New-York tribune., 1910-07-31
Don't Rule a Boy, buf Let
Him Run Himself, Toys Harper

The man who had thought this thing out
| was as jubiIant any one OF the boys
/ over the success OF IL.
/ A captains council was called in The
play house by Mr.. Schwartz. the supervisor
OF the Tompkins Square grounds, and thir-
ty little chaps representing the thirty
clubs on the field at that particular period
of the afternoon trooped quietly in and
sat on the hoor around the walls They
were not all little chaps. either They
ranged from about ten UP 20 fifteen or
sixteen years. But age is not the claSStn-
cation in the boys clubs
1T is weight that counts" explained Mr..
Harper '-There are four weight classihcs-
tions. the clubs formed of men of S.
pounds and under, those OF e0 pounds and
unGer, those Of 115 pounds and under and
those over 115 pounds With the exception
of that single limitation, which makes FOR
fair play. the clubs just the street
gangs. organized and recognized o@ the
city"
Now was the chance, as the man from
uptown sat among the crowd OF boys
| from the Lower East, in common coun-
Gil. 10, see how it was that he had been
abie 10 call into being this great junior re-
public.
insight, Il want to make your minds easy
on the subject OF those monthly prfzes.
That focused thirty pairs OF eyes on the
gray-haired, Hthe-hgured man who stood
SO much at ease among them Dosens or
faces. too, were pressed against the low.
grated windows looking in from outside.
and occasional loud cheering from the
field beyond made the captains trife I'M
easy as to how the games were going dur
inS their absence. But the mention or
prizes had a strictly Iocehzing effect.
Now cried Mr.. Harper. bringing mis-
hands together with an air OF utter fnal
ity, those prizes are just as sure as
! though the winning team had them in their
hands this minute Don't YOU fellows i'm
agine FOR a single instant that the big city
of New York Your OWN city, would get
you together ana let YOU work like niggers
with all your muscle and all your minds
and then not give you the prizes il prom
ised YOU That would be the most unfair
thing in the world. And there's nothing
unfair about this thing. you play fair ana
Your city plays YOU fair Remember thai.
not only for play. but for everything else
1T would not be fair. then. sir. would ite''
said little chap getting up. FOR fellow
to belong TO two clubs each IN different
parks
The citizenship seed had taken root
quickly.
That's right. responded the big man
''or course il would not That's a GOOD
question. II shows YOU have head and
that it's working
The council went on for an hour with dis
eussions and questions and answers Par
liamentary law, doled out by It's president
ruled the assembly. Play was discussed
and the rules of sport After il was over
one of the captains. aged twelve, the one
who had asked the most and the brightest
questions, came up TO Mr. Harper and hold
ins out his hand said
Thank YOU. sir. for answering all nv
questions
The man grabbed the boys hand with
both his own.
II wish YOU success with your team boy 80
he said II like Your questions. They are
the right sort and so are YOU
The boy went out with his chin hirs m
the air
So the dig revolution has started Tn.
street gangs that have puzzled polics AS
children's courts alike have become orxan
| sssd little sections OF the body pols<ar. ana
Hfshout IN sAIxnrnn NA -