Chapter I: Introduction

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The great pioneer in the United States, in the labors of penal Reform and the prevention of crime,--EDWARD LIVINGSTON,--said as long ago as 1833, in his famous "Introductory Report to the Code of Reform and Prison Discipline": "As prevention in the diseases of the body is less painful, less expensive, and more efficacious than the most skillful cure, so in the moral maladies of society, to arrest the vicious before the profligacy assumes the shape of crime; to take away from the poor the cause or pretence of relieving themselves by fraud or theft; to reform them by education and make their own industry contribute to their support, although difficult and expensive, will be found more effectual in the suppression of offences and more economical than the best organized system of punishment."--(p. 322.)

My great object in the present work is to prove to society the practical truth of Mr. Livingston's theoretical statement: that the cheapest and most efficacious way of dealing with the "Dangerous Classes" of large cities, is not to punish them, but to prevent their growth; to so throw the influences of education and discipline and religion about the abandoned and destitute youth of our large towns, to change their material circumstances, and draw them under the influence of the moral and fortunate classes, that they shall grow up as useful producers and members of society, able and inclined to aid it in its progress.

In the view of this book, the class of a large city most dangerous to its property, its morals and its political life, are the ignorant, destitute, untrained, and abandoned youth: the outcast street-children grown up to be voters, to be the implements of demagogues, the "feeders" of the criminals, and the sources of domestic outbreaks and violations of law.

The various chapters of this work contain a detailed account of the constituents of this class in New York, and of the twenty years' labors of the writer, and many men and women, to purify and elevate it; what the principles were of the work, what its fruits, what its success.

So much interest at home and abroad has been manifested in these extended charities, and so many inquiries are received continually about them, that it seemed at length time to give a simple record of them, and of the evils they have sought to cure.

If the narrative shall lead the citizens of other large towns to inaugurate comprehensive and organized movements for the improvement of their "Dangerous Classes," my object will be fully attained.

I have the hope, too, that these little stories of the lot of the poor in cities, and the incidents related of their trials and temptations, may bring the two ends of society nearer together in human sympathy.

The discussion of the Causes of Juvenile Crime contained in this work must aid others who would found similar reformatory and preventive movements, to base them on principles and motives which should reach similar profound and threatening evils.

CHARLES LORING BRACE.

19 EAST 4TH STREET, NEW YORK.

June 1, 1872.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTERS.

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CHAPTER I.

CHRIST IN CHARITY AND REFORM, AND CONDITION OF NEGLECTED CHILDREN BEFORE
CHRISTIANITY.

Exposure of Children in Rome--Comments by Latin Authors upon the Practice--Terence--Seneca--Suetonius--Rebukes by Early Christian Preachers--Quintilian--Tertullian--Lactantius--First "Children's Asylum" under Trajan--Charity of the Antonines--Legislation of the Christian Emperors--Influence of the Germanic Races--Legislation on the Exposure of Children--First Children's Asylums in the Christian Era--Brother Guy--Neglected Children the only Remains of Ancient "Dangerous Classes"--Change Wrought by Christianity--Influence of Christianity in Reform........................................................pp. 13-24

CHAPTER II.

THE PROLETAIRES OF NEW YORK.

Not so Numerous as in London, but more Dangerous--Dens of Crime and Fever-nests--Advantage of Breaking them up--The Unrestrained Vices of this Class--Their Ignorance and Brutality--Dependence on Politicians--Gangs of Youthful Criminals--Similar Dangers here as in Paris--The Riots of 1863--Numbers of the Vagrant Class--Composition of this Dangerous Element........................................pp. 25-31

CHAPTER III.

CAUSES OF CRIME.

Preventible and Non-preventible--Ignorance--Numbers of Illiterates in City Prisons and Reformatories--Orphanage--Statistics--Orphans in Mettrai--Emigration--Effect in Producing Crime--Numbers of Prisoners of Foreign Births--Figures--Hopeful Features--Fewer Paupers Immigrate--Want of Trade--Selfishness of Unions--Aversion to Steady Industry..pp. 32-38

CHAPTER IV.

CAUSES OF CRIME--WEAKNESS OF MARRIAGE-TIE.

