An interesting study of this question has recently been made by Mr. Dugdale, a member of the Prison Association of the State of New York. When visiting the various jails of the State, he found in one six persons detained for crimes of various character, between all of whom there was a family relation. Upon further inquiry, he found that of the same family there were twenty-nine relatives in the vicinity, seventeen of whom were criminals. Still further investigation developed the following facts:-- Within seventy-five years, a family of 1200 persons have sprung from five sisters, several of whom were illegitimate, and three of whom were known to be unchaste, and who married men whose father was an idle, thriftless hunter, a hard drinker, and licentious. Of this family, the history of but 709 was traced. Of these, the facts set forth in the following incomplete summary were found to be true:-- Paupers, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Years of pauperism, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798 Criminals, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Years of infamy, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750 Thieves, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Murderers, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Prostitutes and adulteresses, . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Illegitimate children, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 No. of persons contaminated by syphilitic disease, . 480 Cost to the State in various ways, . . . . . $1,308,000 Without doubt a complete summary would make this showing still more appalling, since of the 709 whose histories were traced, it was in many instances impossible to determine whether the individuals were guilty of crime or unchastity or not, even where there were grounds for suspicion. Such cases were not included in the summary. No amount of argument on this question could be so conclusive as are these simple facts concerning the "Juke" family. It is certainly high time that our legislators began to awaken to this subject, and consider whether it would be an unprofitable experiment to make some attempt to prevent the multiplication of criminals in this manner. We are not prepared to offer a plan for securing such an end; but it is very clearly important that something should be done in this direction.