Evening star., 1924-10-12

residents or w aShInEtOn Wlli re-
member well the famous old National
Junior Republic. 1t was on the
Willie Newbold farm, near Annapolis
tuow Camp MeadeD Junction. Md.
This tiniest autonomous and once
GourishinG republic, set up in 1899
within the borders Of the Great Re
public. without victory through arms,
plebiScite. special act of Congress or
IN violation of the Monroe doctrine,
10 doubt still owns d small circle OF
:dmiring friends who have a genuine
appreciation of the great work which
IT accomplished in its day.
To the city at large, however. the
National Junior Republic is now
scarcely known, in spite of the fact
that il once enjoyed wide publicity
'Its fame soon spread to Manila,
london, Paris and Vienna) and was
assisted. both financially and morally.
by long list of friends, includine &
scores of the most prominent persons
IN local social and business circles.
in the belief that some readers
know little more of i than its name.
"" recently filled our tank. cranlsru
The old bus. and ratified off down the
Washing ton Baltimore pike in QUei |
of further information egarding the
National Junior Republic.
AT Savage we made i right turn
country road for three miles AS no
passports are required. We crossed the
border of this miniature common
wealth and soon beheId sucl spec
tacie as to prompt the sigh:
Ah. the glory that VS. Rome
Administration offices. dormitorics.
schools. workshops, church. Jail and
more than dozen outbuildingS, which
at one time fairly hummei with the
nj ind t-i, oft
are now overrun with weeds and
crumbling from neglect
IhlS sigh was further justified by
the fact that, in addition TO this num-
Der of boys and other outside aid,
there were at one time working for
the success Of the National Junior Re
public two paid SupcrinteRdents three
house mothers, three school teachers,
a manager of laundry and Il book
keeper-Stenographer a Womans league
Women'S junior leagues OF Wash ing
ton and Baltimore boards Of officers
and manaG einent and board of 80
trustees, including the present Gov
ernor of Maryland, Albert c. Ritchie;
Byron s. Adams. Rudolph kauff mann.
Henry p Elair. John L. Newbo.d. Ad-
miral William II. Brownson. Mrs.
Mary 5. Lockwood, Mrs. William E.
Fendall and Mrs. Archibald Hopkins,
all of Washington
:: !: = x
OF the half-dozen junior republics in
~ various sections of the country
not excepting those at Chino, Calf,
and Freeville y. Y, the one at An
napolis Junction was, perhaps, the
most notable. 1t was the outgrowth
OF success attained by the George
Junior Republic at Freeville.
For several years one William Reu-
ben Geor"e had taken deep interest in
helping boys who lived in large cities
During 1S90-4 he took parties of 200
street waits and other victims of en-
Vironment to the country for two
weeks to Il month, giving to them. on
his farm at Freevitle, ii complete
change of life and a breath of fresh
air in the country. Out of this ex-
perience of George grew his junior re-
public idea. Whenever he attempted
TO make laws for these boys he found
1t practically impossible to enforce
thfm; when he permitted them to
mike their own laws and to administer
those themselves, the laws were thor
oushly enforced and respected by the
bows.
Based almost entirely upon the
principles of the Great Republic. the
George Junior Republic at Freeville.
established in 1895, few years later
had aroused so much interest that
several other experiments of like
character were undertaken. As stated,
tire most notable of these was on
tho Willie Newbold farm, not far
from Washington.
At some date back in the lS9Os Mai
Charles Newbold of Washington, said
to have been fine, unassuming
philanthropic gentleman and loving
father, lived with his family on
farm of 144 acres near Annapolis
Junction.
Returning one day from a squirrel
hunt, two of his sons, in search of
goodies, entered the kitchen of their
home. The youngest, II, affection
ately known as Willie, rested his
loaded gun beside an ice box. 1t was
picked up a few minutes later by a
young white girl. the ilalf-witted
servant of Maj. Newbold.
Look out, you Willie; lookout
I'm conner shoot" she exclaimed. and
pulled the trigger. the unfortunate
lad falling dead on the spot. -.
Everything about the large farm
serving continually to remind them
of their sons tragic death, and still
overcome with grief, the Newbolds
removed to Washington. Soon there
after Maj. Newbold, himself becom-
ing interested in the movement be-
gun by George, generously donated
this farm, in memory of his son, to
the Junior Republic Association.
This association was organized and
incorporated under the laws of Mary
land June I, 1899. Its beginning had
been the in the Spring of the preced-
ing year, when DR.. Thaddeus p.
Thomas, professor of sociology in
the Woman's College, Baltimore, in
vited the former president Of the
board of trustees of George Junior
Republic, Rev. +. Lawrence Hunt, to
give a talk to his students on what
was then a novel form of philan-
thropy Enthusiasm of practical
sort was at once aroused, a COM
4nittee forged, and soon representa-
tives of various charitable and
philanthropic organizations of Bal
timore assembled to discuss ways and
m cans to begin actual operations.
Following number of public
meetings and with the marked as
sistance of both George and Hunt,
this movement to found the new re-
public gained foothold in Washing
ton. In view of this spread of inter-
est, and because of it's location near
the Capital of the great Republic, as
well as it's object lesson to legislators
H4nd specialists in Washington in the
matter or new and better methods of
reform, decision was made to call the
republic national. Among organizers
Of the association making this deci-