PART THIRD“I AM AN OFFICER OF THE SELLERS’ AUXILIARY; GET BUSY.”“LADY, I AM SORRY I RUN AWAY WID DE MONEY.”See Page68CHAPTER XII.The reader will observe that when Boyville was well organized no boys were admitted to membership except those who sold newspapers or shined shoes. But later, after many years of work, incident after incident came to the president of the wrong-doings of the carriers who occasionally sold extras. Those boys came from the best families and much was expected from them by the sellers. But some of them proved to be very bad boys. The following is one of a number of incidents that induced the president to include the carriers in the association.A very kind lady, living in the heart of the city, and who was a subscriber to one of the dailies, reported to the president; “a boy who carried my paper and whom I owed eighteen cents, has skipped with a dollar. He did not have the change and asked permission to cross the street to get it. I saw him run down the street as fast as his little legs would carry him. I knew he was running away and would not return. It is not so much on account of the money, that I call your attention to this, as it is to correct the boy, and save him from future wrong doing.”She was asked to describe the boy. As it was dark this was difficult.“But I did notice,” she said, “that he had on a very bright pink necktie.”This was the first instance she knew of the boy being dishonest. He had always delivered the paper promptly, never missing a day.“But, a big new dollar was too much for him.”Immediately upon the receipt of this information the president called his best officer and repeated the story.“A pink necktie,” he said. “Let me see, there is a pretty lively little fellow that comes down town occasionally and poses on the corners. I know him. He always wears that necktie.”Inquiry among the sellers soon gave the officer all the information necessary as to where the boy lived. He was not a member of the association. He was a carrier. He was supposed to be good. A dozen boys knew the pink necktie carrier.Following is the official report of the officer who went after the boy.“I found he lived over a mile from the place where he delivered the paper. It was a swell part of the city. When I went there I asked forthe boy. He was in bed. I told his mother I wanted to see him on some very particular personal business. He was tucked up in a nice warm bed, and I hated to disturb him. When I asked him if he had received a dollar from a lady for papers, he covered his head with the clothes. I knew I was right. I told him to get out of bed, and go with me to see the lady, return her money, and beg her pardon. I had him dead to rights for he didn’t want his mother to know what he had done. I went down stairs and told his mother I had some very important things we boys wanted him to do. She hesitated a little and finally let him go. He dressed, and when on the way I told him he must get down on his knees and beg the lady’s pardon; he cried and said, ‘I will go home before I’ll do that.’ All right, I said, if you want your mother to know what a little rascal you are, how you steal money, we’ll go back, but if you want to be a little man, and make things right, with my help, well and good. When we reached the house, we had to go up a stairway, and the boy threw himself on the steps and said, ‘Oh, I can’t do this,’ but I said you could steal all right, so come on. Up the stairs we went, and I knocked at the door. I thought that boy would faint.‘Oh, I can’t do it,’ he cried, when the door opened and the lady stood before him. She understood the situation. She lifted him to his feet. I pulled him back, and said, ‘No, my lady, he must get down on his knees, return you the dollar, and beg your pardon.’ It was a tough job for that kid, but he did it; and after it was all over he said, ‘My! but I feel better, I’m glad this is over.’ On the way he told me he had spent forty cents and had but sixty cents left to pay the lady, so I gave him the money to make the dollar, and he is to pay me five cents a week until all is paid up. On the way home he was the happiest lad I ever saw. The lady said it was the slickest piece of detective work she ever heard of, and wished to thank you and the boys for starting the association.”A few days after this little incident, the boy was brought to the president, by the officer, requesting that he become a member of Boyville. His name was signed to an application and when the officer asked him how he felt after returning the dollar, he looked a little ashamed, but quickly said: “You bet, I’ll never do any thing like that again. It isn’t safe in this city, the kids find a fellow out when they are bad. I’m glad we fixed it up all right.”He gradually paid back the money the officer advanced. Two years have passed since that eventful night, and today the boy is one of the most efficient officers in the Boyville association.The following editorial is taken from one of the city dailies relative to the pink necktie story. It reads:“The story explains how well the officer did his work. There