THEL 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 .- 
 
LESSONS FOR 
 JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 BY 
 
 MABEL HILL 
 
 INSTRUCTOR IN SOCIALIZED CIVICS AND ECONOMICS IN 
 
 THE POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENT, DANA HALL 
 
 SCHOOL, WELLESLEY, MASSACH I'SETTS 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
 BY " 
 
 ALBERT BUSHNELL HART 
 
 PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
 
 GINN AND COMPANY 
 
 BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO LONDON 
 ATLANTA DALLAS COLUMBUS SAN FRANCISCO 
 
Ht 
 
 ' > COPYRIGHT, 1906 
 - .tfv MABEL HILL 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 
 619.3 
 
 CINN ANP COMPANY PRO- 
 PRIETORS BOSTON U.S.A. 
 
THIS LITTLE BOOK 
 
 is 
 DEDICATED 
 
 TO 
 
 MY DEAR MOTHER 
 
 459918 
 
PREFACE 
 
 IT is the aim of this book to create an interest in 
 specific knowledge regarding the work of municipal 
 governments, and to arouse a certain kind of hero- 
 worship for the men who are carrying out this work. 
 Our policemen, our firemen, our inspectors of sanitary 
 conditions, our builders of parks, our overseers of the 
 poor, our school committees, and other officials and 
 employees taken together are the guardians of our 
 municipal life. 
 
 These unpretentious lessons have grown out of my 
 actual experience during my years of supervision in the 
 Lowell State Normal Practice Schools. 
 
 Believing that the majority of children are more in- 
 terested in street scenes and actual life about them 
 during the years that they attend the grammar schools 
 than later when members of high schools and academies, 
 where their interests are diversified, I have felt that a 
 knowledge of the principles and duties of good govern- 
 ment should be presented in the elementary schools. 
 Moreover, I have not only found that these young citi- 
 zens are keenly interested in the study of civics, but I 
 
vi PREFACE 
 
 have also discovered that this branch of knowledge is 
 a bond between the schoolroom and the home. In 
 these days of psychological and pedagogical teaching 
 there is little opportunity for parents to cooperate with 
 children in school work. These little studies in good 
 government afford just such an opportunity; the home 
 anecdotes of actual experience serve to aid the boy 
 and girl in their own researches. 
 
 I am under special obligation to the following friends, 
 who have been most gracious in their interest in this 
 book, giving their services to read the manuscript, to 
 take photographs, and to collect data: Mr. Horace H. 
 Knapp, Chairman of the Board of Health of Lowell ; 
 Colonel George Billings, Commissioner of Immigration, 
 Boston ; Mr. J. E. McCarthy, General Agent of Trus- 
 tees for Children, Boston ; Mr. Natt H. Hutchins, North 
 Billerica; Mr. Edward S. Hosmer, Chief Engineer of 
 the Fire Department of Lowell; Mr. Hugh Downey, 
 Lieutenant of the Police of Lowell ; Mr. E. T. Hart- 
 man, Secretary Massachusetts Civic League, Boston ; 
 Mr. Francis W. Farwell, Chicago, Illinois; Mr. Joseph 
 H. Wade, New York City; Mr. William H. Shiels, 
 Street Department, Boston ; Mr. John B. Crowley, Ser- 
 geant of Police, Lowell ; Mr. Edward F. Slattery, Pro- 
 bation Officer, Lowell ; Mrs. Lucia A. Mead, Boston ; 
 Mr. Charles A. Whittet, Superintendent of Parks, 
 Lowell; Mr. Edwin D. Mead, Boston; Miss Jane Bradt, 
 
PREFACE vii 
 
 Lowell ; Miss Ada Locke, Lawrence ; Miss Luanna 
 DeCatur, Westford, Massachusetts; Mr. R. J. Thomas, 
 Superintendent of Water Works of Lowell; Mr. S. E. 
 Raymond, Lowell Gas Light Co.; Mr. N. A. Warren, 
 Superintendent of Middlesex County Truant School, 
 North Chelmsford ; Miss Helen L. Parrish, of the Octavia 
 Hill Association, Philadelphia; and Mr. Paul U. Kel- 
 logg, " Charities," New York City. I am also indebted 
 to Colliers Weekly, for the photograph of the National 
 Democratic Convention at St. Louis; to Frederick H. 
 Wagner, for the photograph of the Republican Conven- 
 tion at Chicago ; and to the Edison Electric Illuminating 
 Company of Boston, for a photograph of their L Street 
 station. It would be a very long list were I to include 
 those who have also been helpful with suggestions. Of 
 these there have been many, and they must accept my 
 
 gratitude in the aggregate. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 4 PARK ST., LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 
 March 5, 1906. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PACK 
 
 PREFACE ... v 
 
 INTRODUCTION . xi 
 
 HINTS TO TEACHERS xix 
 
 I. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT i 
 
 II. THE BOARD OF HEALTH u 
 
 III. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 24 
 
 IV. THE STREET DEPARTMENT . 38 
 
 V. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM' 53 
 
 VI. OVERSEERS OF THE POOR .70 
 
 VII. THE PARK COMMISSION 83 
 
 VIII. MUNICIPAL INTERESTS 96 
 
 IX. JUVENILE COURTS . . """ 112 
 
 X. THE CAUCUS AND ELECTION AND INAUGURATION . . . 124 
 
 XI THE TOWN MEETING 142 
 
 XII. THE VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION .... 154 
 
 XIII. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION . . . . . 168 
 
 XIV. THE NATIONAL CONVENTION 186 
 
 XV. THE PEACE MOVEMENT 197 
 
 APPENDIX A Topics : Bibliography 209 
 
 APPENDIX B Glossary 220 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 NOTHING is more important to the American boy and 
 girl than correct impressions of the character, purpose, 
 and workings of the government in the midst of which 
 they live. Reading, writing, and ciphering, which were 
 the staple of the old-fashioned schools and which some 
 people think the sole purpose of education, are really 
 only means to an end : their service is to make it pos- 
 sible to learn to communicate and to record. The real 
 education tries to prepare people to take their place in 
 the communities in which they live. Certainly the justi- 
 fication of public schools must be that they fulfill the 
 public purpose of improving the condition of the com- 
 munity which makes sacrifices to keep the schools going. 
 
 Every good teacher and every good superintendent 
 recognizes this duty of the schools and is familiar with 
 the difficulty of the process. Government in itself is an 
 abstract conception ; not much easier to grasp than a 
 conception of space or number. Government is exceed- 
 ingly complex, especially in a federation like ours, where 
 almost every child is subject to the jurisdiction of local, 
 county, state, and national authorities, to say nothing of 
 
 xi 
 
xii INTRODUCTION 
 
 the distribution of governing powers between lawmakers, 
 executors of law, and the courts. 
 
 Furthermore, so long as people are clothed, fed, and 
 protected in life and property, the greater part of them 
 are willing to accept these blessings without troubling 
 their minds as to just how they come by them. People 
 accept government much as they do the weather, in- 
 different to sunshine and content to grumble if it storms. 
 Inasmuch, however, as the intelligent public rightfully 
 demands that children shall know something of the 
 vague and mysterious thing which we call "government," 
 and inasmuch as it deeply concerns every human being, 
 some sort of teaching of government is essential. In 
 the high schools there can be formal instruction with 
 detailed text-books, and a similar kind of teaching can 
 be applied with more elementary books in the higher 
 grammar grades ; but, throughout, the subject will have 
 no more life and actuality in the mind than the old- 
 fashioned "fourteen weeks' course in geology," unless 
 the subject is made specific. No child can be interested 
 in the government of abstract units; every intelligent 
 child can be and is to a certain degree interested in his 
 own government. 
 
 The successful method of teaching the subject, 
 therefore, must be practical, specific, and illustrated by 
 the everyday experience of those who are taught; with 
 such a purpose in view Miss Hill has prepared this 
 
INTRODUCTION xiii 
 
 volume, which is intended to bring the pupil into per- 
 sonal relation with the governmental atmosphere which 
 surrounds him and which he breathes in without know- 
 ing it. The truth is that children all have some ideas 
 about government, however uncertain, vague, and one- 
 sided. The child of a mayor will certainly have some 
 positive beliefs as to the necessity of executive power in 
 the city; the son of an alderman imbibes notions as to 
 the necessity of a check upon the city executive ; while 
 the child of a policeman or of a teacher or of a water 
 inspector will look upon the "city" as something to 
 defend and protect. To utilize these odds and ends of 
 contact with government, so that every child may make 
 his first-hand information available for the others, and so 
 that there may be something like a consistent view of 
 the whole machinery of government, means to put the 
 teaching of civics upon a new footing. 
 
 Miss Hill's method is simple and effective; it is, by 
 a succession of short stories describing the make-up and 
 the working of various institutions, to arouse interest and 
 to lead to extension of the children's previous knowl- 
 edge. She has had in mind, not to cover the whole 
 ground, but to take those sides of the American govern- 
 ments that most easily lend themselves to such treatment. 
 Hence the first seven stories are accounts of some of 
 the most striking functions of government, leaving the 
 organization of the state till later. Miss Hill's experi- 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION 
 
 ence has shown her that one of the most fruitful sources 
 of interest in government is to call the attention of the 
 children to things all about them. One would not 
 expect to find anything thrilling in the " Police Depart- 
 ment," the "Fire Department," the "Street Depart- 
 ment," and the " Park Commission," yet these stories are 
 interesting to the adult, and will be so to the children 
 precisely because they reveal what to youngsters is a 
 novel idea ; namely, that policemen, firemen, street 
 sweepers, and park laborers are all parts of one 
 great system, the object of which is the public welfare ; 
 and that it is not only a pleasure to know something of 
 the details of these departments, it is also a duty. As a 
 matter of fact, the child is much better acquainted with 
 the policeman on his beat, the fire-engine house around 
 the corner, and the street cleaner than are his elders ; 
 and he is more likely to establish with these public 
 servants chains of acquaintance which will lead to in- 
 formation that does not often come to the ken of the 
 tax-payer. 
 
 A little farther from ordinary knowledge, yet equally 
 subject to inquiry, and full of surprising interest, are the 
 stories on " Board of Health," " Overseers of the Poor," 
 and "School Committee," all of which fit into the sys- 
 tem of dealing with government at first hand. 
 
