New Britain herald., 1916-01-01
BOYS CLUB REPORTS 4 SUCCESSFUL YEAR
(Continued from First Page )

menIan.
 Mayor George A. Quigley started the boys on their journey after giving each an American flag which the win- ner had the honor of presenting to Mayor A. Fl Craig of that city. The honor was carried off by the Polish boys. After the race all the boys were banqueted at Walsh's restau- rant.
 Our present quarters are so small that we have not a reading room. This is a great loss to our boys, the importance of a quiet, we'll lighted reading room, where a boy may read and study undisturbed cannot, I think, be over-estimated, especially among the type of boys that frequent the club.
 Fanelon declared, If the riches of the Indies or the crowns of all the Kingdoms of Europe were laid at my feet in exchange for my love for read ing, I would spurn them an." Books feed the mind, develop the character and the mind can no more live with out knowledge than the body can without food.
 Our boys need to read good books, which will make them stronger men, and to shun as deadly virus the read ing that lowers or weakens young manhood Let us remember as di- rectors of the Boys Club that many of the great leaders in the worlds his tory were se1f-educated men. Ex- Governor Hooper of Tennessee tells it himself for the benefit of other boys that he was a waif on the streets of Knoxville.
 The School ChiIdren,S HOme Cardous
 We believe that the value realized fro mour eight hundred school chill drens home gardens last year is con- servatively estimated at over $10,000, and. if the city has divided into zones, and a part of the money appropriat- ed to play grounds was used for chill dren's gardens, taking a part of each day with the instructors to teach and encourage the children, there is no doubt $50,000 worth of vegetables would go into the homes of the chill dren, making their summer vacation educational and profitable. Would this not give greater pleasure to the mothers of our school children to see them bring $25.00 worth of fresh vegetables into the home than to know their boy can run a hundred yards faster than Billy Jones or Tommy Smith, or, that their daugh- ter has gained ten pounds avoirdupois l and brought home the same amount 1 of vegetables than to play basketball l better than the girl on the next l street?
 Summer Work.
 For the past three summers our 1 boys have had their garden plots l sI, o1- the-soil'' movement has helped our socially and financially and the l Superintendent can go to one shop l where three of our garden boys work | side by side, and ask their employer | what he thinks of them, and he will l tell you they are worth their weight 1 in gold. The sunshine and fresh air. l and working in the soil, has done 1 wonders for our boys.
 An aducator once said to a little | boy, "who made you?" The little fellow thought a moment and said well, God made me a foot long and | I did all the rest myself.'' There Is truth in that statement. But listen, | bur agricultural work is helping to make them bigger, brighter, better boys, and giving them an opportunity to make something of themselves.
 It xlay be interesting for you 10 know that in Hartford County at the l present time, there is less land under cultivation than there was fifty years 1 ago, while on the other hand, the l population has greatly increased. The drift of the young element away from agricultural work is one of the causes of the high cost of living Tn our Ichools we are turning out a greater humber in the commercial course Man 1emand calls. for, while the possibilities on the farm today are |
 at.
 ct me give you two illustrations l
 our county a farmer with two |
 dred acres Of land allowed his boy l
 ben years old to go to village l
 by andS work on a grocery team
 S5.00 per week, whereas, he could l
 e $15.00 per week on the farm. !
 second illustration-within four
 es of New Britain, a man with |
 acres of land makes good liv- 1
 and has put in the bank s15OO.O0 |
 year for several years past.
 Visitors Day.
 The young gardeners looked for ward with great anticipation to visi- tors day. The boys worked hard and the gardens were in fine conditions but when the day arrived, the ele- ments were at war, the rain descend ed and the floods came and not a few gardens were ruined When the weather cleared off, the lads went to work like trojans and had their gar dens in good shape for the following Wednesday, August 11th. The many friends of the boys came. Some in autos, other in carriages and on bicy- cles, and many came on the cars Every boy was on his garden, and was delighted to hear the kind and encouraging words spoken by the