is a lesson for boys and men, too, in this little story. It shows that policemen and jails are not necessary when boys and men know how to do right. No policeman, judge or jury was needed to straighten out this difficulty. Newsboy government did the work. It got the woman her money, and taught the boy with the pink necktie a lesson he will never forget. He didn’t have to be arrested or go to jail. The public will never know who he is. He will not be further disgraced. Now, why do these boys, officers of this association, do this? simply because they are proud of the reputation of their association. They have learned that the association’s reputation is made up of the reputations of its members. They have learned that one dishonest act by one newsboy reflects on all newsboys and on the organization. So they insistthat all members must be honest and protect the association’s good name. It isn’t fear of the policemen or jails that makes these boys honest. It is the fear of their own conscience and the opinion of their comrades. They want to be able to walk along the street with their heads up, and to look every honest man squarely in the eye. They know they are as good as the richest man in town if they are honest. They are learning that it pays to do right, and not because of what may happen to them as a result of dishonesty. If men would follow the same plan the world wouldn’t need its thousands of jails, reformatories and penitentiaries. If men would only feel that each one of them is a member of the human society, association or organization, and that wrong committed by one is a reflection on all, it would save heartaches and trouble in this world.”
PART THIRD“I AM AN OFFICER OF THE SELLERS’ AUXILIARY; GET BUSY.”“LADY, I AM SORRY I RUN AWAY WID DE MONEY.”See Page68CHAPTER XII.The reader will observe that when Boyville was well organized no boys were admitted to membership except those who sold newspapers or shined shoes. But later, after many years of work, incident after incident came to the president of the wrong-doings of the carriers who occasionally sold extras. Those boys came from the best families and much was expected from them by the sellers. But some of them proved to be very bad boys. The following is one of a number of incidents that induced the president to include the carriers in the association.A very kind lady, living in the heart of the city, and who was a subscriber to one of the dailies, reported to the president; “a boy who carried my paper and whom I owed eighteen cents, has skipped with a dollar. He did not have the change and asked permission to cross the street to get it. I saw him run down the street as fast as his little legs would carry him. I knew he was running away and would not return. It is not so much on account of the money, that I call your attention to this, as it is to correct the boy, and save him from future wrong doing.”She was asked to describe the boy. As it was dark this was difficult.“But I did notice,” she said, “that he had on a very bright pink necktie.”This was the first instance she knew of the boy being dishonest. He had always delivered the paper promptly, never missing a day.“But, a big new dollar was too much for him.”Immediately upon the receipt of this information the president called his best officer and repeated the story.“A pink necktie,” he said. “Let me see, there is a pretty lively little fellow that comes down town occasionally and poses on the corners. I know him. He always wears that necktie.”Inquiry among the sellers soon gave the officer all the information necessary as to where the boy lived. He was not a member of the association. He was a carrier. He was supposed to be good. A dozen boys knew the pink necktie carrier.Following is the official report of the officer who went after the boy.“I found he lived over a mile from the place where he delivered the paper. It was a swell part of the city. When I went there I asked forthe boy. He was in bed. I told his mother I wanted to see him on some very particular personal business. He was tucked up in a nice warm bed, and I hated to disturb him. When I asked him if he had received a dollar from a lady for papers, he covered his head with the clothes. I knew I was right. I told him to get out of bed, and go with me to see the lady, return her money, and beg her pardon. I had him dead to rights for he didn’t want his mother to know what he had done. I went down stairs and told his mother I had some very important things we boys wanted him to do. She hesitated a little and finally let him go. He dressed, and when on the way I told him he must get down on his knees and beg the lady’s pardon; he cried and said, ‘I will go home before I’ll do that.’ All right, I said, if you want your mother to know what a little rascal you are, how you steal money, we’ll go back, but if you want to be a little man, and make things right, with my help, well and good. When we reached the house, we had to go up a stairway, and the boy threw himself on the steps and said, ‘Oh, I can’t do this,’ but I said you could steal all right, so come on. Up the stairs we went, and I knocked at the door. I thought that boy would faint.