1
1 Ji 17 5r v i
THE BAD BOYS' REPUBLIC.
:
William R. George's System ol Transforming Law-
S les9 Street Waifs Into Good Citizens.
Hy 1. L,.
The George Junior Republic at
Freeville, N. Y., is, perhaps, the luost
remarkable community ever devised.
This extraordinary reformatory is lit
erally nation in miniature, with its
own parliament and laws; Its own
coinage, police, prisons, shops, farms,
newspapers, hotels, banks, etc. The
founder of this ltepablia is Mr. Will
lam R. George. Borne years ago he
became much interested in problems
concerning juvenile law-breakers and
"incorrigiblos" in New York City,
and made np his mind to try the ex
periment of taking them away from
their evil surroundings in the city, and
giving them a chauee to reform in
the country. At tlrst the experiment
was not wholly a suocess. but gradu
ally the scheme of a self-governing
Repuhlio was perfected, and with the
very best of results. July 10th, 18II5,
is couuted as "Independence lay,"
and is celebrated each year.
The smallest ltepublio in the world
is likewise the most extraordinary
and probably the best governed. It is
diminutive in territory, in the number
of its inhabitants, and in the age aud
size of its citizens. And yet there
re few of the best characteristics of
the largest democracies which have
not their counterpart in the smallest.
The interest taken in the enterprise
is shown from the fact that on some
days during the summer they bare
over 200 visitors.
The George Junior Republic, as it
is called, is located at Freeville, in
Tompkins County, New York. Its
citizens are boys and girls, gathered
largely from the slums of great cities.
Most of them have "histories" more
interesting than creditable. They
bave been horse thieves, p.ckpockets,
runaways, and on the whole, very
promising candidates for jails, peni
tentiaries, "dives" and the gallows.
At the Repnhlio, however, they are
soon transformed into independent,
thrifty, law-making, law-abiding citi
zens. The territory of the Repnblie con
sists of about 100 acres of farm land
not far from Ithica. There are ouly
ten plain wooden buildings in the
"metropolis." These comprise two
cottages, one for boys aud one for
girls; the "ltepublio" building, con
taining the library, kitchen, restau
rants, botel and "garroot" lodging
house; the school-house, bank aud
-XHI PRESIDENT (SAIiABY FIFTY CENTS A
WEEK) AND BIS CABINET,
tore; the Government bnilding, in
cluding court-house, jail, Capitol and
postofflce; girls' jail; a hospital; a
barn; laundry aud bath-house; a
carpenter and machine shop. Money
(or a chapel has also recently been
Riven. The land is good farming, and
fine crops of bay, grain and vegetables
pre raised every year. Horses, cows,
pigs, etc., are also Kept to advantage.
This little ltepublio is a government
of the children for the children and
by the children. The citizens are
boys and girls from twelve to eighteen
I age. Those under twelve are
minors, and must have guardians ap
pointed by the State from the older
(citizens. Many of these guardians
mave shown themselves to be wise.
tactful and loving caretakers of the
THE JAIL,
(Each
little ones intrusted to their charge.
When the minors cannot fully support
themss'ves their guardians must look
ont for tbeui, so that tha Stats is not
acumbered vitii their support. Tha
i if '
Plfrion.
total number of inhabitants of the Re
public is now eighty-six.
Formerly, the Government was
modeled after that of the United
Htates, with President (at a salary of
fifty cents a week), a Cabinet, Senate,
House of Representatives and Su
preme Court. Judges, police ofllcors,
and other ofllcials must pass a Civil
Service examination, and in conse
qnonde tho most thumbed books in the
library of tho Republic are those con
taining the penal and civil code of
New York Htate. All tenure of office
is dependent upon upright behavior.
It is the ambition of every boy to nt
tain to the distinction of the vertically
striped trousers. Most of them in
deed would rather be "cop" than Presi
dent. In IH'JO a force of fourteen
policemen was necessary to preserve
order, but now the Htate is encum
bered with the support of only two.