 The two stones on " Village Improvement Associa- 
 tion " and " Municipal Interests " bring out the differ- 
 
INTRODUCTION xv 
 
 ence between rural and urban problems and their 
 adjustments. The three stories on the " Town Meet- 
 ing," " The Caucus, Election, and Inauguration," and 
 the "National Convention" set forth the various methods 
 of putting candidates before voters. The story on " Im- 
 migration and Naturalization " illustrates the general 
 subject of the character of our population, the race 
 element entering into it, while the problem of the pro- 
 cess of assimilation is suggested. The discussion of 
 the " Juvenile Court " is well worth while because of the 
 lesson of responsibility which it teaches. Here, as 
 throughout the group of stories, Miss Hill does not 
 look for the seamy side of government. She does not 
 describe in detail the tricks and frauds which are, un- 
 happily, too familiar to all of us, but she does not blink 
 them or ignore them. A healthy part of the whole 
 book is its insistence upon the principle that American 
 government is intended for the use and benefit of the 
 governed, and that those who convert it to any private 
 uses are taking something which does not belong to 
 them. 
 
 As has been already pointed out in this introduction, 
 the stories in government are illustrations. They pre- 
 sume that the teacher who uses them is interested in 
 the subject and believes in its teaching value. They 
 assume also that school children are wide-awake and in 
 general delighted to discover that their studies have a 
 
xvi INTRODUCTION 
 
 personal connection with the world around them. These 
 two expectations are so frequently realized in American 
 schools that this book seems likely to serve a useful 
 purpose in the development of the study of government. 
 
 Following each story are informal questions, not upon 
 the story, but upon the things which the story suggests 
 as a line of thought ; they are, for the greater part, 
 answerable either from personal experience or from the 
 ordinary compilations, such as the political almanacs, 
 newspapers, and reports of departments. Wherever 
 there is a school library, even a small one, or a public 
 library, some of these materials are sure to be available. 
 These informal questions suggest, moreover, other ques- 
 tions, which in turn may be worked out by the children 
 without other materials for assistance than the talks of 
 the teacher and the common handbooks. Many of these 
 questions a child would naturally carry to his own home, 
 and the personal cooperation of parent and child upon 
 such questions- as immigration, naturalization, boards of 
 health, and the like, will lead to still further interest and 
 intelligence. 
 
 The vocabulary of terms, presumably unfamiliar to all 
 school children, but in part known to many of them, 
 contains the words essential for understanding the 
 study of the department under discussion. As a matter 
 of fact, the terms of politics and government are most 
 of them used in the newspapers, and will not strike 
 
INTRODUCTION xvii 
 
 children as uncanny even when they are novel ; but it 
 is of great importance that they should be made clear 
 by discussion in the class, for everybody knows how 
 easy it is for children to go on using phrases without 
 a glimmer of the meaning; as in the case of the school- 
 boy who declared that President Monroe informed the 
 nations of Europe that America was " no longer open 
 to civilization." Doubtless " civilization " meant as 
 much to that child as " colonization." 
 
 Following the Vocabulary are statements of the agen- 
 cies of government and their various functions. These 
 official terms and duties are meant to bring out clearly 
 the fact that the police, for instance, do not administer 
 themselves, but are under the direction of various au- 
 thorities and called upon to perform a variety of 
 duties. These officials and functions are in many cases 
 already familiar to children, and if not they can easily 
 be made plain to them. These definitions, however, are, 
 like the stories, only introductory or suggestive in the 
 work of the volume. Each chapter is meant to create 
 a desire for investigation which shall expand both the 
 knowledge and the interest of the child. 
 
 The Appendix contains questions for further investi- 
 gation. These questions require additional search into 
 books or, still better, more inquiry from parents, friends, 
 and public officials. Such, for instance, is the question 
 of the actual cost of the fire department in any city; 
 
xviii INTRODUCTION 
 
 the question whether it is a common thing for parks to 
 include a zoological garden ; whether cities ought to 
 keep up commercial high schools, and so on. In prac- 
 tice, it seems likely that questions of this kind, which 
 set children to looking about them and consulting their 
 elders and using the official reports of their towns or 
 cities or villages, are likely to be one of the most fruitful 
 parts of this system of teaching ; for they not only 
 awaken interest, but a sense of the responsibility for 
 their own government, of the joint ownership of public 
 property, and of the influence of the voters upon admin- 
 istrative policies. 
 
 Finally, in the Appendix is added for each chapter a 
 brief bibliography of the subject, referring first of all to a 
 few available text-books which give in more precise form 
 the kind of information which is set forth in the stories. 
 To make the system efficient, there should be a little 
 collection of such books at the disposal of pupils, and of 
 course it will be an advantage to include the larger 
 descriptive books on American government. But the 
 principle of these Lesson Stories is to deal not with words 
 or printed statements, but with living men, and the things 
 every day being done for that is what Government 
 means. 
 
 ALBERT BUSHNELL HART 
 
 19 CRAIGIE ST., CAMBRIDGE, MASS., 
 January, 1906. 
 
HINTS TO TEACHERS 
 
 THIS informal course in civics is meant to be suggestive. 
 The purpose of the stories is to create an interest which will 
 lead both children and teacher to relate other stories and anec- 
 dotes. The informal questions following the stories ought to 
 prompt many further questions with special reference to the 
 city or town in which the text-book is being used. The vocabu- 
 lary of technical words and official terms and duties of officers 
 of departments should be discussed in class with quick reference 
 to the glossary when necessary. Out of the conversation over 
 these words clearer definitions than can possibly be 'given in 
 the glossary will be offered by the boys and girls themselves, 
 because through their intimate or even casual street knowledge 
 of many of the terms they will be able to explain the words in 
 full before the class. These chapters cannot necessarily repre- 
 sent the life in any one city or town ; therefore the teacher will 
 need to draw a contrast between the actual work of her city or 
 town and the situation discussed in the story itself or in the 
 questions following the story. Conditions in very large cities 
 or in very small towns will be quite unlike anything treated in 
 these chapters. The text, however, will arouse comment, and 
 comment should lead to interest in these matters. 
 
 In the Appendix there will be found further questions for 
 investigation and bibliographical lists of books. This more 
 advanced work ought to be of help to the teachers as well as 
 to the pupils where civil government text-books are at the 
 teacher's command, either in the schoolroom or in the public 
 library. These questions for further investigation are sug- 
 
xx HINTS TO TEACHERS 
 
 gested as special work for individual pupils, to be treated as 
 subjects for written compositions or formal recitations before 
 the class. There should be careful preparation of these topics, 
 the teacher guiding the pupils in the collection of material 
 from the reference books. 
 
 In our own city it has been possible for us to interest the 
 government officials in the work of these schools to such an 
 extent that we not only have access to printed reports and 
 photographs, but in some cases members of the city govern- 
 ment and city committees have given their time to talk to the 
 children themselves. When I have sent a committee of boys 
 to the city hall or a committee of girls to individual members of 
 the departments in orcfer that they might report to the rest of 
 the class something very definite in regard to municipal interests, 
 we have been met with a most hearty cooperation from these 
 departments and individual members. 
 
 Out of these investigations the children have written stories, 
 both original and anecdotal. Boys have brought in plans re- 
 garding the cost of city expenditures ; girls have reported their 
 visits to the parks, often suggesting what might be done in the 
 future to beautify our public squares and unreclaimed land, as 
 well as reporting what is being done at the present time. 
 
 In connection with political questions there need be no politi- 
 cal rivalry whatsoever. Teachers and children alike know that 
 both great parties are necessary, and when at their best both 
 parties are working for the interests of the country. If Ameri- 
 can history has previously been made a part of the school course, 
 civil government can be studied more effectively. Present 
 political situations in municipal life have grown out of the his- 
 torical background. Again, if local history is part of the 
 school programme, present municipal life can be more intelli- 
 gently interpreted with the knowledge of a city's or town's 
 inheritance. 
 
' 
 
 LESSONS FOR 
 
 JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 A POLICE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 JERRY O'CONNOR, the police officer on duty in our 
 ward, liked my father's plan for me to study good gov- 
 ernment by personal investigation. So the first after- 
 noon when he had leisure, he told me about the duties 
 of a policeman ; and now I think our city protectors are 
 as heroic as real soldiers. 
 
 First, Jerry told me that years ago when he was a 
 young man and had become a "supernumerary," or was 
 put on a beat for the first time, he had nothing to help 
 him learn beforehand how to fulfill his duty. Now, 
 
.2 . ... ^ LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 however, the policeman is supplied with a text-book, 
 called a Police Manual. Still, the most important way 
 for a policeman or anybody else to learn, is by expe- 
 rience, which is gained by doing things as they come 
 along day by day. The policeman begins by knowing 
 his own beat and by planning how to overcome what- 
 ever difficulties may arise on his tour. During much 
 of his time throughout the day he seems only to be 
 standing around; yet he is really studying the faces of 
 the people as they pass him, and watching groups of 
 idlers. He soon learns to classify people by their faces. 
 Jerry says that he sometimes stands for an hour in one 
 place; and hundreds of people pass him without needing 
 attention. Then will come along a man who will have 
 something in his expression which makes the officer 
 suspicious. He slowly follows this man, not openly but 
 quietly, keeping his eyes upon him, dogging his steps, 
 until he is sure that the man's intention is evil, that he 
 is planning some wrong deed or has already committed 
 some crime. It is then the policeman's duty to confront 
 the suspected person, ring for a patrol or notify other 
 policemen, and carry the man to the police station. At 
 headquarters such a person is booked as a "suspicious 
 person." 
 
 Jerry says the policeman must be a student of human 
 nature, and cannot be successful unless he can quickly 
 recognize character by outside appearances. 
 
A POLICE DEPARTMENT STORY 3 
 
 A policeman has many other very responsible duties. 
 For instance, at night, and at other times, too, of course, 
 he must watch unoccupied houses. I can see now why 
 father does not worry more about our home when we 
 are away for the summer holidays. 
 
 THE PATROL WAGON AND POLICEMEN 
 
 Jerry told me of the curious accidents that often 
 happen to policemen on their beats, before they know 
 just how things are situated around private dwellings. 
 Sometimes the accidents are serious, as when clothes- 
 lines are left out, and, stiff with frost on a winter's 
 night, cut a man's face, if he runs into them, as 
 deeply as if they were made of wire. Policeman Shaw 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 is still limping from the effects of a fall through an 
 
 open trap door. 
 
 When the policeman smells smoke, his first duty is to 
 
 locate the fire, then awaken the inmates of the house, 
 
 and hasten to the fire-alarm box if the fire proves serious. 
 
 In thickly settled quarters, where many tenants occupy 
 
 one building, the police often 
 perform heroic deeds by res- 
 cuing from remote bedrooms 
 the sleeping occupants who 
 might otherwise die of suffo- 
 cation. 
 
