The Ely miner., 1911-09-08

accused of having twisted the
wrist of little girl, and taken
from it the dollar with which the
mother had sent her to the grocery.
did you do that. George?" asked
the judge.
George confessed that he had.
And, Mary, what did you dor
asked the Judge, turning to the little
girl.
81 runned after him, and chased
him, but I couldn't ketch him." George
was a feet kid, you observe.
What did you do with the money!
asked the judge.
George hung his head, smiled slight
ly, and replied: Il spent it for candy"
Next to George, in the court room,
stands his father, Lithuanian who
cannot speak English. For this pur-
pose an interpreter is at hand.
Georges mother is dead, father and
son board at little one-horse house,
but 1t is vacation time. and while the
father works and earns. paltry
amount at the stock yards, George
roams the neighborhood and worries
the citizens and the police. Vacation
and leisure often hurt kids morals.
Here the interpreter tells the father
that the Judge decides George shall
go into the country; that the father
must pay the farmer 81 week for
the boys board Money is always a
thumbscrew to lax fathers, and they
vince under the decision, but In this
instance the father first pays back the
dollar George pilfered, and then
agrees to pay the board demanded.
AS the boy trots off, the Judge makes
the suggestion that the boy has not
been kept as clean as he ought. and
suggests that the kids ears need a
bath.
Many such parents cannot furnish
the board money, and even when
they promise to do so circumstances
cause them to. default. Here the
Big Brother and Big Sister league
steps In and helps. 1t has salaried
man to escort George to a proper
farm, to see that the board is paid,
that George has the necessary cloth
ing. and that he is brought back
when school begins. When there are
no parents, or they are too poor to
assume these expenses. the league
shoulders the burden.
Farm life has a civilizing influence.
All that has been lost in the city Is
often gained amid waving wheat fields
L-oS51 y,,nnfp~ cfroornc
Recently one father wrote thus to
the court:
Il never want to see that fellow
again."
He referred to his son, eight years
of age. who had been tried in court
for delinquencies, who was placed on
a farm, but who for some reason re-
turned. The letter continued:
"As far as the girl is concerned
10 had a sister who had also been
provided with a temporary home), /
am willing to take her back any day
when they get through with her, but
never again that dirty thing of boy,
as he is called"
that he had been untidy at home
merely to get back to the farm. He
was a second time placed with farm
er at Marengo, ILL.,, where he became
orderly, Industrious and cleanly, aud
made good In every way. The Big
Brother and Big Sister league thus
brought about wholesome reform.
There are cases of dependents III
the Juvenile court-minors for whom
homes must be found-there are de-
linquents, who, because of the gravity
of the offenses or because of frequent
lapses from goodness, are trotted off
summarily to corrective schools, but
there are leftover" boys and girls,
who often become good men and
women in the highways of life, mere
ly by being given second chance.
case like that of Johnnie Jones,
which came up In court the other day.
is not difficult to handle. but there are
others more intricate.
Johnnie, little curly-headed quad
room, stood before the Judge with not
a whit of penitence in his .sallOw boy
lsh face. His mother is colored and
his white father has long since been
lost in the maelstrom of society
johnnie should work, but he does not;
he should save his pennies, but he
will not; he should do chores for his
mother, but he merely plays.
"Is that all true, Johnnie?" asks
the Judge with fatherly touch on the
boys shoulder. The little quadroon
is touched by the kindness of the
Judge. he drops his little eyes. and
says 1t Is true. es
''If / give you another chance, will
you work, Johnnie-and will you stay
home nights-and will you help your
tired mother?''
johnnie promises to be good; there