There is, of course, smart little
nrniy.
The position of Chief Justice, Civil
Service Couimissioner,Ronrd of Health
THE 1'UlSO.N OANU GOING
OUT TO
THEllt
Commissioner, Bhcriff, and in fact
almost every prominent civic office
excepting that of Corouer has its
counterpart iu this Junior Republic.
There is even an officer dotailed iu
the early fall to compel lazy truants
to attend school. The representative
form of government, however, was
fonnd to be too unwicldly for so Binall
a Republio, and at the suggestion of
one of the boys a towu meeting was
substituted for Congress as the law
making body.
There are two political parties in
the Republic, the "G. G. P.," or Good
Government Party and the "3. O.
P., or Grand Old Party. Hot are
the contests waged.
"Woman Suffrage" prevails at the
Republio, since to refuse them the
ballot would mean taxation without
representation.
A heavy fine was imposed on cigar
ette smoking, but nevertheless some
wonld often steal away beyond the po
liceman's beat, and indulge in this
habit. Consequently an amendment
was passed which made a citizen liable
to arrest and punishment if even the
smell of smoke could be detected in
his breath. The penalty is a fine of
from one dollar to three dollars, or
from one to three days iu the work
house. Gambling of any sort receives no
quarter from the ofllcials. The first
boy caught "shooting craps" was no
less a personage than a member of the
Sonata of the Republio; and even
though he pleaded gnily, the judge
fined him twenty-five dollars. He re
fused to pay. He lost not only his
seat in the Senate but also his rights
of citizenship, and he was obliged to
dou the ignominious striped suit of a
couviot and break stone at five ceu'.s
an honr. One night Mr. George him
self was 'passing his prison cell and
A LITTLE QUIET ADVICE,
boy uuiler twelve bas a guardian ap
pointed by the Htate.)
spoka to tha boy, advising him to pay
up and get out of prison. "No, I
won't do it," tha boy answered; and
tteu, with tha Hteady wit of tha street
urchin, be added: "I guess I'll take
the small-pox to-night and break out."
Home days laier, however, as ho was
breaking stone, he suddenly threw
down his hammer, throw np his bands
in a tragic inannor, and exclaimed; "I
surrender! .March me to me bank ao
count." When we remember that these
laws against swearing, gambling,
smoking and other vices, with their
heavy penalties attached, are of the
boys' own making, and are enforced
by the boys with a rigor which shows
strong public sentiment against the
evils, we have some idea of the suocess
which bas attended this most interest
ing effort at self-government.
The jail is no playhonse, but bas
small cells with bars and high win
dows, the hardest of beds, and unmis
takable prison fare. Upstairs is the
court-room, containing, among other
things, a trap-door for the entranoe of
the prisonor, an imposing high desk
lor the judgo, and a jurors' bench.
There is also a small space railed off
for the witness staud, and rows of
seats for interested listeners. The
sessions of the court are most orderly
and impressive. The pros and cons
At) r Loqueqt put in tr)
Housf lof ReprtKntativO
WOltK - OliSEllVE
CLU1M.
THE QUAUUd WITH
are carefully weighed; evidence is
called for in the proper ordor, and
most heart-stirring appeals are made
to the jury. Only one case of bribery
has ever been discovered, and on that
occasion the guilty official was im
mediately doposed, and suffered dis
grace as well as legal penalties.
Rut the citizens of the Republic
speud a comparatively small part of
their time making laws and breaking
them. Each must be at work earning
his or her own living. Rear in mind
that the motto of the Republio is,
"Nothing without labor," and this
motto is strictly adhered to, exoept
in case of sickness. Every citizen is
OF Tna ItEFCDLIO
TILE DRAIN.
supposed to work and earn enough
money to pay for his board aud
clothes. There are two adult head
farmers, as well as a carpenter and a
housekeeper, who superintend' tha
work; but tha boys themselves take
contracts for running the hotels.
making roads, laying drains, farming,
building, etc These contractors hire
laborers at wages ranging from fifty
cents to 81. GO per day, according to
the skill of the workman. The girls
are employed at household duties,
and tho minors usually help their
guardians, wages are paid once a
week, aud no favors are shown to
those workmen or Government offi
cials who recklessly speud their earn
ings the first few days of the week.