 What I enjoyed most in 
 Jerry's story was his expla- 
 nation of "instinctive dictation." 
 He explained that the police- 
 man often feels within him 
 that something is wrong in a 
 particular place on his beat, 
 even when he has no real 
 reason for this feeling. This 
 instinct, if followed, almost 
 invariably finds some one or 
 something in trouble. Jerry 
 himself has had a great many 
 
 wonderful experiences. His own last dictation occurred 
 
 only a week ago at the time of the big snowstorm. He 
 
 AT THE SIGNAL Box 
 
A POLICE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 5 
 
 and Hiram Shaw met at Tower's Corner on their 
 way to the station. The work for the night had 
 been done, and yet Jerry said, " I don't know why, 
 Hiram, but I feel there may be something wrong 
 up at the South Common." Jerry knew that if he 
 
 INTERIOR OF A POLICE STATION 
 
 returned to the South Common he must retrace his 
 steps to the extreme point of the beat. Hiram attempted 
 to put the thought out of Jerry's mind. " Nobody 
 is out after twelve on that beat; besides, it's time to 
 report." But Jerry had already rung in his half-hour 
 signal, and he told Hiram to explain matters at the 
 station house. 
 
6 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Jerry hastened to the South Common. The moment 
 he entered the gates he saw tracks in the newly fallen 
 snow. The wind blew in a hurricane across the great 
 
 park, but as he 
 pushed on he 
 could see halfway 
 across the Com- 
 mon a man's form 
 lying in the snow. 
 A moment later 
 and Jerry found 
 that his instinct 
 had not been in 
 vain ; an office clerk 
 from a hotel, who 
 had cut an artery in his hand and was staggering 
 home, had attempted to push his way across the park. 
 But for Jerry's " instinctive dictation " the man would 
 probably have lost his life. 
 
 Very often a crime is planned by several people. 
 When there is evidence of such a " gang," two or three 
 policemen will get together before making a raid. 
 Usually, however, each policeman is alone most of the 
 night. As he goes up and down the city streets he 
 must try the shop doors. When a policeman finds a 
 door unlocked, it is his unpleasant duty to enter and 
 discover if there are burglars within. It must be very 
 
 THE MOUNTED POLICEMAN 
 
A POLICE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 lonesome going through a great empty store expecting 
 to find a desperate man who may, if confronted, attack 
 the policeman in order to escape. 
 
 Some of the pleasanter duties of the policeman are, 
 the care he has of old people and cripples, as they cross 
 the highways or attempt to get upon street cars, restor- 
 ing lost children who are sometimes so terror-stricken 
 that they cannot even remember their names, directing 
 strangers to the right localities, and recovering stolen 
 property. Day in and day out the policeman's life must 
 be a very busy one ; and in most cases, as the jingle in 
 the " Pirates of Penzance " puts it, " the policeman's 
 life is not a happy 
 one." 
 
 Jerry told me many 
 anecdotes about the 
 work of policemen dur- 
 ing great crowds and 
 parades, and about bur- 
 glaries and fires, which 
 were very exciting. 
 When he had finished 
 he said, " Whenever 
 you see a man with a blue suit and brass buttons, 
 remember that it is his constant vigilance by day and 
 night which makes the city a safe place for men, women, 
 and little children." 
 
 A SQUAD OF POLICEMEN STARTING OUT 
 UPON THEIR DUTIES 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 A POLICE PRECINCT HOUSE 
 
 What other duties can you think of in the policeman's 
 daily life which show that he must be brave and judi- 
 cious ? 
 
 How are the police appointed in your city? 
 
 Why is it so imperative that the policeman notify 
 headquarters that he is on his round of duty by ringing 
 in a private alarm ? 
 
 How does he assist personally the other departments 
 as he goes about on his patrol ? 
 
 A policeman has the right of self-defense when 
 assaulted or about to be assaulted. , Why "is this wise? 
 
 Is a policeman always a policeman ? That is, when 
 off duty can he act as a policeman and arrest a person 
 committing a misdemeanor? 
 
A POLICE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 How can boys and girls make themselves useful to 
 the police force ? 
 
 For one week 
 notice especially if 
 there is any oppor- 
 tunity for you to 
 be of use to this 
 department. Do 
 not hunt for it, but 
 see if it does not 
 develop. 
 
 Why should the 
 exact truth be told 
 an officer when 
 children report sus- 
 picious cases ? 
 
 Some children 
 are very thought- 
 less, and sometimes become nuisances to the police 
 force. How can we overcome such an attitude among 
 children ? 
 
 Why should we not become friendly with the police- 
 man at the park, or swimming pool, or on our home beat ? 
 He is a very interesting man as well as an officer of the 
 law ; he can help us when we are in danger. 
 
 Has the policeman ever been of personal service to 
 any of you ? 
 
 POLICEMEN PROTECTING PROPERTY RUINED 
 BY EXPLOSION AND FIRE 
 
IO 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 THE GUARDIANS OF OUR CITY 
 
 VOCABULARY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 
 
 law 
 
 police 
 
 warrant 
 
 arrest 
 
 misdemeanor 
 
 felony 
 
 treason 
 
 criminal 
 
 trial 
 
 constable 
 
 sheriff 
 
 beat 
 
 witness 
 
 complaint 
 
 court 
 
 verdict 
 
 bail 
 
 appeal 
 
 judgment 
 
 execution of warrant 
 
 serving a warrant 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 
 
 Board of Police : The officials who manage the department. 
 Superintendent : The official who supervises the work of the department 
 Captain : The officer in charge of the patrolmen. 
 Lieutenant : The officer in charge of the routes. 
 Sergeant : The officer in charge of the men on the routes. 
 Patrolmen : The officers responsible for keeping peace in the city. 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 
 
 "WHEN I get to be a man I shall be a doctor." 
 
 " I shan't ; I shall be a politician and work for my 
 city." 
 
 " But a doctor can save so many lives and make so 
 many people happy." 
 
 " Yes, but if you belong to the city government you 
 can do a great many things to prevent sickness. My 
 father said this very morning that the Board of Health 
 prevented more disease than all the doctors in the city 
 could possibly take care of, if there were not such 
 a department." 
 
 The two boys who were thus discussing their future 
 occupations and their future usefulness to the world, 
 
 ii 
 
12 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 were sitting on the steps of the school porch. The 
 janitor had locked the doors, but the boys were loiter- 
 ing in the pleasant warmth of the October sunshine, soft 
 and hazy and shifting, as it lay aslant the school garden, 
 where autumn flowers blossomed gayly because of the 
 spring's work by the school children. 
 
 " If it hadn't been for Dr. McDonald, my mother 
 would not have lived through typhoid fever last 
 
 month, Frank, did 
 you know that ? 
 Oh! I think that 
 a fever is a terrible 
 thing, don't you?" 
 "Of course I do! 
 But, Bob, think 
 what they have 
 done at the health 
 office to prevent 
 typhoid fever ! 
 Your doctor cured 
 your mother, and I'm glad, but remember all the cases 
 that were not cured. Six hundred patients. were reported 
 by the city physician in three weeks. Father says no 
 one knows how the epidemic might have ended if it 
 had not been for the Board of Health." 
 
 " How do they go at such a thing down at your 
 father's office, Frank ? " asked Bob, taking out his knife 
 
 A BOARD OF HEALTH LABORATORY 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 13 
 
 and beginning to whittle. " How can they find out 
 things ? " 
 
 Frank was only too happy to tell all he knew about 
 his pet hobby. He tucked himself up in the corner, 
 clasped his hands about his knees, and went on. 
 
 "Why, Bob, after the city doctor had gone over the 
 reports of the practicing physicians and found that there 
 were more cases of typhoid fever down in the park dis- 
 trict than in any other part of the city, the chairman of 
 the board sent into that ward inspectors to find out 
 all they could about water supply and drainage. The 
 plumbing inspector went through all the tenement houses 
 at the same time. They found nothing wrong with the 
 sewers ; nor did the experts who used their microscopes 
 to examine the water in private wells find any trace of 
 typhoid germs. Some of the families in that district had 
 used bottled water bought at drug stores. Even that sup- 
 ply was examined by the authority of the board. I imagine 
 that all the time they were testing these things the board 
 felt that something might be wrong with the regular city 
 water supply. Finally the state Board of Health and the 
 city board together decided that the trouble was in the 
 city water, but they could not understand what had poi- 
 soned the water until they found three families up on 
 ' Big Brook ' that had been suffering from typhoid fever. 
 Big Brook empties into the river, and do you know, 
 Bob, those houses were connected with the brook by 
 
14 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 drain pipes, and those awful germs from the fever just 
 slipped along the brook into the river and so into our 
 city reservoir ! That was the way all this terrible sick- 
 ness came into the city. People were drinking poison 
 all the time." 
 
 Frank had become so excited that he had jumped up 
 and stood in front of his playmate, who in turn dropped 
 his knife and stick as he listened to the story. 
 
 " Do you mean, Frank, that my mother got her sick- 
 ness through such carelessness ? " 
 
 " Of course she did, Bob." 
 
 " Well, what are they going to do about it at the 
 office ? " 
 
 " Oh, they have done something already. They noti- 
 fied the officials, and then posted notices everywhere, 
 warning people to boil the water that comes from the 
 city supply." 
 
 " But aren't they going to do something ? " insisted the 
 boy who had seen such suffering in his own family. 
 
 u Yes, they are going to build a set of driven wells or 
 do some such thing. What fun it will be to watch the 
 work ! They are going to rebuild the reservoir, too, and 
 father thinks that when this is done this city will have 
 the most perfect water-supply system in the state." 
 
 " That's good," replied Bob. " But, Frank, why didn't 
 people drink milk, and so avoid the danger from poisoned 
 water ? " 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 15 
 
 " There are many reasons why they could not," re- 
 plied Frank. " There are not cows enough in the state, 
 to begin with, to provide milk for all the people of this 
 city. And, besides, milk can carry poison as well as 
 water." 
 
 " Why, I didn't know that milk carried sickness unless 
 'it was sour," Bob interrupted. 
 
 " Oh, yes," the intelligent young aspirant to the Board 
 of Health went on, sitting down again to instruct and 
 entertain the younger boy. " Father had great luck in 
 hunting down the scarlet fever scare over in the Dowd 
 Street district. The board had made a map of the city 
 on which there was a little red dot for every case 
 reported. I wish you could see that map. It is so 
 interesting. But the 
 more dots there were 
 the more puzzled grew 
 the members of the 
 board. The milkmen 
 who supplied most of 
 the houses that were 
 marked on the map 
 
 with the red dots said 
 
 . ... 11 i A CLEAN BARN FOR HEALTHY CATTLE 
 
 their milk was all right. 
 
