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Show SAVINGTHECIlTLDItEN i y CtllLD-CniMINALS HEDEEMED , AT FnEEVILLB. N. Y.V ' rhe rirelUnt Itefurmalsry Work of ll'io lllatalor llepoldle lmmrr4y,T Haw York IHj'rt, Vnaiif Cillieot Oatsrn 1titnit4, The fJcorge Junior Hepubllc was founded n 1S6 by n young Christian lawyer of New York, who took '14!) "treah-nlr children" out to Preevllio, U. Y., to spend three months. Self-govern Self-govern ment was established In the little lit-tle community, nnd a system of labo.-was labo.-was nrrangeil whereby ineli cbllJ might feel that he w.i etrn.ng h I awn living Ily degree the aihetne txpanded It wn found prartleihl to aiako a permanent home for such of iho children as had no other hone A tho number ot rgnlr rltlien In-tressed, In-tressed, tho number of eutnmir Intent In-tent necessarily diminished, tntll n 1893 the' practice of Inv t ng vDltora tor the summer was rbolished. Mtonwhllo tho principle of ! tovcrnmrnt had taken firm rout In the minds of the young rlt tens, and M -. (Icorgo waa enabled to leave nore an 1 more of the direction of arfalra In fielr hands. The president of the lltubllo la now a bright lad of eighteen who was elected lo tho offlee by his 'elhw-citizens. 'elhw-citizens. Mr flenrge, the fo.tnJer, lo-tatna lo-tatna merely n general overs g it and the title of "Daddy." The goverarro'it of thl miniature ItepuM r la rro!-eled rro!-eled largely after the t lilted State) Government. C'ltlrme over twolvs ycara of ago hue the right (o ro: and hold unite Tho laws are bss-d pr marlly on those ot New Yo-k Slate. but the clllteli hold froquent nte.t-Inge, nte.t-Inge, nt which are passed tnnay jtf. laws Bulled In the needa of the 'onm-munlty. 'onm-munlty. It It remarkable how etevor the little fellow a hnte hsroino In constructing con-structing bills to roott thilr villain needs. A cuitoni house ha lo n established, es-tablished, and a ruinous tariff la tin-potod tin-potod on all unripe fruit Imparled. A store Is kept by certain eltltens, nnd hero are sold nil sorts of things, frp.m randy to clothing. In the early days of tho Hepubllc. n speculative youngster young-ster fresh from New York nequlrid a capital of a few dollar. Lought tho entire atoek of rnndy and prorro'cj lo speculate on the corner thua created cre-ated Others followed suit, and In a day or two there were comers ot e.o-y available article. Mr. Oeorge and hit friends wnlchol tho affair with Interest. Perhaps they hoped In this small society, lo find n remedy for tho speculation In tho big world outside. The children shoiVel themselves fully able to cope with their own troubles. They passed n,law limiting the purchase of Individuals to what was demanded by Ihtlr own personal needa. Notlonir' ro' thJeltlrnni.ftria heated discussion, passed ay eight-hour eight-hour law. Thlt was nt 3 P. M. At S P. M. tho girls who work In Iho rea-taurant rea-taurant formed In procesalon and marched nround tho Hepubllc. bearing a banner on which wna printed, "llnr-rah "llnr-rah for tho eight-hour day!" Aa Ihoy marjhrd they chnnted-You chnnted-You don't git no nipper cny more Our eight hours ended at four) This rained consternation nmong tho boys. A meeting waa hastily called, but after n stormy debalo adjourned, ad-journed, having ucrumpllslud nothing Tho Hepubllc went supperless lo Lol that night. On tho following day the law wot repeiiled More Important than telf-gov eminent em-inent la the Independence, self-reliance and thrift that Hfo In the Junior He-public He-public teaches. Kadi citizen It thrown on hla own retpontlblllty. Work la supplied for cery one. nnd nil labor la paid for In the aluminum roln of tho Hepubllc. Pood, clothing nnd shelter are to Jie hnd In exihaiiga for thlt . - f --" --" . (llltl, I'ltlSONKltS l.NUKIt nUAHI) money. '1 he citizen who refuse lo work mutt go without. II may even bo arrested for vagrancy nnd placed In the prison, where ho will be comiel ol lo work. United State niuimj jr no nluo there. A dollar in the II public currency reprints uu Im 1 1-sla 1-sla value. . An active pollre fori o Ins' res obi licence lic-ence to the laws All tranrg.easor are promptly urr-stcd and broigbt before be-fore th court, which sits In I' e sj.0). house on 9aturdu morning. The Judge, a bright lltl'e Mlow of fl.'tjen, preside with dlgn'i und show a surprUIng knowl-ilite of tegil tech-nlealliles tech-nlealliles A gluuee ut the prisons I enough to cnnMme one lhal the lifo of a Criminal Crim-inal In the lleoim' luuloi Itepubllojs not over pluia.int I'uip im are droued lo striped ticking and conSned la small wooden pens In the Mate bona. They are placed Hi charge ot boy keep-era keep-era who are respoulbl (or them and without whom they never leave the prison They are ted on bread and water aad compelled tn work at dig- clog ditch or cracking itoii. Thtr I art over Mvaaijr-flve Uiya la the Ite-publto Ite-publto and olv lw"it uao-tblrd at t many girls. Consequently, elrl prla-1 onen are not very numerous, and oa. keeper aaffke for them. She tuperla- tends them wherever they go. , Hehool. taught by competent teachers. teach-ers. Is held dslly. Citizen are not mrqpelled to attend, hut most ot then do. and Ihey re paid for their work) while thjfe. There I a good library o? nrrr 2.D06 liooksand an excellent collection, of law ho3k A literary ao-rltty ao-rltty has been formed, and tho member mem-ber tie encouraged to deliver ! turas, read paper and discuss qnes-tldn qnes-tldn at tho weekly meetings. There Is a printing orate In which tvernl boy Ate employed. A bright Utile papefji Jmhllihed monthly. It I managSl onUely by Ibo children. Tha carpenter shop, the farm, the laundry ami the restaurant provide employ-rasnt employ-rasnt for the inajdrlty. Tho work uf the Itcmiullc Is supported sup-ported mostly by voluntary contribution. contribu-tion. Th children' work count for something, but thoy cannot by any mean pay for their own maintenance. They conic from tho slums of th great Jtltles, for the. most part. Many are children Wfeli hivo been arretted several,' nines nnd wcte contldcrod Incorrigible In-corrigible loo bad far Iho reform schools. "We leko Iho worst children ot whom , tho Judge despair fall Founder Oeorge. "thoso who have looa tent to reform school! nnd havo Lotu jUDiir. ok Tin: bhphkmi: cooht. returned worse than" before. To audi our door open readily Wo hivo nter )et had to pronounro n eilld a hupelee criminal. I have yet to aeo the boy or girl In whom there la not some spnrk of good that rati bo fanned Into a tlame by kind, firm, Judicium treatment. Their past hMory It never nlluded In. They start hero with n clean record. Wo aim to mako goad citizens of them to let nil the sin and sorrow of tha past bo forglveu and forgottento for-gottento Show them n future bright with hopo nnd possible C.00J. Thoy learn gradually that It la possible for them to lead honorablo and upright lives, and to win all things that nro good and dctlrable by bonett toll and fl eqnara dealing. It I a work ot pa- H tlenco and of time, but In It result wo believe It lo bo ono of eternity." .BHzahctli.M, Hralno In .Christian "- , aid." """ f |