Reasons why Second Marriage is Productive of Crime among the Poor--Force of Public Opinion in Preserving Marriage-bond--Weakening of it by Emigration--Fruits of Free Love among the Poor--INHERITANCE--Power of Transmitted Tendencies in Producing Crime--Hopeful Feature in New York--Few Continued Families of Paupers and Criminals--Action of Natural Selection in Favor of Virtue--Vicious Organizations Die Out--Explanation of Extraordinary Improvement in Children under Reformatory Influences--The Immediate Influences of Bad Parents Overcome by the Transmitted Tendencies of Virtuous Ancestors, and by New Circumstances--The Incessant Change of our People Favorable to Virtue--Villages more Exposed to Criminal Families than Cities--Causes................................................pp. 39-50

CHAPTER V.

CAUSES OF CRIME--OVERCROWDING.

Form of New York--Its Effect on Population--Bad Government Increases Rents--Rate of Population to the Square Mile in the Eleventh Ward--In the Tenth, Seventeenth, and other Wards--In London--Greater Overcrowding in New York--Instance of Overcrowding in the First Ward--Effect on the Criminal Habits of Girls--The Dens of Criminal Boys--Cellar Population--Effect of Overcrowding on the Death-rate--Upon the Crime of the City-Remedies--Better Means of Distributing Population--Improved Communications with the Country--Cheap and Honest Government--Organized Movement for Transferring Labor to the Country--Remedy in Sanitary Legislation--Effect of British Lodging-house Acts--Cellar Population of Liverpool--The Model Lodging-houses--Great Need of them in New York..........................................................pp. 51-63

CHAPTER VI.

CAUSES OF CRIME--INTEMPERANCE.

The Power of Alcoholic Stimulus on the Laboring-man--Attraction of the Liquor-shop--Terrible Effects of Drunkenness--Number of Criminals in City Prisons Intemperate--Little Drunkenness among Children--Great Effects of the Total Abstinence Reform--Good Influence of the Irish Catholic Clergy--Necessity for other Remedies--Cultivation of Higher Tastes--Influence of the Sydenham Palace Gardens in England--Effects of Parks and Pictures--Open-Air Drinking not so Dangerous--Museums, Parks, Gardens, and Reading-rooms, the beat Temperance Societies--Few Children of the Industrial Schools become Drunkards--Comparative Good Effects of Light Wines--Liquor Laws--Former Sunday Law a Happy Medium--The Habits of the Germans should have been considered--Mistake of the Reformers--Intemperance, next to War, the Greatest Evil of Humanity--Other Remedies than Total Abstinence must be employed......................................................pp. 64-73

CHAPTER VII.

ORGANIZATION OF A REMEDY.

Necessity of One Organization to Deal with Youthful Criminal Classes--Error made of using too Technical Religious Methods--Error of Following too much European Precedents--Asylums not so much Needed in America--Pioneer Work among the Dangerous Classes Twenty Years Ago--Captain Matsell's Report--Labors of the Writer in the Five Points--Numbers of Homeless Children in the Streets--Sad Sight of Child-Prisoners--"The Social Evil"--Mr. Pease's Labors--The Necessity Felt of a General Organization--Novel Method of Reforming Young "Roughs"--BOYS' MEETINGS--The Chaffing of Street-boys--Quick Repartees--Kind of Oratory Necessary--The Lads Open for Earnest Words--The Meetings only Pioneer Work--Succeeded by more Thorough Influences--The Founders of the Different Meetings............pp. 74-83

CHAPTER VIII.

A NEW ORGANIZATION.

Foundation of the CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY--Touching Procession of Homeless Children to the Office--The Feeling at its Foundation--Its Objects--To Found Reading-rooms, Industrial Schools, Lodging-houses, and Provide Homes for the Homeless--Dens of Misery and Crime--Thieves' Lodging-houses--"Rotten Row"--"Poverty Lane"--Haunts of the Young Wood-stealers--Hopes of the New Work--Workshops--Want of Success--Causes--Necessity of General Education, rather than Industrial, for Street-children...........................................pp. 84-96

CHAPTER IX.

HOMELESS BOYS--THE NEWSBOYS' LODGING-HOUSE.

