Boyville: A History of Fifteen Years' Work Among Newsboys

by John E. Gunckel

To the gentleman this was a revelation. The power one boy can have over a gang of boys ought to be used for good. Such vital energy, such quick action, such nerve and endurance, all this must be used for doing good, for helping each other. My! what a boy who has influence among his fellow companions, can do. If each boy could be placed on his honor, each boy aiming to do the best he can to uplift his associate, trying to correct the little evils from which spring so many crimes, how much happiness, how many useful lives would result. If men would try to instill into the young hearts of our boys, our newsboys, because they are tempted more than any other class, a spirit of trust and love, instead of a spirit of fear and hate and revenge, what a happy unselfish world we would have. Suppose these newsboys, the boys who are so often accused of being bad, would be treated as Christ treated wrong-doers, not as criminals, but as misdirected and misguided boys, putting everything in their way to encourage them to do right. Suppose they were warned of danger, were propped up when about to fall, and personal efforts were made to find the good in each boy and to cultivate it as a husbandman would his garden—pulling out and destroying the weeds, removing the germs of disorder, and keeping a watchful eye over all even until the ripening of the fruit. What would be the result? The gentleman gave the subject considerable thought and concluded to try the experiment.

From the material at command it was surprising how many little good things sprung up where least expected and from soil considered as absolutely worthless. Like some products of the garden, good came from unexpected places.

Taking advantage of conditions and circumstances, the number of friends increased so rapidly that when cold weather set in, over a hundred little hustling friends of the street were added to the list.

Winter came with snow and ice and cold winds, making it hard for the carriers to deliver their papers before the breakfast hour. The little sellers were heard only a short time after the newspaper editions were out, and they were compelled to seek warm places. It was noticeable that the saloons of the city were the only places open to these boys seeking shelter and warmth.

There were several gentlemen in the city heartily in sympathy with the new movement among the newsboys, and among them was a generous clothier who presented, through the gentleman, fifty overcoats to be given to the poorest newsboys.

To select fifty of the most deserving, for the entire hundred were in want, was a very difficult task, especially as those interested had but little experience with boys of the street.

But Jimmy came to the rescue and he and the gentleman began to deliver the coats. When forty-five coats were given there remained twenty boys who were equally as needy as the others and there were but five coats left. How to select five boys from this number was the question.

Jimmy accomplished it.

The next day the gentleman was asked to go into the alley in the rear of the post-office where he met about sixty boys. Twenty of the poorest, those whose names were booked for coats, were asked to “stand in line against the building.” Jimmy asked them to name five of their number who were very poor.