“A man trowed de dog into the river. He tried to drown him. I jumped into de water and saved him.”
“Yes, president,” said the hero, “I thought it would please you to save the dog’s life.”
Of course it pleased the president, and the boys agreed it was a very brave act. This little incident had its effect upon the boy, and they always looked upon him as a great fellow, and it wasn’t long until they elected him to an important office.
It is a noticeable fact that newsboys have a peculiarly natural way of drawing, what they call, tramp dogs to them. Many a newsboy has been seen caring for a poor dog, who had either lost its owner or was hurt.
Sympathy is aroused very quickly. Often a poor, worthless dog has been taken into a seller’s favorite lunch-room and given a square meal. From a boy who jumped into fifteen feet of water to save a little dog, something might be expected. He was watched. At one of the regular meetings of an auxiliary he showed the metal he was made of by introducing the following preamble and resolution, and spoke so strongly in its favor that it was passed unanimously.
“Whereas, It has come to our notice that boys throughout the city, and boys, too, from our swell families, are killing the song birds in the little patches of groves within the city limits, by the use of the Flobert rifle; therefore be it
Resolved, That the members of the Boyville Newsboys’ Association bitterly disapprove of this wanton slaughter of our song birds, and we, therefore, pledge ourselves to do everything in our power to stop boys, whether members of this association or not, from killing, in any manner, these birds.”
In his closing remarks he said: “If we expects people to show us kindness we must also do something what’s right. And what can we do better’n protect the dumb animals. Let us show, what we are trying to get, kindness, justice and mercy.”
A short time after the adoption of the above resolution one of the trustees attention was called to a member, a boy eleven years of age, who was very much worked up over the acts of some of his associates, not members of the association. The boys had made a trap and were trying to catch the robins that made their summer homes in the yards along the street.