A coarse diet and a hard bed are the
lot of spendthrifts and loafers.
At first very lenient pauper laws
were passed. Paupers were fed at
the expense of the State, although in
a humiliating manner at a second
table from which the cloth and other
"luxuries" had been removed, and
where portions 'were served like prison
rations. Rut some boys had but lit
tle self-respect, and preferred to idle
away their time and be dependent up
on the charity of the Republio. Hav
ing no ineome or property they were
practically tax free, and it was not
long before the industrious taxpayers
began to realize tha expense whioh
idlers entailed on the State. Finally
a Senator, whose own parents at home
were wholly dependent upon city
charity, submitted a bill to the Legis
lature to tha effeot that those "who
would not work sbonld not eat." The
poor but dishonest were thns deprived
of support. At tha same time, those
who through illness ara unable to
work ara provided with free meal
tiokets. The Wide World Magazine.
Franca bas more persons over sixty
years of age thau auy other couutry.
I "
CITIZENS OF Tna ItEFCDLIO LATINO A
I303003OOO3O00OO0OOOO00000
FARM TOPICSf
ooodoooooooooooooooooooco
Kcantna? a Tmw Oaaaa.
fllnce the feather bed bas In cities
been so largely displaced by the mat
tress tha keeping of geese for their
feathers, and for profit iu other di
rections, is less common than it used
to be. Rut the growing scaroity of
furs makes a feather-filled mattress to
use in traveling much mora desirable
than anything else that can be pro
cured. It should be quilted to pre
vent the feathers from being bunched,
and will last as many years as a fur
robe, which, unless great care is
taken, is apt to become moth eaten
and nearly worthless after one or two
years, (leese can be pickod for their
feathers once each six weeks, but they
need good feeding to make their
feathers grow rapidly. One-third of
a pound t a picking is thought to be
a good yield.
Out fltniiaa.
My outfit for digging ont stones
would consist of a good rugged team
of oxen or horses, a stone boat, a few
crowbars and chains, a shovol or two,
and picks to match, and last bnt not
least a man capable and willing to
handle all the appliances I have
named. Then I should want to be on
the ground to assist and to eujo.' the
operation of removing these incorri
gible obstructions from field and
meadow. Our college farm was nt
first almost too rocky to admit of
profltablj cultivation. Now there are
vory few obstructions loft. The im
provement has beon accomplished
uaiuly by student labor. We are
now reclaiming a large area of swamp
laud at a much larger outlay per
acre. L. P. Chamberlain, of the
Connecticut Agricultural College.
Tim Hrnt Two Muitllis of CitlMmn,
Take away the calves when three
days old, and put tbnm into a stable
by themselves and feod them with
gruel of one-third barley, two-tbirds
oats gronnd together very fine, sifting
the mixture. Each calf is to receive one
quart of gruel morning and evening,
to be made in the following manner:
To one quart of the Honr add twelve
quarts water, boil the mixture half an
hour, let it stand until milk-warrc.
Iu ten days tie np a bundle of soft
hay iu the middle of the stablo, which
they will eat by degrees. A little of
the flour put into a small trough for
thorn occasionally to lick is of service
Feed them thus till they are two
mouths old, increasing the quantity.
Three bushels of the above mixture
will raise six calves. Mrs. II. N.
Porter, in New England Homestead.
Hearing the tnen Ila,
It is claimed that a good queen
cannot be raised excepting when there
is a good honey (low, aud that bees
will not try to raise one at any other
time unless they loso their qneen,
whon they will try to raise another.
