Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/296

 282 THE AMERICAN JOURXAL OF SOCIOLOGY

In 1887 Mr. \V. R. George, then about 21 years of age, whose home had been amongthe hills near Freeville,Tomj>kins county, N. Y., went to New York City to follow a business calling. All of his leisure time he occupied in making the acquaintance of the street boys and girls on the East Side, in visiting boys' clubs, teaching Sunday-school classes, and becoming deeply attached to these urchins. Impressed by their cramped life, he deter- mined, in 1890, to take a company of thirty to his home near Freeville, where he spent his own vacations in August. He secured railway expenses through the Tribune Fresh Air Fund, and relied upon his relatives and neighbors to furnish provisions. His only purpose at this time was to give the boys and girls a thoroughly happy outing. The second summer 1891 he took a company of 200, all to be kept on one farm in tents, and from that time to the present the number has ranged from 150 to 200, of whom about one-fourth have been girls. The people and churches of the neighborhood responded bountifully with food and clothing, and these were distributed freely among the youthful claimants. Four summers of this experience focused his attention on its essentially degrading effects. One-tenth of the children came there as a " gang," to fight and brawl and ter- rorize the country nine-tenths came for the food and the clothing that they could take back to their parents. From arrival to departure their constant clamour was, "What are dese farmers goin' to give us to take back? " " The woman I was by last year gave me two dresses, and sent us three barrels of potatoes in the winter. What are youse going to give me?" and so on. Here were two conditions for Mr. George to meet, crime and pauperism, the very life and moving spirit of the political and charitable system of New York City and its tenements. And the fact that 200 of these budding criminals and paupers were on his hands made him think. One day he remonstrated with a crowd of them, " Why do you do nothing but beg and demand things to take back with you? You have done nothing to earn them ; they are not yours." A little Italian girl, spokes- man of the crowd, drew herself up and said, " Mr. George, wot