 So father had the inspector visit the farms from which 
 the milkmen got their supplies. Sure enough, every 
 farm was in good condition and all the farm people were 
 
i6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 LETTING SUNSHINE AND FRESH AIR INTO 
 MILK CANS 
 
 clean, healthy-looking men and boys ; but one of the 
 
 milkmen on one farm he forgot to mention. When my 
 
 father heard of that 
 he took the inspector 
 of contagious diseases 
 and went out to that 
 farm. There he found 
 a house where a wo- 
 man and two children 
 were just recovering 
 from scarlet fever." 
 
 "Well, Frank," in- 
 terrupted Bob, with 
 
 eyes wide open, " did the cows catch scarlet fever from 
 
 them ? " 
 
 " No. The whole 
 
 trouble came from the 
 
 fact that one of the 
 
 men, who had had a 
 
 light case of the fever 
 
 and did not know it, 
 
 had helped wash the 
 
 milk cans, and the 
 
 scales from his hands 
 
 probably fell into the milk. Just that carelessness and 
 
 ignorance brought about all the sickness and death. 
 " Have you ever been into the city laboratory ? " 
 
 A WELL-CARED-FOR Cow 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 17 
 
 " No, but I wish I might go." 
 
 " The milk department now has a separate laboratory 
 for milk analysis. Then there is another room in which 
 no work is done except that of testing the water and ice. 
 Just think! They are very careful that the big laboratory 
 is separated from the little ones so that there shall be 
 no possibility of mistake in the work. I like to look 
 through the microscopes and examine the microbe cul- 
 
 A CLOVER PASTURE FOR HEALTHY PIGS 
 
 tures. You know they inspect groceries and all kinds of 
 food supplies, such as flour, vinegar, baking powder, and 
 even sugar. I can't remember just how many pounds a 
 week the meat inspectors have condemned during this 
 year as unfit for food, but I think it was over fifty thou- 
 sand, and that is a great deal for a city of this size. Of 
 course I don't know all the departments under the care 
 of the Board of Health, but there must be a great deal of 
 work for the medical inspectors. Why, think of the care 
 
18 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 of such men just in relation to school children ! When 
 a contagious disease is reported to the health department 
 the case is assigned immediately to one of the inspect- 
 ors. This inspector 
 has to go to the house 
 of the sick child and 
 learn how many chil- 
 dren there are in the 
 family, and what school 
 they attend ; and he 
 also has to examine 
 the premises to see if 
 any unsanitary condi- 
 tions exist. He must 
 disinfect the house 
 
 during the sickness 
 THE SCHOOL PHYSICIAN AT WORK 
 
 and after the patient 
 
 is well, and he has to see that other children who have 
 been exposed to the disease are ex-eluded from school, 
 as well as the children of the infected family. 
 
 " These same inspectors, in our city, have charge of 
 the vaccination certificates. Father says that a medical 
 examiner and the men working under the department of 
 public works, where they have to investigate plumbing 
 in private houses and other sanitary conditions, hold 
 very responsible positions. They have to exercise tact 
 with those who are supposed to know the laws of the 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 19 
 
 health department, and they have to be most patient 
 with the ignorant class, who must be educated slowly." 
 
 " Oh, dear, what a lot of knowledge a man must have 
 to hold such a position ! " 
 
 " Yes, Bob, a man must know a great deal if he is 
 going to amount to anything in this world. You like 
 to study and will get into the high school, but I tell 
 you it is just a 'grind ' for me to keep at my books. If 
 I didn't want to be a man worth while to the government, 
 I would never go to school another day." 
 
 Bob laughed as they rose to leave the school porch. 
 " I guess we shall both have to work like Trojans if we 
 are going to be men like our fathers." 
 
 " Yes, I rather think we shall have to work ! " 
 
 TESTING MILK IN A BOARD OF HEALTH LABORATORY 
 
20 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Have you pupils in your homes had to call upon the 
 Board of Health for actual service ? 
 
 When called upon, does your Board of Health give its 
 
 OFFICIAL EXAMINATION OF MILK BEFORE DELIVERY 
 
 services without pay ? During " quarantine time," does 
 the board support the family ? 
 
 Why can the board fumigate more successfully than 
 the private individual ? 
 
 What simple principles of hygiene and sanitation do 
 you already know which make it possible for you children 
 to help the health department ? 
 
 If there were a curious or unwholesome odor inside 
 or outside of your house, ought you not to send for the 
 Board of Health ? 
 
 If you knew that an ignorant person or foreigner un- 
 trained in our American laws and ordinances was nursing 
 a case of diphtheria or scarlet fever in the tenement or 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 
 
 21 
 
 house next to yours, what would be your civil duty as 
 well as philanthropic one in such a case ? 
 
 At what times of the year must the Board of Health 
 be especially on the alert ? 
 
 What precautions against disease has your board 
 taken recently in the electric cars, etc.? 
 
 What improvements of methods in large cities in 
 the investigation of diseases have been made in recent 
 years ? 
 
 How does your board assist in weekly or daily clean- 
 liness in the home ? (Mention, for instance, special care 
 of refuse, where a landlord's tenants are careless.) 
 
 ISOLATION OF CONSUMPTIVES IN PLEASANT, HEALTHFUL QUARTERS 
 
 Think of the cost to a city of taking care of all the 
 rubbish and refuse. How can children help by caring 
 for newspapers, waste, and general litter? 
 
 In large cities there are clubs organized to help the 
 
22 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 authorities ; how can the schools help ? Women serve 
 in New York ; how would it work everywhere ? 
 
 Is there a movement in your state and in your town or 
 city to build better tenements ? The Board of Health 
 urges light and air in these tenements ; some cities 
 have plumbing commissioners to investigate tenements ; 
 would it be wise to have a state law to serve in every 
 city and town ? 
 
 Is it a duty to vaccinate all the children ? Why ? 
 
 Is it a duty to isolate contagious diseases? 
 
 Why do our large Boards of Health have laboratories 
 and spend so much time and money upon experiments 
 and tests ? 
 
 Why is there more need of these precautions in a city 
 than there is in a town or village ? 
 
 What is done with all the refuse and rubbish in your 
 town or city ? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE BOARD OF HEALTH 
 
 inspector infection drainage 
 
 experimental station contagion hygiene 
 
 tests epidemic plumbing 
 
 cultures disinfectants sewage 
 
 disease microbes rubbish dump 
 
 microscope garbage vaccine 
 
 sanitation germs vaccination 
 
A BOARD OF HEALTH STORY 23 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE BOARD OF HEALTH 
 
 Board of Health or Commissioner or Agent : This group of men or 
 single person controls the finances of the department, reports epi- 
 demics and death lists, issues licenses, grants permits, posts notices, 
 polices quarantine cases, and enforces laws and ordinances of both 
 municipal and state Boards of Health. 
 
 Assistant Agents : These persons are appointed by the board or 
 the agent to help carry out the work of the department as defined 
 above. 
 
 Plumbing and Sanitary Inspectors : The duties of these inspectors 
 are to visit tenements, shops, stables, sheds, vaults, wells, etc. ; to 
 place notices, to issue complaints, to investigate private complaints ; 
 to seal up rooms for fumigation, to instruct foreigners in respect to 
 sanitary laws. 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 WERE you ever inside an engine house ? Perhaps so, 
 though in most cities the captain in command does not 
 welcome children to his orderly engine house. Tommy 
 Canfield's greatest ambition was to know just how 
 everything was made ready beforehand, and just how 
 everything acted when the fire alarm rang. How 
 proud he was when his father gave him a note to the 
 superintendent of the fire department in his city, which 
 asked permission for Tommy to visit Engine No. 7's 
 House, which was the down-town headquarters of the 
 department ! 
 
 The superintendent granted the request, and when 
 the morning came, Tommy was at the door of the engine 
 house at seven o'clock. The captain smiled to see his 
 early visitor. 
 
 " You're just in time, Tommy. I'm the only man up." 
 He took the little boy by the hand as he passed in 
 
 24 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 25 
 
 front of the stalls where the horses were beginning to 
 be restless with the awakening hour. One gave a low 
 neigh and another stamped. " They want their break- 
 fast," the captain said. Opening the door which led 
 from the carriage house to the chambers above, the 
 captain called, " Come, boys, come." 
 
 AN ENGINE AT WORK 
 
 He told Tommy to run up, and as the little boy's 
 head appeared above the floor, he saw a pillow fly from 
 one alcove into the other. Why, that was the way his 
 big brother Jack sometimes woke him up at home! 
 
26 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Tommy turned around and went back to the captain. 
 It seemed but another moment before all four of the 
 men who had so lately been asleep were standing before 
 the captain for their orders. The most remarkable part 
 of it was, that they had all come down from their bed- 
 rooms by a sliding-pole instead of by the staircase as 
 Tommy had. This long brass pole passes through a trap 
 door above, and at the alarm of fire the men leap to 
 the trap door, catch hold of the pole, and drop almost 
 instantaneously. * 
 
 The captain gave his orders to the officer of the 
 house. Two firemen began at once the care of the 
 horses. The engineer overhauled his engine, the other 
 men changing the hose and brightening the brasses. 
 The driver looked over his harnesses while the horses 
 munched their breakfast. Tommy went through the 
 engine house by himself while the work was going on. 
 Then one of the men took him and led him to the 
 apparatus room which held the wagons and horses. The 
 stalls are so arranged that when a bell strikes, the horses 
 can come out instantly and place themselves on either 
 side of the engine poles. Upstairs over this room was a 
 sitting room, or recreation hall, with a pool table at one 
 end and bookcases with reading tables at the other. 
 Young as Tommy was, he thought to himself : " These 
 men must know a great deal. They have so many 
 leisure hours in which to read if they wish to." 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 2; 
 
 The next room was the dormitory where the little 
 single beds were placed, and where he had seen the 
 pillow flying half an hour before. Climbing another 
 flight of stairs he found the storage room and work- 
 shop, where the rubber blankets are dried and packed, 
 ready for immediate use. He remembered hearing his 
 father say that the protective department had recently 
 
 A PART OF THE PROTECTIVE DEPARTMENT 
 
 saved thousands of dollars' worth of property, when one 
 of the great clothing houses had caught fire, by covering 
 up the counters so that the water from the hose did not 
 wet the goods. Tommy grew so interested in the house 
 and its apparatus that he forgot all about the active side 
 of the service. The captain showed him the little old- 
 fashioned hand tubs used years before and worked by man 
 
28 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 power before the horse engine, the horseless engine, the 
 water tower, and the aerial ladder were ever dreamed of. 
 He also showed him the old hose reel which has now 
 been supplanted by the hose wagon, and while he was 
 displaying it remarked : 
 
 " A fireman needs more training than muscle. 
 He must know how to use a hammer, an ax, a rake. He 
 must know how to handle hose, spanners, couplers, and 
 the short life line." And as he talked, the captain pointed 
 to these various tools and aids which hung upon the 
 
 wall near him. 
 