The best queens are those reared
about the swarming time. Then the
beekecpor should save tho queen oells
from his host oolouies, those that are
good houoy producers and not
vicious when bandied, and either give
them bees and brood to start a new
colony or put them iuto oolonies whose
queens are not working satisfactorily,
first removing the poor queen. At
tention to getting good queens may
make great difference in the produc
tiveness of the colony. Many queens
are not prolitlo of eggs, laying but a
few hundred a day, which does not
keep the number of bees in tbeoolony
large enough to store much surplus
honey. Destroy such oues as soon as
a good young qneen can be obtained
from a strong colony, as, ber mother
having been prolific, she may very
probably inherit the same trait. In
doing this, try also to add some brood
from a strong colony, that when she
begins to lay there may be euough
nurse bees to care for bor brood. If
she should lay 1500 eggs a day, and
young queens seldom exceed that the
first season, it will take lots of bees to
care for the larva) until they are able
to work.
Illrarllona for Telling T.gg:
The National Rural gives directions
for testing the freshness of eggs. Take
a deep dish and partly fill with water,
then place the eggs iu the water a few
at a time, giving thorn room enough
to turn. If they are fresh they will
lie quietly ou the side. If they are a
week old, they will turn to stand on
the small aud, and the older they are
the higher they will stand up, because
the air space iu tha large eud grows
larger as it grows older, by the evapo
ration of the moisture in it. This may
prove of assistance iu selecting
eggs for cooking, and also for setting,
if they have not been chilled at any
time. Tha fresh eggs will batch bet
ter and result in stronger chickens
than an old egg. - It does not, of
conrse, tell whether the egg is fertile
or not, and this can be ascertained by
examination after they have beeu uu
der the hen or in the inoubatar a week
or ten days. A tester for this pur
pose may be easily made by taking a
pasteboard box such as dealers give
with a pa:r of shoes, ami cut holes
through bottom aud top at one end,
large enough to put a lamp chimney
through. Then a hole in the other
end large enough to admit about hall
tho egg, small end foremost. Look
through tha egg at tha light, and if iu
fertile at tha end of ten days it will be
clear. If fertile little blood veins can
be seen radiating out from tha centre.
If eutirely dark it has addled.perhaps
from having been chilled.
InailuilaalMa.
Uobbs "They wouldn't accept
hearsay evidenoe at tua trial of that
deaf-mute burglar who was accused ol
sawing into Nobb s house.. '
Dobbs "I suppose they limited it
to see-saw evidenoe." Bultimors
MONUMENT TO FRANCE3 SLOCUM.
Cnimnmnnr-itra tti "(Vlilta Una nt the
Mlnmla" AVIiii Win Stiilnn liy Indiana.
With impressive ceremonies and
eloqneut oratory the monument over
the grave of Frances Klooum was nn
veiled recently in the cemetery of tha
little village of Peoria, near Wabash,
Ind. lly this memorial the story of
the "White Rose of the Miamis" will
be presented iu imperishablo bronze
and tha minds of tha numerous da-
FBANCM RLOCCH.
soiirtants of her father in many parts
of the country will be set at rest.
At 1'2 o'clock a large crowd had
gathered at the resting place of the
fanons woman. The exercises were
opened with prayer by Dr. Arthur
Oaylord Hlocnm, President of Kala
mazoo College. The veiling was re
moved from the shaft by Victoria and
Mabel Roudy, great-granddaughters
of Frances Hlocnm. Then followed
an address by Charles E. Hlocum, of
Defiance, Ohio, and speeches by early
settlers of Indiana and other citizens
interested in the strange and pathetic
story of the white woman who be
came socially lost to ber people by
contact with the American Indians.
Frances Hloonm was carried away
from the home of her parents in what
is now Wabash County, Indiana, in
1778. She was a child of five years
at that time. In spite of almost
superhuman eflorts made by her
family nothing was learned of her fate
until 1R:J5, when she was fonnd living
with the Miamis near Pern. She had
become the wife of a chief and had
lost all traces of her English origin
save in complexion and features.
