The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among ThemBrace, Charles Loring
History
The Dangerous Classes of New York, and Twenty Years' Work Among Them
Brace, Charles Loring
Child welfare -- New York (State) -- New York; New York (N.Y.) -- Social conditions; Poor -- New York (State) -- New York
"Another of the ten, whom the boys call 'Liverpool,' defies description.
Mr. Gerry found him in the Fourth Ward, a few hours before we left.
Really only twelve years old, but in dress a seedy loafer of forty. His
boots, and coat, and pants would have held two such boys easily--filthy
and ragged to the last thread. Under Mr. Tracy's hands, at the
Lodging-house, 'Liverpool' was soon remodeled into a boy again; and when
he came on board the boat with his new suit, I did not know him. His
story interested us all, and was told with a quiet, sad reserve, that
made us believe him truthful. A friendless orphan in the streets of
Liverpool, he heard of America, and determined to come, and after long
search found a captain who shipped him as cabin-boy. Landed in New York,
'Liverpool' found his street condition somewhat bettered. Here he got
occasional odd jobs about the docks, found a pretty tight box to sleep
in, and now and then the sailors gave him a cast-off garment, which he
wrapped and tied about him, till he looked like a walking rag-bundle
when Mr. G. found him.
"As we steamed off from the wharf, the boys gave three cheers for New
York, and three more for 'Michigan.' All seemed as careless at leaving
home forever, as if they were on a target excursion to Hoboken.
"We had a steerage passage, and after the cracker-box and ginger-bread
had passed around, the boys sat down in the gang-way and began to sing.
Their full chorus attracted the attention of the passengers, who
gathered about, and soon the captain sent for us to come to the upper
saloon. There the boys sang and talked, each one telling his own story
separately, as he was taken aside, till ten o'clock, when Captain S.
gave them all berths in the cabin; meanwhile, a lady from Rochester had
selected a little boy for her sister, and Mr. B., a merchant from
Illinois, had made arrangements to take 'Liverpool' for his store. I
afterwards met Mr. B. in Buffalo, and he said he would not part with the
boy for any consideration; and I thought then that to take such a boy
from such a condition, and put him into such hands, was worth the whole
trip.
"At Albany we found the emigrant train did not go out till noon, and it
became a question what to do with the children for the intervening six
hours. There was danger that Albany street-boys might entice them off,
or that some might be tired of the journey, and hide away, in order to
return. When they were gathered on the wharf, we told them that _we_
were going to Michigan, and if any of them would like to go along, they
must be on hand for the cars. This was enough. They hardly ventured out
of sight. The Albany boys tried hard to coax some of them away; but ours
turned the tables upon them, told them of Michigan, and when we were
about ready to start, several of them came up bringing a stranger with
them. There was no mistaking the long, thick, matted hair, unwashed
face, the badger coat, and double pants flowing in the wind--a regular
'snoozer.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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