‘Oh, I can’t do it,’ he cried, when the door opened and the lady stood before him. She understood the situation. She lifted him to his feet. I pulled him back, and said, ‘No, my lady, he must get down on his knees, return you the dollar, and beg your pardon.’ It was a tough job for that kid, but he did it; and after it was all over he said, ‘My! but I feel better, I’m glad this is over.’ On the way he told me he had spent forty cents and had but sixty cents left to pay the lady, so I gave him the money to make the dollar, and he is to pay me five cents a week until all is paid up. On the way home he was the happiest lad I ever saw. The lady said it was the slickest piece of detective work she ever heard of, and wished to thank you and the boys for starting the association.”A few days after this little incident, the boy was brought to the president, by the officer, requesting that he become a member of Boyville. His name was signed to an application and when the officer asked him how he felt after returning the dollar, he looked a little ashamed, but quickly said: “You bet, I’ll never do any thing like that again. It isn’t safe in this city, the kids find a fellow out when they are bad. I’m glad we fixed it up all right.”He gradually paid back the money the officer advanced. Two years have passed since that eventful night, and today the boy is one of the most efficient officers in the Boyville association.The following editorial is taken from one of the city dailies relative to the pink necktie story. It reads:“The story explains how well the officer did his work. There is a lesson for boys and men, too, in this little story. It shows that policemen and jails are not necessary when boys and men know how to do right. No policeman, judge or jury was needed to straighten out this difficulty. Newsboy government did the work. It got the woman her money, and taught the boy with the pink necktie a lesson he will never forget. He didn’t have to be arrested or go to jail. The public will never know who he is. He will not be further disgraced. Now, why do these boys, officers of this association, do this? simply because they are proud of the reputation of their association. They have learned that the association’s reputation is made up of the reputations of its members. They have learned that one dishonest act by one newsboy reflects on all newsboys and on the organization. So they insistthat all members must be honest and protect the association’s good name. It isn’t fear of the policemen or jails that makes these boys honest. It is the fear of their own conscience and the opinion of their comrades. They want to be able to walk along the street with their heads up, and to look every honest man squarely in the eye. They know they are as good as the richest man in town if they are honest. They are learning that it pays to do right, and not because of what may happen to them as a result of dishonesty. If men would follow the same plan the world wouldn’t need its thousands of jails, reformatories and penitentiaries. If men would only feel that each one of them is a member of the human society, association or organization, and that wrong committed by one is a reflection on all, it would save heartaches and trouble in this world.”
PART THIRD
“I AM AN OFFICER OF THE SELLERS’ AUXILIARY; GET BUSY.”
“I AM AN OFFICER OF THE SELLERS’ AUXILIARY; GET BUSY.”
“I AM AN OFFICER OF THE SELLERS’ AUXILIARY; GET BUSY.”
“LADY, I AM SORRY I RUN AWAY WID DE MONEY.”See Page68
“LADY, I AM SORRY I RUN AWAY WID DE MONEY.”See Page68
“LADY, I AM SORRY I RUN AWAY WID DE MONEY.”
See Page68
The reader will observe that when Boyville was well organized no boys were admitted to membership except those who sold newspapers or shined shoes. But later, after many years of work, incident after incident came to the president of the wrong-doings of the carriers who occasionally sold extras. Those boys came from the best families and much was expected from them by the sellers. But some of them proved to be very bad boys. The following is one of a number of incidents that induced the president to include the carriers in the association.
A very kind lady, living in the heart of the city, and who was a subscriber to one of the dailies, reported to the president; “a boy who carried my paper and whom I owed eighteen cents, has skipped with a dollar. He did not have the change and asked permission to cross the street to get it. I saw him run down the street as fast as his little legs would carry him. I knew he was running away and would not return. It is not so much on account of the money, that I call your attention to this, as it is to correct the boy, and save him from future wrong doing.”
She was asked to describe the boy. As it was dark this was difficult.
“But I did notice,” she said, “that he had on a very bright pink necktie.”
This was the first instance she knew of the boy being dishonest. He had always delivered the paper promptly, never missing a day.
“But, a big new dollar was too much for him.”