Whon it was proposed that she re
turn to her people she flatly refused
to do so. Hhe had forgotten her child
hood, her language and her race, and
remained with the Indians almost to
the day of her death in 1817. For
several years members of the Hlocum
family have been active in raising
fuuds for the monument which has
just been unveiled.
Carries Water From tlia Wall.
The labor of carrying pails of water
from the well to the honse day after
day soon becomes monotonous and
tiresome, and as the work generally
falls on tha women of the household,
anything'which will lighten the labor
will be duly appreciated. Henry W.
Harless, of Good Hope, Mo., bas
evolved an apparatus by means ot
whioh it is possible to send tha pails
to the well, fill them and return them
to the honse without doing any heavy
lifting, the operator simply standing
at the house and turning a crank.
The buckets aro suspended on the
ends of the ropes, which are wound
on the drum, the latter being sup
ported by a carriage riding on the
cable. The turning of acrankslidos
the carriage along the cable to tha
spring, where the toothed wheel en
gages a cog wheel on the drum to
lower the buckets into tha well and
fill them. Then the motion of the
WATER-ELEVATIHO AND CABBflNO AP
PARATUS. crank is reversed and the pails are
lifted, the drum being automatically
locked when the pails are at the right
height. Then tha carriage travels
back to the honse. The cable can be
so placed as to incline slightly toward
tha honse, which will allow the car
riage to return of its own accord, the
speed being regulated by a brake on
tha crauk shaft.
Tha Slainralnc-Lloor Habit.
Every mother probably admits to
herself that she bad the greatest com
fort with her children previous to the
time they learned to slam doors like
their father. -Atchison Globe.
Tha Boy Who la Saved.
The small boy whose grandmothers
are both dead stnnda pretty (on4
chanos of not,beiug spoiled. '
ni STATE ra CUl
PENSIONS GRANTED.
McDonsfd Bind Cipturet First Prize at Oil
Bolt Fslher ind Sen Drowned Foi tuns
for Westmoreland County People.
These nenslons have been Hranteifc
JoMah Newman, Butler, $H; Nancy iec-
Iier, Tine drove rurnace, $8; Ann
ritchard, Shire Oaks. $8; Sarah Weav
er, lllairavillc, $8; Mary S. Greaser,
Bennett, $8; Aaron Hell, Lawrence, $8;
Levi Slepp, Worthington, $8; John W.
McMulleii, Osrcola Mills, $io; Jacob
Hull, Spring Church, $8; James O.
I.ewellen, California, $io; Kugene E.
Wilson, Ca'nton, $14: Thomas Jones,
dead, liradys llcnd, $(; Sidney Sample,
New Castle, $0; Henry (iraffuys, Shifnli,
$u; F.mma A. Jones, Hradys Itcnd, $8;
Knitna Sc-haeffcr, Kitlanning. $8; Mich
nil Hlnsc, Hillsdale, $u; Martha G.
Cad well, Huntingdon, $8; Agnes For
rester, Prospect, ?8; Sarad K. Iloyce,
Troy, $12.
Last fall Clara, the to-year-old daugh
ter of George V. Ilixon, met with a
frightful nrcident while playing about
her father's mill near F.inniaville, Ful
ton county. In an unguarded moment,
while stooping down under the rapidly
revolving belt, her sunbonnct was
caught, the loose hair entangled and a
moment later the entire scalp was torn
from her brad. Slid was sent to a hos
pital in Philadelphia, where skin-grafting
was resorted to. So successful and
skillful was the work performed that the
girl will be brought home in a few days
with n new scalp.
Two thousand people attended the an
nual reunion of Conner's Hattery at Mt.
Jackson Friday. There were in the
neighborhood of 50 survivors of the bat
tery present. Hon. John O. Stewart,
deputy State superintendent of public
instruction, was the speaker of the day.
