Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-12-03
BY ISABEL O'HOLLAREN MAUS.
AN Interuiew With Rer. E. J. Flanagan

You're all right, Peter, and I'm going
to stand by you till the ship sinks"
Peter felt warm, firm hand on his
shoulder and looked into the face OF
his benefactor
Hello, Father. Gee, I'm glad you're
here" Peter answered, flashing his win
ming smile, and offering his rough, boy
iSh hand in hard clasp.
Don't worry, Peter, not one minute,
Father Flanagan went on, leading his
boy to a chair beside him where they
sat down to talk the whole thing over.
Father Flanagan had just returned. He
had called Peter in to get his story In
his own words. They sat there Tor
nearly two hours. Just the two of them
IN the pleasant office where homeless
boys have come for 16 years to find a
friend.
Peter Christopolus, IA, then told, as
only a homeless boy might tell, the
story of his six weeks in the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Jean Strengs in Pater-.
son, N. j., last Summer, and also OF
his hasty return to Father Flanagan
Boys Home.
If Peter had had a father and mother
all these years he has been growing up
he might have known how to become
excited over things. but Peter cannot
remember his father and mother.
When he was only 3 years old his
father. a railroad worker. was killed.
A few months later his mother died
There we're no relatives or 1rlenoS 10
take the little Peter and give him a
home. So he was placed in an Omaha
orphanage. There he grew up. 0u I
Of the nursery into school, FINALLY
out of the school which the orphanage
ofered-the elementary grades and
into rather F1a lar R05s he came
out to Overlook Farm IN tAA summer
u VII get to . 60 to 2os sshoole" was
That has been his keenest des1re-1o
get an education so he can later &c
into business. Peter got to go VG
school. He took the Commercial!
course and always stood at the head
Of his class.
And then, just after school closed
lost sorinp there came to Father
Flanagan's desk one morning an appIl-
cation for Peter-to take him into a
fine home. to give him an education
and TO give him the affection OF
bereaved father and mother. The ap-
pncant was Jean Strengs.
I've saw Peter Christopolus' picture
in Father Flanagan's Boys Home Jour-
nal last January" Mr.. Strengs wrote
I'VE have waited to write you to Dc
sure. But he reminds us SO much OF
our own son Henry We want to take
him into our home and fill this emptl-
ness in our lives. We would scarcely
believe our ewes when we saw his pic
tl1re. He was so much like our oeac
Henry looking at u.s.
, Thus wrote the man who promised
TO give Peter his chance. Fatner ran
apan was away from the home, but Ms
assistants felt that Mr.. Strengs wax
sincere, and after the regular proceed
ure of getting references, it was ar
ranged for Peter to go.
And then the newspapers got the
story. Reporters fell on this fairy tale
with all their might. Instantly MI
Strengs became millionaire. Here was
! a poor boy who had never known any
home, not even the poorest one shared
with a father and mother. He was be-
ing lifted into home of wealth. he was
becoming the son and heir of wealth.
Peter was off! The boys at the home
gave him farewell party all their own
And then they gathered in little groups
to discuss Peters destiny. AS the cal
rolled toward the railroad station zoe
homeless boys waved goodbye to him
From that moment on Peter became
the child of the public. He was met in
Chicago and interviewed and photo
graphed. And when he got oil the
train in Paterson he learned what a
hectic time a public hero can have
| Everything he did was written about
He even kissed his new parents for the
benefit of the public-and ne allowed
them to kiss him for the photographers
Here was boy Cinderella dropped down
to tighten the depression.
But to Peter it was something dill
ferent. His first night in this new home
was filled with strange new experiences
For instance, Peter tells of how lonely
he was alone in his room. He was given
the room Henry Strengs had had. But
Peter had never spent a night OF MS
life alone in a room. He had always
slept in dormitorles Where many otnel
boys were near him.
He was nearly 1000 miles from all his
friends. He didn't know what life hao
thrust upon him. He knew that hi
was lonely boy and would have gladly
gone back to his pals at the home. He
looked at the picture Of Henry Strengs
which was hanging on the wall, ano
wondered what kind Of boy he hac
been And now Peter was to fill the
place in life left by Henry. 1t was
confusing for his IA years.
Next Peter was introduced 10 Life al
a Summer place, to motor boats ane
parties and hundreds of new faces. HI
swan with Jeanne, his new sister ant
tried his best in those few days.
But in six weeks the dream ended
pplir was sent back 10 the nome. TneTl
was no warning that he was coming
A letter written at the time Peter left
New York arrived the night before he
did The same Mr.. Strengs who hae
oil nnn0rfllnifiP.