The Power of Alcoholic Stimulus on the Laboring-man—Attraction of the
Liquor-shop—Terrible Effects of Drunkenness—Number of Criminals in
City Prisons Intemperate—Little Drunkenness among Children—Great
Effects of the Total Abstinence Reform—Good Influence of the Irish
Catholic Clergy—Necessity for other Remedies—Cultivation of Higher
Tastes—Influence of the Sydenham Palace Gardens in England—Effects of
Parks and Pictures—Open-Air Drinking not so Dangerous—Museums, Parks,
Gardens, and Reading-rooms, the beat Temperance Societies—Few Children
of the Industrial Schools become Drunkards—Comparative Good Effects of
Light Wines—Liquor Laws—Former Sunday Law a Happy
Medium—The Habits of the Germans should have been considered—Mistake
of the Reformers—Intemperance, next to War, the Greatest Evil of
Humanity—Other Remedies than Total Abstinence must be
employed………………………………………………pp. 64-73
CHAPTER VII.
ORGANIZATION OF A REMEDY.
Necessity of One Organization to Deal with Youthful Criminal
Classes—Error made of using too Technical Religious Methods—Error
of Following too much European Precedents—Asylums not so much Needed
in America—Pioneer Work among the Dangerous Classes Twenty Years
Ago—Captain Matsell's Report—Labors of the Writer in the Five
Points—Numbers of Homeless Children in the Streets—Sad Sight of
Child-Prisoners—"The Social Evil"—Mr. Pease's Labors—The Necessity
Felt of a General Organization—Novel Method of Reforming Young
"Roughs"—BOYS' MEETINGS—The Chaffing of Street-boys—Quick
Repartees—Kind of Oratory Necessary—The Lads Open for Earnest
Words—The Meetings only Pioneer Work—Succeeded by more Thorough
Influences—The Founders of the Different Meetings…………pp. 74-83
CHAPTER VIII.
A NEW ORGANIZATION.
Foundation of the CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY—Touching Procession of
Homeless Children to the Office—The Feeling at its Foundation—Its
Objects—To Found Reading-rooms, Industrial Schools, Lodging-houses, and
Provide Homes for the Homeless—Dens of Misery and Crime—Thieves'
Lodging-houses—"Rotten Row"—"Poverty Lane"—Haunts of the Young
Wood-stealers—Hopes of the New Work—Workshops—Want of
Success—Causes—Necessity of General Education, rather than Industrial,
for Street-children…………………………………….pp. 84-96
CHAPTER IX.
HOMELESS BOYS—THE NEWSBOYS' LODGING-HOUSE.
Their Relation to the World, like that of the Indians to
Civilization—Life of the Street-boy—His Lightheartedness—His Moral
Code—His Religion—Few Addicted to Drinking—Their
Generosity—Policy-tickets—Choice of Night Resting-places—Necessity to
treat them as Independent Dealers—First Lodging-house for Newsboys In
the World—Mr. Tracy—Plans of the Boys for a Scrimmage—Their
Defeat—Remarks about their Beds—Origin of the Night-school—And the
Sunday Meeting—Surprise at the Golden Rule—Belief in Miracles—Pathos
of their songs—The Savings'-bank—Breaking up of Gambling and Money
Wasting—Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor—Their Fitness for the Work—Immense
Number of Lodgers—The Influence of the House—Payments by the
Lads—Description of Rooms—The New Building—Extracts from Journal
Statistics……………………………………………pp. 97-113