 "Now if you 
 were to climb a 
 ladder, Tommy, ten 
 to one you would 
 take hold of it by 
 the sides, but our 
 experienced fire- 
 men all learn to 
 use the rounds one 
 after another, for 
 they must hold on 
 very tightly be- 
 cause they carry the hose over the shoulder. If you 
 tried it, the hose would probably bump against you and 
 drag you off the ladder." 
 
 " How can the men hear your orders ? " asked Tommy. 
 
 A DIFFICULT FIRE TO SUBDUE 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 29 
 
 " Why, we have a new electric system," the captain 
 replied. " It was first used in Boston. It does away 
 with the noise and shouting at the time of a fire. The 
 hose man can signal to the engineer by pressing a button 
 near the nozzle of the hose. If a fireman presses the 
 button twice, it means, 'Turn on the water;' three rings 
 mean, ' Less water ; ' five rings, ' Stop,' and so on." 
 
 When the inmates of Engine No. 7's House had 
 finished their work, and the men in turn had been out 
 for their breakfasts, Tommy went to ride with the driver 
 when he exercised his beautiful black horses up and 
 down the city streets. When Tommy became so hungry 
 that he could not stay any longer, he went home, but re- 
 turned again in the afternoon and visited the men in their 
 reading room, where some were chatting,, others writing, 
 and two were playing billiards. Three new call men 
 were talking with the captain. These call men do not 
 live at the engine house. They must live in the city, 
 and their relation with the fire department consists in 
 being ready to leave their work and appear at the engine 
 house instantly at the call of the fire alarm. 
 
 Again Tommy went home to his supper, this time. 
 On his return he found the captain going the rounds. 
 The lanterns were filled and burning on the carriages. 
 The horses already seemed to be asleep. Everything was 
 in its place, even the men had gone to bed. The 
 captain pointed out to Tommy " the night rig," which 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 lay in front of each fireman's bed, as he said : " You 
 probably can't dress as quickly as we must, Tommy. 
 My men make three bounds: one out of bed, one into 
 
 =1 their clothes, and 
 til one down the 
 pole." 
 
 Just then the 
 fire-alarm bell rang. 
 The stall doors 
 flew open, and as 
 the men appeared 
 down the slicling- 
 pole, the horses 
 took their places 
 under the harness- 
 es. The harnesses 
 were snapped 
 around the horses' 
 bodies. The alarm 
 box registered 
 "47." Ten seconds 
 only had passed, 
 when the driver called out, " All aboard ! " 
 
 Then the engine and the hose wagon and the chem- 
 icals and trucks, one after the other, swung out upon 
 the pavement, leaving behind a trail of smoke and 
 sparks. 
 
 INTERIOR OF A FIRE STATION 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 Tommy ran full tilt. He reached the hose wagon 
 in time to see the men take out five hundred feet of 
 hose. It was more exciting to him than a three-ring 
 circus. Every man had a particular duty to perform, 
 and no time seemed to be lost. The firemen on the 
 trucks had placed the ladders in position. The pipe 
 man led the way with the play pipe over his shoulder, 
 the line hanging between his legs. He was followed by 
 another man. Each carried about twenty feet of hose. 
 Directly behind them was still another hose man, with as 
 much more hose on his shoulder. And so on down the 
 ladder, each man carrying his share, and keeping up 
 with the procession. 
 
 Tommy saw the pipe man enter a window, and noticed 
 that the hose man stayed behind to fasten the line. 
 Then the men used 
 a ladder strap and 
 strapped the hose 
 to the ladder. But 
 the flames seemed 
 to be raging even 
 higher than the 
 extension ladder 
 could reach. He 
 breathlessly watched 
 the fireman push up a long wooden pole with huge hooks 
 at one end. The pole had cross pieces and was strapped 
 
 AN ENGINE WITH HOSE PIPES READY FOR 
 WORK 
 
32 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 with iron. One of the firemen from Engine No. 7*8 
 House made the first ascent. He wore a broad, firm 
 life-belt, with large buckles, which fitted him closely 
 around the waist. A moment later, the fireman attached 
 the big hook of his life-belt to the end of the scaling 
 ladder, as the pole is called, and began the work of 
 pulling up the extension ladder, which he attached 
 to the top window sill. Then he disappeared through 
 the window. A shout went up from the people at 
 the brave deed, for now the inmates of the seventh 
 story would be saved. All the time that Tommy had 
 been watching his new friend of the fire house, he had 
 heard the chief giving his orders, and had noted the 
 quick manner in which his commands were obeyed. 
 Near-by buildings had to be protected, as well as the 
 goods in the shops in the lower story. Fresh hose had 
 to be laid, while torrents of water poured forth in all 
 directions. 
 
 But Tommy Canfield's eyes were glued to the seventh- 
 story window where Dan Olney had climbed. A woman 
 next to Tommy was moaning and crying in her sym- 
 pathy at the thought that the brave fireman might 
 never come back. But Tom had a stout little heart. 
 He had been living all day with firemen. He knew 
 their pluck. Yes, he was right; there was Dan, and 
 in his arms were two children. The older, a boy, he 
 dropped into the arms of a fellow fireman, but the curly- 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 33 
 
 haired little girl he hugged tightly with one arm, as he 
 began his descent to the ground. Tommy felt that he 
 had a real hero for a friend in Dan Olney. He seemed 
 
 more alive than the , , 
 
 Greek heroes he read 
 about at school. He 
 half wished there was 
 a crown of ivy leaves 
 to place on Dan's head, 
 but he did not say 
 anything about it. He 
 just watched what 
 would happen. The 
 crowd shouted again 
 and surged forward, 
 but the police forced 
 it back. Then Dan 
 handed the little girl 
 
 to a woman at the foot 
 
 QUICK WORK AT A BIG FIRE 
 
 of the ladder. Some 
 
 one gave him water to drink. He took off his fireman's 
 hat, and wiped his face with a wet handkerchief. Then 
 he stepped into line with the other firemen who were 
 carrying the hose. Yes, Tommy decided that the 
 heroes of to-day do not stop to think that they are heroes. 
 They are too busy just doing their duty. 
 
 When the fire was over, three hours later, Tommy 
 
34 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 was back at the engine house, for the captain had told 
 him to come and see the " house-cleaning." He found 
 his hero, Dan, and all the other men hard at work. The 
 
 horses must be 
 properly cared 
 for, the hose 
 taken out and 
 hung up in the 
 drying tower, a 
 new hose folded 
 and put in its 
 place, the en- 
 gine cleaned 
 and polished, 
 rubber blankets 
 carried to the storeroom for drying, and everybody must 
 be ready for another alarm if it should come. When 
 the work was done, and the clerk sat down to write 
 out his report for the chief, Tommy decided it was time 
 for him to go home. After he had thanked the captain 
 for his kindness and started to go out, he slipped back 
 and whispered in the captain's ear, " I wish you'd tell 
 the firemen that I think they're great, and that Dan 
 Olney was a hero." 
 
 How would you notify the fire department if your 
 own house was in danger? 
 
 SUBDUING THE LAST FLAMES AMONG THE RUINS 
 
 OF A P'IRE 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 35 
 
 What would you do if your neighbor's house was on 
 fire? 
 
 If living in the country, how can the people at large 
 form themselves into a protective department ? 
 
 Do you know how to use "pony extinguishers," or 
 other chemical house-protective furnishings ? 
 
 Have you a fire drill in your school system? 
 
 A FlRESHIP SAVING BUILDINGS ON A WHARF 
 
 Ought there not to be a special punishment for boys 
 who set brush fires that menace life and harm property? 
 
 What particular precautions should be taken in thickly 
 settled tenement districts? 
 
 How can the children help ? 
 
 How do the police act in connection with the fire 
 department ? Why is there need of this cooperation ? 
 
36 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Are there any horses in your town famous for bravery 
 at fires ? 
 
 Are there any firemen whom you call special heroes ? 
 
 Is the fire net ever used in your city ? 
 
 Has the Carnegie fund ever been used for deeds of 
 bravery at fires ? 
 
 Is there any " Fireman's Day " in your town or city ? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 
 
 apparatus engine steamer 
 
 alarms aerial ladder 
 
 hose carriage extension ladder 
 
 chemicals trucks 
 
 hook-and-ladder wagon hydrant 
 
 water tower supply wagons 
 
 call men fire commissioners 
 
 protective wagons engineer of the department 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 
 THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 
 
 Chief Engineer : The chief has the oversight of the whole force after 
 its appointment. He has sole command at a fire. 
 
 Assistants : These persons may assume the chief's duties if neces- 
 sary. 
 
 Force of the Fire Department : The permanent men must live at the 
 fire house. They include captains of companies, lieutenants, drivers, 
 
A FIRE DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 37 
 
 hose men, etc. The call men, who live at their own homes, must 
 attend all fires. 
 
 Captain: This officer has control of his company and has over- 
 sight of his hose house. He keeps a record of the fires. 
 
 Lieutenant: This officer stands next in command to the captain 
 and assists him in his control and oversight. 
 
 Drivers : These officials have the care of the horses, stables, har- 
 nesses, and they are responsible for damages. They often act as 
 clerks, keeping the roll call of the company. 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 TOMMY HART had been ill for a week and could not 
 go to school. At first he found that it was rather pleas- 
 ant, staying at home with no lessons to think about, and 
 with no competition in boy games. But a morning 
 came when he was quite well again, and very earnest in 
 spirit to get back to boys in the schoolroom. It was 
 then that the big blizzard from the West arrived in 
 Hamptown, and Tommy's mother did not dare to let 
 him venture forth for the first time after an illness. 
 Every other boy he knew could go out and fight the 
 storm, but he, poor fellow, had to stay indoors and 
 simply watch snowflakes battle with the wind. This 
 was a restless occupation for a boy of fourteen. He 
 longed to shovel a path through the great drifts, already 
 piling up in his own short street ; and he envied his 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 39 
 
 father, as he saw him getting ready to start out on foot 
 to walk to his down-town office, since no electric cars 
 had yet made their way through the thoroughfare. 
 
 " Here's the 
 report of the 
 street depart- 
 ment, Tom," 
 his father said, 
 as he was about 
 to leave the 
 house ; "it may 
 be dry as a re- 
 port, but think 
 how you would 
 like to be in the 
 city office this 
 morning and be 
 responsible for keeping traffic open in the face of this 
 storm ! " 
 
 The door shut, and Mr. Hart waded out .into the 
 unbroken drifts, while Tom stood at the window, watch- 
 ing. His father's words made him think. Sure enough, 
 Mr. Bemis, the superintendent of streets, would have 
 his hands full. How could he handle it this avalanche 
 of snow, this soft fluffy whirlwind which scudded in and 
 out of every alleyway, all the time piling itself high 
 along open streets and boulevards? 
 