Their Relation to the World, like that of the Indians to Civilization--Life of the Street-boy--His Lightheartedness--His Moral Code--His Religion--Few Addicted to Drinking--Their Generosity--Policy-tickets--Choice of Night Resting-places--Necessity to treat them as Independent Dealers--First Lodging-house for Newsboys In the World--Mr. Tracy--Plans of the Boys for a Scrimmage--Their Defeat--Remarks about their Beds--Origin of the Night-school--And the Sunday Meeting--Surprise at the Golden Rule--Belief in Miracles--Pathos of their songs--The Savings'-bank--Breaking up of Gambling and Money Wasting--Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor--Their Fitness for the Work--Immense Number of Lodgers--The Influence of the House--Payments by the Lads--Description of Rooms--The New Building--Extracts from Journal Statistics...................................................pp. 97-113

CHAPTER X.

STREET-GIRLS--THEIR SUFFERING AND CRIME.

Hard Lot of A Girl-vagrant--Sexual Vice--Dark Questions--Girls' Vices More Degrading than the Boys'--Effect on her Habits and Character--Great Difficulty of Reform--History of Prostitutes not Romantic--Their lives the Fruit of Neglect in Early Childhood, and of Lazy Habits--Their Good Qualities--Remedies for the Social Evil--Sad Incident of a Young Girl in the Tombs...................................................pp. 114-122

CHAPTER XI.

LEGAL TREATMENT OF PROSTITUTES.

Should License be Allowed?--The Views of Physicians--Foolish Arguments on the Other Side--Duties of a Physician Purely Medical--Objections to License under the Moral Aspect--Bitter Misery of this Class of Women--Effect of License to Encourage the Crime--The Recognition by Law--Prostitution can be Checked--Condition of this Class in New York Terrible--Necessity of Hospitals or Dispensaries for this Class in the City--The Absurdity of the Berlin License Laws--Non-licensing a Terror to Evil-doers--This Not a Proper Object for Legislators--Effect of License in Paris--Superiority of New York to other Great Cities in this Matter Partly Due to Non-licensing..........................pp. 123-131

CHAPTER XII.

THE BEST PREVENTIVE OF VICE AMONG CHILDREN--INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

Public Schools not Reaching the Poorer Children--Numbers of Vagrant Children Twenty Years Ago--Foundation of the Wilson School--The Rookeries of the Fourth Ward--Dance-saloons--Crime of the Ward--Numbers of Wild Children--Efforts to Form an Association among the Rich to connect the Two Ends of Society--All Sects, and those of no Sect, Invited--Foundation of Fourth-ward Industrial School--Description of the Children--Influence of Volunteer Teachers--Their Self-sacrifice--Description of some of the Ladies Engaged--Effects of the Work on Crime in the Fourth Ward--Marked Improvement--Dr. Robert Ray's Services--Remarkable Diminution of Vagrancy in the Ward--Instance from our Journal--Average Expense of the School.............pp. 139-146

CHAPTER XIII.

GERMAN RAG-PICKERS.

Their Quarters on the Eastern Side--Number in the Eleventh Ward--Formation of an Association for their Benefit--Its Moving Spirit--Social Influences in the School--Its Effect on the Rag-pickers--Aid from the German Merchants--A Devoted Teacher--Dutch Hill and the Swill-gatherers--Description of the Squatters' Village--Character of the People--Drunkenness--Faith of the Children--Personal Efforts--Discouraging Features of the Work--Influence of Roman Catholicism--Difficulties of a Protestant--Influence of the Priests--Formation of an Association of Ladies on Murray Hill--Foundation of East River Industrial School--Mrs. Hurley--Her Devoted Labors for Seventeen Years--Attachment of Children to Her--Reform among the Children--Influence of Volunteer Teachers--Incidents among the Poor--A Heroic Girl--Happy Changes of Fortune--Remarkable Success among Two Thousand Children--"Our Failures"--The Beggar's Family..............................pp. 147-164

CHAPTER XIV.

SCENES AMONG THE POOR.

The Street-child--Effects of Drunkenness--A Mother Fleeing her Daughter-The Dying Sewing-woman--Severe Labor--Christian Faith--Changes of Fortune--Discouragement--The Iron-worker's Wife--A Little Beggar--Religious Trouble--The Swill-gatherer's Child--Danger of Ruin--A Reform--Present Condition of East River School..............pp. 165-173

CHAPTER XV.

THE PROTESTANT POOR AND STREET-ROVERS.