The billowing officers were elected for
the reunion which will be held June fi,
next, nt the same place: President, Cap
tain J. II. Cooper: secretary. Lieutenant
James A. Gardner; treasurer, John Dun
can. Lieutenant Gardner was selected
to give the oration.
While fishing in the Ohio river the
ll-ycar-old son of W. II. Hrcitenstein
fell in the river. His father, sitting
near, plunged into the water after the
boy. Neither conld swim. Two hours
later their bodies were found a few
rods below the point where they disap
peared. Mr. Rrcitcnstein was 43 years
of age, and had been a resident of Econ
omy since he was ta years old. He
came direct from Germany.
Five thousand people assembled at
the Dullois Driving Park Friday to hear
the contest between the bands belong
ing to the Western Pennsylvania and
New York Hand Tournament Associa
tion. First prize went to the McDonald
band, which made a score of 9a out of
a possible 100 points. The other four
awards went to the Logan Hand, of Al
toona; Keystone Hand, of Reynolds
ville; Glen-Campbell and Osceola
Hands, in the order named.
Rev. Wtn. Tunstall, of Altoona. who
pained some notoriety last winter by
eloping with a girl and nearly freezing
to death on the mountains, has been ar
rested on information of the girl's fa
ther. William Kitz, on a charge of ab
duction. He claims to have been mar
ried to the girl, and produced a mar
riage certificate from a minister in New
York.
Daniel A. Brisbin, a resident of West
moreland county, now in Great Britain,
writes to relatives that John Hoy, late
ly deceased and a grand uncle of the
Hoy, Brisbin and Grecnwalt families of
this county, bad left a fortune estimated
at $7,000,000, in which the Westmore
land heirs, being the nearest kin, would
share.
The large lumber mills of James Cur
ry & Sons, in Paint township. Somerset
county, about four miles south ol
Windber, were totally destroyed by fire.
The low U between $.10,000 and $40,000;
insurance, $ao,ooo. The origin of the
fire is unknown. The owners will re
build at once.
Burglars broke into the office of the
Pennsylvania railroad and Adams Ex
press Company at Brockwayville, Tues
day morning and demolished the same
with a charge of glycerin. They secur
ed $200 and several valuable express
packages. Shots were fired at the flee
ing culprits. '
John Carmack. a fireman, employed
at the air shaft of Younhiogheny shaft
of the Penn Gas Coal Company, at Ir
win, met a horrible death Monday even
ing. While at work he was either
struck by the fir. or accidentally lost
his footing, and fell to the bottom of
the shaft, a distance of 180 feet. When
found he was mangled beyond recogni
tion. The Beaver Valley Traction Com
pany, the People's Electric Street Rail
way, of Rochester, the College & Mo
rado railway, and the Beaver & Van
port electric railway have passed into
the hands of capitalists who will unite
all flic interests under one manage
ment. New cars will be purchased and
new tracks will be built.
David R. Hindman, of Reidsburg.
Clarion county, was instantly killed
Tuesday by the falling of a rafter which
was being placed in position in his new
barn at that place. He bad just finish
ed a term as county treasurer and was
prominent, in politicj. He leaves a
wife and four children.
The long established banking house
of P. Bentel & Co., at Freedom, and
the Freedom National bank, which was
recently organized, have consolidated
and the new organization will be known
as the Freedom National bank.
Twenty-four drivers at the new Lari
mer mines of the Westmoreland Coal
Company, at Irwin, struck Monday.
The trouble arose, it is alleged, over
the company wanting them to break in
Italians as drivers. The mines are run
ning as usual.
John Wick, Jr.. president and chief
owner of the Ford China Company,
Ford City, and of the Wick China Com
pany. Kittanning. which combined, are
the largest manufacturers of fine china
in the country. W. D. Keyes. formerly
secretary of the Ford China Company,
and others, are arranging to sta-t a
large plate glass business at Ford City.
State Treasurer Barnett says he will
not begin the distribution of "the public
school appropriation before Septembei
I. Meanwhile the State will receive in
terest on the binds.
American.
n.
r