 AFTER A BIG BLIZZARD 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Tom opened the report, but turned his eyes every now 
 and then to the street itself; something might happen 
 and he must see. He read with interest the amount of 
 
 money appropri- 
 ated for care of the 
 streets, and with 
 surprise noticed 
 how many things 
 were included in 
 the expenditure. 
 What a long list 
 of horses, snow- 
 plows, scrapers, 
 shovels, and hoes 
 the department had 
 to own to keep 
 itself in running 
 order ! What large 
 sums of money 
 were spent upon 
 the repair of high- 
 ways ! He noted 
 
 the number of streets that were graded, pavements laid, 
 and crossings and curbings built. He found new streets 
 of which he had never heard before; and one favorite 
 old roadway, where he had played for years and in winter 
 hooked on to pungs, had been set aside for a new street 
 
 DAMAGE DONE BY A BLIZZARD 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 It quite grieved him to find that Huckleberry Turnpike 
 was to be macadamized. He remembered the good times 
 he had had there with the other boys hunting 
 for turtles in April, when water stood knee-deep 
 on either side of the rough road. It was for the 
 children the one bit of country in the whole 
 city where a tangle of flowers and weeds 
 and huckleberry bushes made a play- 
 ground all summer long. 
 
 His eye next fell upon the item 
 about the cost of moving snow 
 $17,836.03. He had no idea that the 
 four months of winter could cost like 
 that. In the single month of Febru- 
 ary, 1902, the city had spent $7321.62, 
 and yet all the snows of that month 
 did not begin to equal the snow already fallen in the 
 same month this year. This very blizzard would make 
 a big account for the next report. 
 
 " Why, mother," said Tommy, " I have found out more 
 from this office report than I could from a school book 
 in a week. I don't think text-books tell real things." 
 
 The wise mother did not agree with her boy's sweep- 
 ing statement ; but she suggested that he play that he 
 was Superintendent Bemis, and that he had men under 
 him ready to take orders to clear the city of the great 
 snowfall. 
 
42 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Make plans of just what you would do, and estimate 
 fully how much it would cost. It will interest your father 
 when he comes home." 
 
 READY FOR SANITATION WORK 
 
 Tommy kept busy all day. He made out one plan 
 which seemed satisfactory; then he thought of one still 
 better and more economical. Later he thought of new 
 ways to save money. You see Tommy had watched the 
 city workmen many times, but he had never thought 
 much about the work. Now he was really thinking. 
 As he wrote, he looked out and saw the great car plows 
 pushing their way through the snow-covered tracks. 
 This suggested something to him. Again he saw a 
 gang of men at work near his own street: a hydrant 
 had frozen, and the water department had been noti- 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 43 
 
 fied. The men at work were trying to get below the 
 snowdrifts, in order to prevent an overflow which 
 might prove disastrous to the cellars of houses near 
 the hydrant. 
 
 When Mr. Hart came home in the afternoon Tom's 
 estimates interested him greatly. Together they talked 
 over what must happen in the following few days. 
 There would be such a volume of snow piled up by the 
 car plows that no one could drive across the streets 
 without risk. Men must cart away the snow and level 
 what was left into a compact roadway. Where was the city 
 
 AFTER A BIG STORM 
 
 to dump the surplus, and how was it to be dumped ? 
 There were other things to think of, also, as Tom soon 
 found. Probably, with the stiff wind that was blowing, 
 the snow would freeze, and sand men would be necessary 
 
44 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 to protect pavements and crossings. Mr. Hart had 
 noticed, too, what Tom could not see because he was 
 housed : that upon the city buildings men were at 
 work shoveling off the great heaps of snow which had 
 accumulated on the roofs during the storm. This was 
 another expense necessary to save the city from fur- 
 
 SUMMER TIME AND THE STREET-WATERING CART 
 
 ther trouble and expenditure because of leakage in its 
 great buildings. 
 
 When bedtime came, and Tom's estimate and plans 
 were still unfinished, his father said : " You keep that 
 report, Tom. You've done well. Next week, after the 
 city work has lightened a bit, and Mr. Bemis is not so 
 hard pressed, we'll show him your plan, and ask him 
 how far you have solved the problem as he faces it, and 
 where you have missed it. I think your report has 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 45 
 
 fairly covered the ground, but you have forgotten some 
 things. How about storm guards ? The report includes 
 an item of #48.32. What do you suppose that means ? " 
 
 Tom laughed. " Don't, father, my head is bursting 
 with knowledge and ideas already. I've had a great day 
 
 A STREET-FLUSHING MACHINE 
 
 in spite of the weather. I'm a regular superintendent 
 of streets, even if I have not remembered storm guards." 
 Tom went to bed with his civil government text- 
 book and the city street department report under his 
 arm, and a brain full of his own notions regarding the 
 
4 6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 welfare of a large city during a blizzard. Out of Tom's 
 experience during the great snowstorm of 1893 his inter- 
 est in the street department became very vital. He 
 watched the spring work of the department with equal 
 interest, and wherever city engineering or constructive 
 
 BEGINNING THE SPRING WORK 
 
 work was being undertaken by Mr. Bemis and his work- 
 men, there one was sure to find Tommy in his hours of 
 leisure. He had learned that the streets belong to the 
 public and are never turned over to any one else for 
 any purpose whatsoever. The work of the water, 
 lighting, and sewerage departments, he discovered, was 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 
 
 47 
 
 under the supervision of the street superintendent. He 
 wondered why at first, but he soon realized that the 
 cooperation of these different departments was for the 
 public good. In fact, he found that wherever streets 
 were being turned up for the purpose of burying .pipes 
 or electric wires or great aqueducts, the work was so 
 arranged as to interrupt traffic as little as possible. 
 He also found that the Board of Health and the street 
 
 FINISHING THE WORK BEGUN BY THE SWEEPING MACHINE 
 
 department were constantly working together in order 
 that the thoroughfares should not only be kept clean 
 for the -sake of orderliness, but for sanitary reasons. 
 He liked to watch the " city scavengers," as the street- 
 men in his city were called, take care of waste paper 
 and rubbish that had blown through the highways 
 and alleys during the night. Once he begged a ride 
 on the street sweeper; and he often carried on con- 
 
4 8 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 versations with the driver of the watering cart, who 
 kept the streets wet and cool during the long summer 
 time. Tom's interest grew so real that he knows now 
 what he is going to do when he is through the high 
 school. He means to go to some school of technology 
 
 THE STREET DEPARTMENT FLUSHING THE PAVEMENTS WITH WATER 
 
 TO ASSIST THE BOARD OF HEALTH IN SANITATION 
 
 to study engineering, and he hopes to be the engineer of 
 a great growing city. 
 
 How are the road commissioners in the country and 
 the street department in the city elected ? 
 
 What are the first steps taken in the spring by the 
 street department of your town or city ? 
 
 Where there is no park system, how are public lands 
 taken care of? 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STORY 49 
 
 Does your city or town water the streets through the 
 department of streets, or through the water department, 
 or by the cooperation of both ? 
 
 If a hydrant should burst in front of your house, 
 whom would you notify by telephone of the same ? 
 
 How far does the Board of Health assist the street 
 department, for instance, in relation to ashes and 
 refuse? 
 
 FILLING A DUMPER FROM A BRIDGE 
 
 In great cities the street department can, with large 
 forces, keep the streets comparatively clean by caring 
 for them at night when the citizens are asleep; but in 
 smaller towns the forces are smaller. How can the 
 boys and girls of small towns aid the street department 
 in helping to make the streets beautiful? 
 
 In making a new street, what action must first 
 take place to legalize the opening of such ? Also, what 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 EMPTYING AN ASH WAGON 
 
 THE DUMPER WHICH RECEIVES THE ASHES 
 
 material steps are 
 taken in the pro- 
 cess of building ? 
 
 What new street 
 machinery has been 
 developed for our 
 large cities? What 
 inventions help the 
 county road com- 
 missioner ? 
 
 If there are trol- 
 leys in your city or 
 town, where do the 
 street department 
 and trolley corpora- 
 tions have to co- 
 operate ? 
 
 What relation 
 to municipal af- 
 fairs do the county 
 road commissioners 
 hold ? 
 
 Have we State 
 roads ? How are 
 these public high- 
 ways built? How 
 cared for? 
 
A STREET DEPARTMENT STOR^ 
 
 VOCABULARY THE STREET DEPARTMENT 
 
 contract 
 
 construction 
 
 hydraulics 
 
 sewer maintenance 
 
 watering depart- 
 ment 
 
 pavement 
 
 asphalt pavement 
 
 brick pavement 
 
 cinder pavement 
 
 concrete pavement 
 
 macadamized pave- 
 ment 
 
 bituminous macadam 
 
 edge stones 
 
 crossings 
 
 catch basins 
 
 sewerage 
 
 conduit 
 
 gutter 
 
 aqueduct 
 
 street roller 
 
 grades 
 
 repairs 
 
 DUMPING AT SEA 
 
 boulevards 
 derricks 
 jiggers 
 
 drilling spoons 
 steam drills 
 exploders 
 dirt scrapers 
 stone crushers 
 draught horses 
 hydrants 
 sewer 
 
 scavengers 
 
 highway 
 
 alley 
 
 technology 
 
 sanitation 
 
 storm guards 
 
 thoroughfares 
 
 public safety 
 
 rubbish 
 
 refuse 
 
 dumper 
 
52 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE STREET DEPARTMENT 
 
 Superintendent of Streets : This official has general oversight not 
 only of the work of the street department, but of all relationship 
 which this department has to other municipal works, such as the 
 sewerage, water works, gas, etc. 
 
 Assistant Superintendents : These officials of the department 
 have charge of sections of the street department and in addition are 
 often appointed to oversee the work of sewerage, city street watering, 
 and similar municipal work. 
 
 Street Committee : A committee of aldermen and councilmen 
 which is often appointed to oversee the work of the street depart- 
 ment. 
 
 City Engineer and his Assistants : These officials make surveys 
 and estimates for new constructions and for reconstructions in both 
 street and sewer departments. 
 