Formation of an Association of Ladies on the West Side--Hudson River Industrial School--Perseverance of Volunteer Teachers--Protestant Poor no Better than Catholic--"Muscular Orphans"--Wild Boys near East Thirty fourth Street--Skillful Thieves--Efforts of the School--Transference to Eleventh Street--Dock Pilferers--Success of our Efforts--Need of Lodging-house in Thirty-fourth Street.......................pp. 174-180

CHAPTER XVI.

NEW METHODS OF TEACHING.

Generous Proposal of a Benevolent Lady--Her Labors among the Poor--Miss Andrew's Teaching--Pestalozzi's System--Old Systems too Mechanical and too much Memorizing--Effects in Loose Habits of Thinking--Inaccurate Observation--Children Found Incompetent for Practical Life--Object System begins with the Senses--First Learning of Colors and of Numbers--Sounds Taught before Names of Letters--Dr. Leigh's System--Mr. Caulkins's Views--Words to be Learned First, Letters Afterward--Spelling to be Learned After Reading--Quotation from Mr. Caulkins's Work--New Method of learning Geography--Geography Becomes a Natural Science--Natural History Taught by Objects--Lessons in Morality and Religion given in a Similar Manner--Weights, Measures, and Geometry thus Taught--Definition Learned through Objects--Spelling and Grammar in like Manner--Great Effort on part of the Teacher.................pp. 181-193

CHAPTER XVII.

THE LITTLE ITALIAN ORGAN-GRINDERS.

Italian Quarter in Five Points--Cruelty of the Padroni--Rev. Dr. Hawks--Signor Cerqua--Description of the Five Points' Italian Settlement--Characteristics of Poor Italians--Foundation of Italian School in 1855--Opposition of Bigoted Italians--Anathemas of the Priest--Increase of the School--Mental Improvement--Moral Progress--Gratitude of Poor Italians--Visits among the Rookeries of the Five Points--Dens in Baxter Street--Feeling of Italian Children towards their Teacher--Assistants by American-Italians--Co-operation of the Italian Government--Generosity of Italian Children to other Charities...................................................pp. 194-211

CHAPTER XVII.

THE "LAMBS" or COTTAGE PLACE.

Mr. Macy's Efforts--A Free Reading-room--Earnest Nature of the Work--Self-sacrifice of Lady Volunteers--Miss Macy's Treatment of Colored Children during the Riots--Good Effects of the School in Preventing Thieving and Begging--Cottage-place School--The Little Beggars of the First Ward--Application to Trinity Church--Mr. Lord's Valuable Assistance--Interesting Incident--Reform of a Street-sweeper in the "Lord School"--A Ragged School on St John's Park--Fourteenth-ward Industrial School--The Colored Poor--Other Industrial Schools--The Shanty People near the Park--Interesting Night-school--Efforts to prevent a New "Nineteenth street Gang"--No Children Admitted who can attend Public Schools--Improvement In the Teaching--Superintendent of Schools and Visitors........................................pp. 212-222

CHAPTER XIX.

THE BEST REMEDY FOR JUVENILE PAUPERISM.

Effects of Overcrowding--No Local Charities a Complete Remedy--Asylums not Sufficient--Best Asylum, the "Farmer's Home"--Advantage in the United States--Unlimited Demand for Labor--Best Remedy Emigration to the West--Objections to the Plan--How they were Met--Incident of a Waif--Humanity of our Countrywomen--Method of Placing Out the Children--Difficulties of the Local Committees..............pp. 223-233

CHAPTER XX.

PROVIDING COUNTRY HOMES--THE OPPOSITION TO THIS REMEDY--ITS EFFECTS.

Hostility of Ignorant Roman Catholics--Objections of the Poor--Opposition of the Asylum Interest--Arguments of the Asylum Plan and for the Emigration Method--A Practical Test to Apply--Advantages of the Discussion--Effort to Obtain Statistics--Figures of the Results in the West--Testimony from Great Numbers of People--Wonderful Improvement--Changes of Fortune--The Great Majority become Honest Producers--Unlimited Demand from the West--No Indentures Required--Virtues in both Plans--Opposition of Priests--Our Action Unsectarian--Net Expenses for Each Emigrants--Amount of Returned Fares Collected--All the Pauper Children of the City could be thus Placed--Answer to Prof. Fawcett's Objection--Our Western Agents--Mr. Tracy's Quaint Humor--Defective Children--No Accident has ever Happened....................................................pp. 234-245

CHAPTER XXI.

