It is an undisputed fact, railroad detectives as authority, that a majority of the young men arrested for stealing merchandise from freight cars were once boys who sold or waited for newspapers at the stations of our railroads. The officers of the Boyville Association have on file congratulatory letters from prominent railroad detectives heartily approving of the work accomplished in trying to teach the boys who sell or wait for papers at the stations, honesty. One detective wrote: “You are saving the railroads thousands of dollars worth of property and a million dollars worth of trouble.” The railroads who have approved of the work have permitted the officers of the National Association to issue circular letters to their agents instructing them to allow no newsboy to sell or wait for newspapers at the stations unless he is a member of the association and wears, while on duty, the official badge. This simply means that newsboys to sell or wait for papers at railroad stations must not swear, steal, lie, smoke cigarettes or gamble. The trustees, feeling that the good work accomplished among the newsboys would be still further advanced by bringing the National Association to public notice, decided that the expense of sending the newsboys’ band and cadets to Washington, to take part in the inaugural parade of President Theodore Roosevelt on March 4, 1905, would be justified. Correspondence with the inaugural committee proved one of the pleasant experiences, for the recognition by the chief marshall and other officials of the civic grand division was quickly and heartily given. The work of completing the detail arrangements, necessarily irksome, was so cordially conducted that the trustees felt more than ever justified in sending the newsboys’ band and cadets, and the vice-presidents of the various auxiliaries, in order that Boyville could be officially represented. “Sixty-five newsboys let loose in the city of Washington during the inaugural ceremonies would cause the men in charge more trouble and unhappiness, and disgrace to the city represented than the honor gained,” was the public declaration of men who were not familiar with what could be done by newsboys. Satisfactory arrangements were made in all details. To show the activity and self-responsibility of a newsboy, while the boys were en route they stopped at Cleveland. Two hours were given them to go where they pleased. In less than an hour the sellers said: “We have done the town, been all through the public buildings and we’re ready to go. We were treated like reporters.” In Washington thirty minutes after their arrival at headquarters, the president called a dozen boys to him and tried to tell them how to find their hotel(?) from a given point. [Illustration: NEWSBOYS’ BAND AND CADETS—READY TO START FOR WASHINGTON, D. C., TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INAUGURAL PARADE OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, MARCH 4, 1905. _See Page 55_ ]