 The Duties of the Departments are cleaning streets and back alleys, 
 and watering streets ; the construction and supervision of new streets ; 
 the care of city laborers and all employees ; relationship with " labor 
 unions " ; meeting emergency cases, such as blizzards, floods, ice 
 storms ; and cooperating with the health department in times of 
 epidemics. 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 THE truant officer had not visited the Horace Mann 
 School once during the spring term. It happened in this 
 way. One morning in early April Miss Howe said, 
 " Spring is here ! I can see it and feel it and smell it, 
 
 5 1 } " 
 
 can t you r 
 
 "Yes," a little girl said, without even raising her hand; 
 " and I can hear it, too." 
 
 " So you can, Kitty," responded the teacher. " The 
 birds are coming back every day." 
 
 Just then John Wilson, a big boy in the back seat, 
 whispered to another boy, " I'll play ' hookey ' this after- 
 noon, if you will." 
 
 Miss Howe knew by the boy's lips what he had whis- 
 pered, but she was wise ; she did not call upon him at 
 
 53 
 
54 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 once. She continued to speak of nature and the inter- 
 est the children take in the coming back of all the beau- 
 tiful things which mean spring. Presently she said, 
 " Pd like to play truant this afternoon, myself, but you 
 see I can't any more than you boys and girls can." 
 
 Up went John's hand John had been the very boy 
 
 A MODERN SCHOOLROOM 
 
 who had whispered. " Why can't you play truant, Miss 
 Howe, if you want to ? " he asked. 
 
 " Because, John, it would not be fair to you or to your 
 father, or to the other children's fathers. You see, the 
 citizens of this city own these school buildings and sup- 
 port the school system, in order that you children may 
 come here and learn about things. You would feel very 
 sorry if there were no schools, but if you and I played 
 truant often, and if others should acquire the habit, the 
 city might have to shut up the schools. That would be 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 55 
 
 very unfortunate because, even on a day like this, some 
 children might like to come here ; so we teachers have 
 to come, too, and all work together. Moreover, the 
 truant breaks into his lessons, loses his place in the 
 class, and becomes careless about everything." 
 
 A PRIMARY CLASS IN HISTORY 
 
 Just before the close of school that morning, Miss 
 Howe asked the children if they would like to have her 
 tell them about the public school system that afternoon, 
 and to follow the talk with a walk to some of the other 
 school buildings in the city. 
 
 There was a pleasant chorus of " yeses " and a great 
 many nods from the children. When afternoon came 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 every boy and girl was there, even John. He had really 
 become interested, and was eager to know how he 
 " owned the school " and how he was a part of the 
 "system of education." 
 
 Miss Howe was a favorite with the children. She 
 knew how to tell stories and draw pretty pictures on the 
 
 blackboard, and she always re- 
 membered that she, too, had once 
 been a little child. Lessons were 
 over that afternoon a half hour 
 earlier than usual, and each boy 
 and girl was ready to listen to 
 her story. 
 
 This is what she told them. 
 " It costs an average of $30 
 every year to send each of you 
 pupils to school. I mean that 
 when all the expenses in all the 
 
 schoolhouses are taken into account, it costs the city 
 $450,000; last year we had a roll of 15,000 children. 
 
 " I wish you would put that example in arithmetic on 
 the board, Johnny, so that we can see just how it will look." 
 Johnny quickly put the multiplication work on the 
 board, and the sum $450,000 stood out in bold relief. 
 
 " Now, we will leave the example for a moment and 
 think of the organization of the school system. We 
 have a School Board, as you know, of nine members, 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 57 
 
 and a superintendent of schools. There are so many 
 things to think of that this big committee is divided into 
 little committees. One group of men decides the choice 
 of teachers and the salaries to be paid. Another looks 
 
 A CITY SCHOOLHOUSE 
 
 out for the schoolhouses and sanitation. Another has 
 charge of the books and supplies." 
 
 At this point one of the children asked if the truant 
 officers belonged to the standing committees. 
 
 " No, in our city the truant officers, or commissioners, 
 are a separate body of men, but they are appointed 
 and paid for by the School Board. 
 
58 , LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Then there are other committees," Miss Howe con- 
 tinued, "that report on music and drawing, and still 
 others that have charge of the accounts, and of the 
 rules and regulations. The members of our School 
 Board receive no salary, and when you think that 
 some of the standing committees have at least fifty 
 
 A CLASS IN BASKET-WEAVING AT A SUMMER SCHOOL 
 
 meetings a year in order to carry on the work, you must 
 agree with me in thinking these men very generous 
 with their time to serve their city so faithfully. 
 
 " The superintendent of schools, however, receives a 
 salary, just as all the teachers receive pay, because his 
 work is a daily one and he has no other profession. 
 Perhaps you would like to know how some of the city 
 money is expended upon the schools ? " 
 
 Again came a chorus of "yeses." 
 
 "I have already told you that there are 15,000 chil- 
 dren, between five and fifteen years of age. Right 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 59 
 
 here in our ward there are 1407 children in the three 
 school buildings under Mr. Allen's special supervision. 
 We number 640 pupils in this building, you know." 
 
 " Has any other ward as many buildings as we have, 
 Miss Howe ? " asked one of the girls. 
 
 "Yes, Mary, in ward six there are five school build- 
 ings with over 2000 children. When we count all the 
 
 A VACATION SCHOOL PLAYGROUND 
 
 public school buildings, we find fifty-three belonging 
 to our school system, and in these are employed 300 
 teachers." 
 
 " Do those include the evening schools ? " asked one 
 of the older girls whose sister taught in such a school. 
 
 " No, there are 190 other teachers who have charge of 
 the night instruction. Now, I should like to have John 
 
6o 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 go to the board again and make a list of what we think 
 are necessary school supplies for a well-equipped room. 
 Kitty, what shall we put down first ? " 
 " Text-books." 
 " Yes." 
 
 "Writing books and drawing books," added another. 
 " And drawing materials," a third girl suggested. 
 " Reference books," some one else remembered. And 
 
 then the replies came 
 more slowly. 
 
 Miss Howe re- 
 minded them of the 
 fuel, water, and gas 
 bills that must be 
 paid ; of the repairs 
 on old furniture and 
 the need of new, and 
 just there she stopped 
 and pointed to the 
 window shades that 
 were new that spring. 
 
 " That reminds me," she said pleasantly, "that it has 
 cost the city #2000 to put these green shades into every 
 school. And do you know why they bought green 
 instead of yellow shades ? " 
 
 It happened that Mary Andrews knew. " Because 
 green shades make the light softer for the eyes," she said. 
 
 A CITY PLAYGROUND 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 61 
 
 So they went on, counting the cost of the supplies 
 necessary to equip a schoolroom. They even remem- 
 bered the scissors and cloth for the sewing classes, 
 and the raw materials 
 which went into use 
 during the cooking- 
 class hours. 
 
 " How much will it 
 cost to build the 
 new Schuyler Avenue 
 schoolhouse?" Johnny 
 asked, after he had 
 finished writing his 
 list upon the black- 
 board. 
 
 " I'm glad you asked that. How much do you think 
 such a building ought to cost? " 
 
 " Our new house cost #5000," another boy ventured. 
 
 " That's a good deal for a house, Charlie," Miss Howe 
 replied, " but a school building is so much larger, and 
 it must be built for so much more wear and tear, 
 that Johnny will have to think of a sum larger than 
 $5000." 
 
 " I guess $50,000," Johnny said, sitting down in the 
 back seat with quite the air of a business man. 
 
 " Even more than that," Miss Howe continued. " The 
 city has appropriated $120,000 for the, building alone. 
 
 ON THE SEESAWS 
 
62 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 It is to be fireproof, and the only woodwork in the 
 schoolrooms will be the desks, chairs, and the trimming 
 of doors and windows." 
 
 " Is this building fireproof ? " asked a boy. 
 
 " No, this is one of the oldest buildings in the city, 
 and that is why we have to be so very, very careful to 
 
 A SCHOOL GARDEN IN A BIG CITY (PHILADEPHIA) 
 (Under the control of the Board of Public Education) 
 
 practice the fire drill. I think you are marching better 
 than usual this year. Perhaps it is because Mr. Allen 
 came and explained to you so carefully the need of order 
 and quickness in moving out of the building." 
 
 A moment later Miss Howe continued : 
 
 " When I think how much your fathers are doing, 
 as citizens, to make your school days happy, and when 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM, STORY 63 
 
 I stop to think that this very school building is public 
 property and belongs to you and to me to enjoy and 
 be proud of, I can't see how any children could want 
 to mutilate or harm their desks, or destroy the flowers in 
 the window boxes, or injure the text-books. I am glad 
 that there is a place like our County Truant School 
 
 DINING ROOM AT A TRUANT SCHOOL 
 
 where careless and destructive boys can be helped to 
 reform. You see, the boy who is not proud of his 
 schoolroom is more likely to become a habitual truant. 5 ' 
 
 Miss Howe then asked, " Have you children ever been 
 to our County Truant School to visit the grounds ?" 
 
 As no one had, Miss Howe described the beautiful 
 country place where the superintendent carries out his 
 noble ideals of a reform school. There boys who have no 
 
64 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 kindly home influences and who become unmanageable 
 are helped to grow better in character. She told them 
 of the home life, the industrial shops, the little farms, and 
 the boys' brass band in such glowing terms that, for a 
 moment, one might have felt the Truant School to be 
 an enviable home for every boy and girl. But when 
 
 BEDROOM IN A TRUANT SCHOOL 
 
 she had finished her description of this model institu- 
 tion, she ended her afternoon's story of public instruction 
 by saying: 
 
 " But just as your fathers would rather be citizens, 
 paying their taxes in a city and leading good, honest, 
 hard-working lives, than be supported at public cost in 
 the most beautiful charitable institution in the country, 
 so I am sure you boys and girls would rather be hard 
 
A SCHOOL SYSJEM STORY 
 
 at work here in this schoolroom, which, you yourselves 
 own, even if you do have to be punctual and orderly 
 and attentive, than to 
 become tenants of the 
 County Truant School. 
 Now, wouldn't you ? " 
 
 And every child said, 
 "Oh, yes!" and John's 
 "Yes." was the loudest. 
 
 Then came the promised 
 walk, and the afternoon 
 was so pleasant, with the 
 longer spring twilight, that 
 they kept on to Schuyler 
 Avenue where the new 
 fireproof school building 
 was being erected. It 
 looked, the children 
 thought, like a great 
 skeleton of steel frames THE "FIRST CROP" FROM A PHILA- 
 
 . . 
 
 and cross bars. 
 
 This story of the public 
 school system made an 
 
 impression upon the children, Miss Howe thought. 
 At all events the truant officers did not visit the 
 Horace Mann School once during the spring term, 
 and the boys and girls of that class realized more than 
 
 DELPHIA SCHOOL GARDEN 
 (Under the * f 
 
66 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 ever before what a city government does for its school 
 children. 
 
