The boy lived in a bad neighborhood. His father was dead, his mother had no influence over him, he roamed the streets at will, and spent the majority of his nights sleeping in freight-cars. He was just the kind of a boy who grows up along the docks of our lake cities, and takes advantage of every opportunity to steal anything he can use or care for without being detected, from freight depots or cars. This is the class of young men the association has been aiming to reach for a long time. The selling of papers being only a subterfuge for stealing. He was fifteen years old and admitted having done many bad things. “It is boys like you,” said the president, “who disgrace any association, and while no one seems to look after you, or want you, we will take you into the association and the officers will have you under their charge; what do you say to that?” “Well, I guess you have me down pretty fine, and if I wants to ever get a job I must start my life over again.” “The boys will forget this little package act, and blot out all your bad deeds, if you will begin a new life, and I will guarantee that in six months, by the time warm weather comes, we will get you a nice position.” “If I would have known that package belonged to a little girl do you suppose I would have swiped it?” he added. “It isn’t that alone we object to. Every time you steal something someone suffers, and the only way to avoid injuring any one is not to steal at all,” said the president. “Aw! tell him to cut it out, cut it out, he kin do it just the same as we do,” put in a little bootblack. “Yes, but you don’t have to go out on the street and takes what ever you kin carry home, like I do,” he replied. “Well, if your mother makes you do that we won’t do a thing to her,” said a seller, who claimed to own four corners. The conversation ended by the president giving the new boy a membership card with instructions that he must report in thirty days. Soon after he left the office, three members of the executive committee hastened to his home. The mother was warned that “this sending your boy out to steal must stop, and stop quick.” They listened to no arguments, simply gave advice and orders, what must be done, and left. A month passes and the day named for the new applicant to receive his badge, found him at the president’s office, as is usual with boys, an hour before office hours. “Gee, but I have lots of good friends. Some of the boys took me to see a show, some let me sell papers on their corners, but I had to cut out swearing.” The numbered badge was given him. A member of the executive committee who had him in charge reported: “He was hard to bring down to our way of doin’ things. It was natural for him to steal as to eat, and he wanted to give the wrong change two or three times. We licked him three times. He was game. Give him his badge, he’s all right.”