The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-01

boys who have come under my personal
 knowledge within these ages. though all
 were not without parents. How many
 other worthy cases came to the knowl-
 edge of others? One boy of IA years
 earned s4 per week. His stepfasher drank
 to excess, and did not like the boy. and
 he was not allowed to live with his
 mother and half sister He was a good
 boy. I tried for two weeks to help find | a home where he could pay board within /, his earnings: 1t could not be found. He
 was finally sent to an old kinsman for 1 home-out of this city
 l Again: A friend of mine was found to have trouble with her lungs. Doctors ad- vised her to leave. Her husband was a | travelling man. She had two boys, aged | IS and 15. She could not find place for l them to board though she would have paid fair price, and she could not af- l ford the cost of taking them with her
 So she was forced to remain at home. Again: A lady whose husband had l been i'll long time and finally lost his
 mind. They were reduced to only fur niture enough for one room; her boy oi
 15 and herself to support. The son earned l $4.50 per week and she served in a de-
 partment store After her days work ! she prepared their meals in this one room, as they did not earn sufficient to | buy enough food at cafe. She could l have lived we'll at the Young Woman's
 Christian association. but there was no
 place for her boy to board, where he would be properly surrounded. 1 Two boys had no parents. They earned 1 S4.50 and S5 per week. One was taken in l for a small board until he could be sent | to school to partly make his way. There must be more who need home. though l cannot tell how great the num- | Der.
 1 There are instances where parents are
 called from the city and their boys are | at school or at work, and it would be detrimental to stop them. Then they are
 left at home alone, to knock about the 1 best they can; perhaps fall in bad com l pany, and the mother would be happy to board them in good home until she re- | turns.
 l Again: boy who had inherited several l thousand dollars had no parents. None
 of his kin cared to take him in. He was finally sent away to spend the summer at
 Catholic school that kept few boys during vacation, who had no homes. I give these instances as illustrations. Should such home be found practical, ard a boy becomes unruly and disobe-
 dient, then he can be turned over to the Boys club to be handled. Again: when 1 a boy from the Reform school is put
  earning his living, he will have the right
 home to go Into, with all advantages be- | fore him. he will make a valuable man
 and a good citizen. A home of this kind | throws "a boy on his honor and brings
 out the best qualities.
 l suggest. further. that every boys | salary be known to the head of the home, ard that he be advised how to use it. l With the schools and athletic depart rnents. like the Y. NJ. C. A. has, a boy with ambition can secure an education ard proper physical training. | I have also talked to some of those who are connected with the various busi- ness colleges. and they tell me that they find it difficult to secure proper home
 surroundings for their pupils who come
 here with the limited means they can. afford to pay.
 In writing this I have tried to make
 my meaning clear and l hope I am un- derstood, as I mean only to suggest such home. for the wiser citizens to think over and discuss: and if they consider the idea practical. I hope this little arti- cle may serve as a small ball started to roll
 15o4 18th Avenue, South. Bell Phone 5s44-J.