RESULTS AND FACTS OF EMIGRATION TO THE WEST.

Our First Party of Little Emigrants--A Description of the Waifs--Hard Journey in Emigrant Cars--Excitement of the Boys in the Country--Reception in the Western Village--Their Sweet Songs--The Runaway--The Placing-out of the Boys--The Lost Boy Returned--A Later Party to the West--Eagerness to Obtain the Children--Sympathy for the Boys--The Fortune of the Deaf-mute--A Hungry Child Placed in a Good Home--From the Gutter to the College--Once a New-York Pauper, now a Western Farmer..............................................pp. 246-270

CHAPTER XXII.

A PRACTICAL PHILANTHROPIST AMONG THE YOUNG ROUGHS.

A Description of the Office of the Children's Aid Society--Central Figure--Mr. Macy--Labors with his "Lambs" in Cottage Place--Stormy Meetings--His Influence over the Young Vagrants--The Growth of the Mission--His Humor--The Effect of His Sermon on Stealing--Contest of Wits--His Torments from the Girls--His Dread of Paupers--Efforts among the German Children--His Diplomatic Tact in Office-work--His Letters to the Children Stereotyped by the Thousand....................pp. 271-279

CHAPTER XXIII.

RAISING MONEY FOR A CHARITY.

Sensation to be Avoided--All Raffles and Pathetic Exhibitions Declined--Our Experience with a Concert--Labors through the Pulpit and the Press--Character of the Trustees who entered in the Work--Sources of Income--Mr. Barnard's Bequest--Mr. Chauncy Rose's Great Benefaction--The Income of a Single Year--Different Sources from which it is Derived.....................................................pp. 280-285

CHAPTER XXIV.

REFORM AMONG THE ROWDIES--FREE READING-ROOMS.

They Require Peculiar Management to be Successful--The Eleventh-ward Reading-room--Its Failure--A Reformed Pugilist--"Awful Gardner"-His Career--The Death of His Son--His Reform--His Words to His Old Associates--The Effect of Christianity--The Drunkard's Club in the Fourth Ward--Mr. Beecher's Address--Gardner's Speech--His Influence over the Rowdies--His Theory of Reform--Great Numbers Rescued from Drunkenness--Failure of his Health--Genuineness of his Reform--Mr. Macy's Reading-room--The First-ward Room--Mr. J. Couper Lord--Mr. Hawley's Exertions--The Free Reading-room a Recognized Means of Moral Improvement.................................................pp. 286-297

CHAPTER XXV.

HOMELESS GIRLS.

The President of the Society--Mr. William A. Booth--His Character and Capacity--His Policy in Regard to the Lodging-houses--His Suggestion about the Street-girls--The Histories of these Girls--Causes of their Condition--Their Unstable Character--Their Condition Fifteen Years Ago Hopeless--THE GIRLS' LODGING-HOUSE--Its Plan--Means of Filling it--Miserable Girls who Applied for Admission--Great Difficulties Encountered--Necessity of Confining it to the Young, and Those not Vicious--Principal Frequenters, Young Girls between Fourteen and Eighteen--The Matron--Her Characteristics--The House was not to be an Asylum--Our Effort to put the Girls in Places--Struggles of Mr. and Mrs. Trott--Incidents from the Journal--Cases of Reform--THE SEWING-MACHINE SCHOOL--Its Great Success--TRAINING SCHOOL FOR SERVANTS--Results from the Work of the Lodging-house...............................pp. 298-315

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE NINETEENTH-STREET GANG OF RUFFIANS--"A MORAL DISINFECTANT."

History of the Formation of the Nineteenth-street Gang--Our Efforts to Reform it--Mr. Slater's Labors--Improvement of Vagabond Boys--Reform of Petty Thieves--Good Fortune of a Homeless Lad--Warning, in 1854, from the Danger of these Lads--Their Extraordinary Crimes--Murder of Mr. Swanton--Murder of Mr. Rogers--Failure at that time of our Reformatory Efforts--Renewed In 1865--Lodging-house Founded in Eighteenth Street--The Superintendent--His Characteristics--The Assistance of a Benevolent Gentleman--His Influence over the Boys--Mr. Gourley's Economy--A Test of his Patience--The Ingratitude of Two Boys--Their Improvement--The Reformatory Effects of the Lodging-house--Its Tabular Statement...................................................pp. 316-329