The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-09

pier " ' 'ouAs WV
cummins: Some nickelet picture
SHOWS, poolrooms, and the Holy Ghost
dance hall, rented for lodge parties
rare.
roosevelt: Are there any libraries ?
cummings: None except some cir
culating book shelves In drug stores.
Roosevelt: Is there q working age
law In effect for children now and Is
II observed?
Cummings: There IL a fourteen
year age law. and believe II is OBJ
served. at least by all the children
that ! have to do with.
Roosevelt: How do the children OF
foreign parentage do In school? Are
they as apt at learning az the Amer
lean children?
Cummings: / wouldn't know the
difference. Where the foreigners do
not colonize and the children have a
chance TO learn English they are very
quick to learn.
Greek BOY Leads.
Here Supt. Cummings interrupted
the account with why, out OF 45
children In our seventh grade the first
place this year was held by Greek
10y! forgot to tell that to Col. Roose-
welt. But told him they were taken
out Of school as q rule the minute
they were IA and put to work. In
our high school class this year only
four boys were graduated. Some
years there have not been any. They
M e. xuorL The howe In M hvao
the girls In the mills. at work so close
and exacting that II we gave anything
as hard In school we would be called
cruel.
THAT watching OF threads, that con-
slant alertness and tension is printed
on the girls faces In hard and drawn
features. They look old at twenty.
Col. Roosevelt's question about libra
ries prompted me to stop to talk TO
two breaker boys I met at Jessup, q
town farther along the rut-broken.
dusty main road.
The little chaps, Jos. Mccormick
and John Canannra, didn't stop to
talk or play ball along the way. Their
tramp, tramp was as serious and man
ly as the big dinner buckets they car
ried.
They said they were fourteen.
What grade were you In when you
stopped SCHOOL," I asked.
Fifth" said John. Sixth" said
Joseph. And both said they couldn't
go back again. Then they wrote their
names for me, to show how well they
could write.
did you ever read Tom Sawyer"
asked.
The two miniature men looked at
each other queerly.
Did you ever read a book?' I ask
ed them.
'T never read a book" said Joseph.
.Inhn didn't either. Did your" turning
or his partner.
Nope" said John. There's IL
brary up the street, but the man he
won't let us kids In. He says we get
In the way of the men playing pool
and get the books dirty, and maybe
we wouldn't bring 'em back
Gee, I'D Like to Readl"
Would you like to read books"
asked.
"All about sailor men? Gee, I'd like
to read one about sailors" said Joseph.
And the army men, the ones that
fight the big wars" put In John. do
you think President Roosevelt will get
'em for us?"
Col. Roosevelt also visited Father
P. ]. Murphy. pastor OF st. Patrick's
church at ELEPHANT. Father Murphy
has been ar ELEPHANT 20 years, and
knows social conditions there perhaps
better than anyone else.
"Col. Roosevelt asked me about the
character OF the mine workers here"
he said
81 told him they were so different
from the usual impression that gets
about, and that II had been IA years
since the town marshal had been cali
ed out to settle a fight among foreign
ers.
What do you think of dancing for
the young people?" he asked me next.
Il said / favored dancing when the
halls were not connected with saloons
and the dancers went home at II
o'clock, after the serving OF lunch.
AT that the colonel's fist came
down on the arm of the chair.
That's Just where I stand he said. |