
worked out.
In the first place, the home in itself is admirable
in every way. 1t is modern in appointments-but in
1908 by John Jacob Astor-and looks more like club
than lodging house. In front there's a spacious
reading and lounging room, with books, magazines
games and piano and pool table, To the rear is the
dining room, which certain nights is turned into a
gymnasium. Below the first floor are wash rooms
swimming pool and a complete steam laundry; up
stairs the dormitories
For board lodging and laundry the older boys
sixteen to eighteen years-pay $L50 a week. Boys
under sixteen pay $1O5. Transient rates are-Lodg-
ing, five cents a bed; meals, five cents each.
At these low rates-together with the free fare and
clothing that must be furnished-the home, Of
cannot pay expenses Last year the total
expenses $9277.2S. and the income was only
S2,774.05. Seven thousand and ninety-fve lodgings
and 1871 meals furnished free.
To Support Itself.
But the home aims to the highest possible extent,
to be selfsupporting-no for its own interests so
much for the sake of the boys. They must be
taught to be sef-supporting; and the way-the main
way--to bring this about is to teach them to save
That, indeed, is the central problem, the one that
the superintendent Mr.. Hennefrund, and the book
keeper. Mr.. Patterson, face continually struggle
hardest with.
First of all, employment must be found for the
newcomer. Advertising in the daily papers has been
tried this. year with splendid success Through this
means 532 boys placed during the eight months
ended October L.
Then the wage earners must be clothed properly at
the start Feet that trudge for work, run errands
help sell newspapers, must be well shod. New shoes
are a first consideration.
IT is rather a clever scheme they have of making
the pool table pay for these shoes. cent a is