Immediately upon the receipt of this information the president called his best officer and repeated the story.
“A pink necktie,” he said. “Let me see, there is a pretty lively little fellow that comes down town occasionally and poses on the corners. I know him. He always wears that necktie.”
Inquiry among the sellers soon gave the officer all the information necessary as to where the boy lived. He was not a member of the association. He was a carrier. He was supposed to be good. A dozen boys knew the pink necktie carrier.
Following is the official report of the officer who went after the boy.
“I found he lived over a mile from the place where he delivered the paper. It was a swell part of the city. When I went there I asked forthe boy. He was in bed. I told his mother I wanted to see him on some very particular personal business. He was tucked up in a nice warm bed, and I hated to disturb him. When I asked him if he had received a dollar from a lady for papers, he covered his head with the clothes. I knew I was right. I told him to get out of bed, and go with me to see the lady, return her money, and beg her pardon. I had him dead to rights for he didn’t want his mother to know what he had done. I went down stairs and told his mother I had some very important things we boys wanted him to do. She hesitated a little and finally let him go. He dressed, and when on the way I told him he must get down on his knees and beg the lady’s pardon; he cried and said, ‘I will go home before I’ll do that.’ All right, I said, if you want your mother to know what a little rascal you are, how you steal money, we’ll go back, but if you want to be a little man, and make things right, with my help, well and good. When we reached the house, we had to go up a stairway, and the boy threw himself on the steps and said, ‘Oh, I can’t do this,’ but I said you could steal all right, so come on. Up the stairs we went, and I knocked at the door. I thought that boy would faint.‘Oh, I can’t do it,’ he cried, when the door opened and the lady stood before him. She understood the situation. She lifted him to his feet. I pulled him back, and said, ‘No, my lady, he must get down on his knees, return you the dollar, and beg your pardon.’ It was a tough job for that kid, but he did it; and after it was all over he said, ‘My! but I feel better, I’m glad this is over.’ On the way he told me he had spent forty cents and had but sixty cents left to pay the lady, so I gave him the money to make the dollar, and he is to pay me five cents a week until all is paid up. On the way home he was the happiest lad I ever saw. The lady said it was the slickest piece of detective work she ever heard of, and wished to thank you and the boys for starting the association.”
A few days after this little incident, the boy was brought to the president, by the officer, requesting that he become a member of Boyville. His name was signed to an application and when the officer asked him how he felt after returning the dollar, he looked a little ashamed, but quickly said: “You bet, I’ll never do any thing like that again. It isn’t safe in this city, the kids find a fellow out when they are bad. I’m glad we fixed it up all right.”
He gradually paid back the money the officer advanced. Two years have passed since that eventful night, and today the boy is one of the most efficient officers in the Boyville association.
The following editorial is taken from one of the city dailies relative to the pink necktie story. It reads:
“The story explains how well the officer did his work. There is a lesson for boys and men, too, in this little story. It shows that policemen and jails are not necessary when boys and men know how to do right. No policeman, judge or jury was needed to straighten out this difficulty. Newsboy government did the work. It got the woman her money, and taught the boy with the pink necktie a lesson he will never forget. He didn’t have to be arrested or go to jail. The public will never know who he is. He will not be further disgraced. Now, why do these boys, officers of this association, do this? simply because they are proud of the reputation of their association. They have learned that the association’s reputation is made up of the reputations of its members. They have learned that one dishonest act by one newsboy reflects on all newsboys and on the organization. So they insistthat all members must be honest and protect the association’s good name. It isn’t fear of the policemen or jails that makes these boys honest. It is the fear of their own conscience and the opinion of their comrades. They want to be able to walk along the street with their heads up, and to look every honest man squarely in the eye. They know they are as good as the richest man in town if they are honest. They are learning that it pays to do right, and not because of what may happen to them as a result of dishonesty. If men would follow the same plan the world wouldn’t need its thousands of jails, reformatories and penitentiaries. If men would only feel that each one of them is a member of the human society, association or organization, and that wrong committed by one is a reflection on all, it would save heartaches and trouble in this world.”