 How many pupils are enrolled in the schools of your 
 city or town ? 
 
 How many buildings are there ? 
 
 Is your school controlled by the superintendent and 
 
 teacher together, or 
 is there a member 
 of the city School 
 Board appointed to 
 visit your school ? 
 
 What relation is 
 there between your 
 city or town school 
 and the state Board 
 of Education ? 
 
 A RURAL SCHOOL A171 , . ,, , 
 
 What is the valu- 
 ation of your city or town ? What is the population ? 
 
 How much does it cost, approximately, to educate each 
 pupil ? 
 
 What equipments are being added at present to 
 develop better results? 
 
 What text-books are used in your school ? Make out 
 a list, and give a reason why these books are probably 
 superior to those used by your fathers or grandfathers. 
 
 If you can, bring into class old-fashioned text-books, 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 67 
 
 beginning with the " New England Primer," which 
 will show the advance in educational publications. 
 
 At present, how are educators trying to improve the 
 rural schools in your state ? 
 
 What is the statute law in your state relative to 
 education ? 
 
 A ScrfbOL YARD IN A BIG CITY 
 
 Does your state support any institutions for feeble- 
 minded children, the deaf and dumb, and the blind ? 
 
 Ought cities to keep up manual training schools ? 
 
 Ought they to support commercial high schools ? 
 
 Ought they to have separate high schools for girls 
 and boys ? 
 
68 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Ought pupils in the high school to be required to 
 pay fees? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM 
 
 superintendent janitor 
 
 supervisor ventilation 
 
 committee vacation 
 
 agent holiday 
 
 truant commissioner graduation 
 
 curriculum competitive contests 
 
 courses debates 
 
 athletics training 
 
 kindergarten commercial course 
 
 equipment college course 
 
 supplies scientific course 
 manual training 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE 
 
 School Committee or School Board: These city officials have the 
 full care of expenditures and the regulation of all school matters. 
 They elect the standing committees and often have charge of the 
 assignment of teachers. 
 
 President or Chairman : The presiding officer of the School 
 Board or School Committee. 
 
 Secretary : The recording official for the School Board. 
 
 Superintendent : The professional supervisor of all the schools, 
 who may be assisted by supervisors, if the city is a large one. 
 
A SCHOOL SYSTEM STORY 
 
 69 
 
 Truant Officers : These officials enforce school and labor laws, 
 acting in conjunction with both city and county regulations. 
 
 Standing Committees : The members of the board, or committee 
 at large, are so divided that certain members act as a committee on 
 " Teachers and Salaries," others on " Books and Supplies," still 
 others on " Evening Schools," " High Schools," " Drawing Schools," 
 " Music," " Reports," " Accounts," " Schoolhouses and Sanitation," 
 and " Rules." 
 
 Assignments : The appointments of teachers to special day and 
 to special evening schools. 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 EVERY evening as Miss Abbott crossed the city from 
 her school to her home, she liked to buy the latest issue 
 of the Evening Sun at the Square, where she could 
 watch the newspaper boys in their eagerness for cus- 
 tomers, and where she always spoke with one of them in 
 particular. This newspaper boy, however, was not a boy 
 at all, but a small girl of fourteen. Maggie Connors wore 
 a very short skirt, a boy's overcoat, a boy's cap, and 
 boy's boots. Maggie's hair was short and curly. Very 
 few people stop to look at newsboys, and Miss Abbott 
 must have been an exception in noticing that the 
 bustling seller of the " six o'clock edition " was really a 
 girl and not a boy. 
 
 For some time Miss Abbott bought her evening paper 
 from Maggie without exchange of confidences between 
 them, but one night when business was dull and the 
 
 7 o 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 teacher felt particularly friendly, she did ask Maggie 
 about her home. Then she learned that Maggie's 
 younger sister was one of her own pupils in the primary 
 school. She also learned that these two little girls had 
 a baby sister, and that 
 the three lived to- 
 gether in one room 
 of a small tenement 
 house off Carr Street. 
 Maggie's mother and 
 father had both died 
 suddenly the winter 
 before ; many of the 
 household goods had 
 to be sold to pay bills, 
 and Maggie realized 
 that she must go to 
 work at once in order 
 to keep the children 
 with her. She herself could not work during the day, 
 for there was the baby to be taken care of. So she 
 stayed with the baby sister, and did the little housework 
 that had to be done, which meant washing, ironing, 
 and mending, rather than cooking. They were too poor 
 to keep a fire in a cooking stove, so that what little 
 they had to eat was bought at the baker's, and only 
 a small stove was left to heat their one room. 
 
 A CROWDED COURTYARD 
 
72 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 After Annie came home from school, Maggie put on 
 her boy's clothes and sold papers. Then again in the 
 evening, after she had put the children to bed, she washed 
 dishes in a great restaurant near by until twelve o'clock. 
 
 Once Miss Abbott went to see the Connors children, 
 but it chanced that Maggie had taken her two little sis- 
 ters out for a walk. The teacher thus missed seeing the 
 inside of her pupil's forlorn and barren home. She 
 meant to go again, but a teacher's time is crowded, 
 though her heart may be full of thoughts about her 
 children. 
 
 Almost every evening Maggie asked Miss Abbott if 
 Annie was behaving well at school, and Miss Abbott in 
 return would say, " Annie has been a very good girl 
 to-day." 
 
 " We have not had so fierce an ice storm for five years 
 as this one has proved, have we, father ? " asked Miss 
 Abbott as she joined her family at supper. " I am so 
 glad there was no school yesterday and to-day ; I could 
 sit and enjoy the beauty of the glittering icicles upon 
 the trees and shrubs, and forget the danger underneath." 
 
 " I hope no one is suffering from accidents. Last 
 night, when I bought my paper, your little girl was not at 
 the Square, and again to-night she was missing." 
 
 " Oh, father, I'm so glad you have spoken of her ! Her 
 little sister, Annie, was absent last Friday. She was ill, 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 73 
 
 one of the children told me. Those little girls may be 
 in trouble; what can I do?" 
 
 Mr. Abbott was one of 
 the Overseers of the Poor 
 of the city, and though 
 he had many important 
 things to think about, he 
 was above all else inter- 
 ested in little children. 
 
 " Why not telephone to 
 John Towers, the police- 
 man in that ward ? " 
 
 In a few minutes Miss 
 Abbott was talking over 
 the telephone with John 
 at the station house. He 
 knew nothing of the little 
 Connors girls, but he 
 promised to look them up 
 on his night beat at nine 
 o'clock. 
 
 When bedtime came 
 both Miss Abbott and her 
 father were still waiting to hear from the policeman. 
 It was a sad story that he had to tell when he called 
 them up ; so sad, indeed, that Mr. Abbott and his 
 daughter ordered a carriage from a livery stable near by 
 
 THE ONLY LIGHT FOR A Row OF 
 HOUSES COMES THROUGH THIS 
 ALLEY 
 
74 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 and drove rapidly to Carr Street, where Towers was 
 awaiting them. You see the Connors children were brave 
 little girls, and they had not liked to ask for help ; yet the 
 younger sister was very sick with a feverish cold ; the baby 
 had croup; and the little money which Maggie had stored 
 away for such misfortunes was quickly spent by the 
 poor child, because, in the meantime, she was unable to 
 do her regular night work. Three days of suffering 
 seem long to any one ; to Maggie, while nursing her sis- 
 ters, the days seemed weeks or even months. The only 
 family in the tenement that had ever been kind to her 
 had recently moved away. Maggie was too proud to ask 
 help of strangers,, but she knew that the city government 
 never meant to let poor people suffer from want, and on 
 the very afternoon of the ice storm she left the two sick 
 children and started for the City Hall, believing that the 
 Overseers of the Poor would help her. The children had 
 had nothing to eat but bread and milk during the three 
 days, and now the supply of milk must cease because her 
 money was all gone. The baker's wife would give her 
 stale bread for almost nothing, but the milkman did not 
 understand the situation. He had said brusquely that 
 morning : " I can't trust you. You look too young for 
 steady work or steady pay." 
 
 On her way to the City Hall she fell on the glaring ice ; 
 on rising there was such pain in her ankle that she dared 
 not keep on. She turned back into the alley and climbed 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 75 
 
 the three flights of stairs, where, discouraged and suffer- 
 ing, she threw herself upon the bed beside her two sisters. 
 Hours after, when she told Miss Abbott of that after- 
 noon's experience, 
 she described the 
 pain of her heart 
 as even more acute 
 than the pain in 
 her swollen ankle. 
 Cold, hungry, and 
 sick as they were, 
 the little girls with 
 the baby had gone 
 to bed in order to 
 keep warm. When 
 Policeman Towers 
 found them he had 
 to knock many 
 times and very 
 loud, for they were 
 sleeping heavily 
 after long hours of hunger and cold and weeping. 
 Before the Abbotts arrived, Towers followed Mr. 
 Abbott's orders to build a fire and get food. When the 
 overseer of the poor and little Annie's teacher appeared 
 in the doorway of the room, they found the children 
 comfortable, though bearing the marks of sickness and 
 anxiety. 
 
 A DISMAL SPOT FOR A HOME 
 
76 LESSONS FOR JUNIOF CITIZENS 
 
 " Oh, Miss Abbott, how good of you to come and see 
 us ! " and Maggie tried to limp forward from the edge of 
 the bed where she was sitting; but her ankle was so 
 painful that she fell across her little sister, faint from 
 exhaustion and pain. 
 
 The city doctor came almost immediately, for the 
 policeman had recognized at once the need of his assist- 
 ance, and, by good fortune, the district nurse was off 
 duty, so she, too, came to help bring about comfort in 
 the sick room. 
 
 Now, as an overseer of the poor, Mr. Abbott's interest 
 in the case was official as well as friendly. He realized 
 that these children must be cared for ; that the brave 
 little girl trying to support her sisters would need contin- 
 ued aid for some time. As he sat by the stove his 
 daughter, who had been helping the nurse, came to him 
 and drew a chair beside him. 
 
 " What are you going to do about these children, 
 father ? It seems cruel to separate them, and yet they 
 cannot stay here. The doctor says Maggie's ankle won't 
 be strong for six weeks." 
 
 " I hate to send them to the city farm," Mr. Abbott 
 remarked after a moment's silence. " They certainly 
 can't stay here, even with aid from our outside depart- 
 ment." 
 
 " But, father, why not let me apply to the Associated 
 Charities in this work? Julia Swan is an agent in train- 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 77 
 
 ing, and she told me yesterday of a poor woman whom 
 she visits for the association, who might help settle the 
 whole problem. Her husband has just died, and she 
 wishes to earn something by taking children into her 
 home for small payment. The city could pay the woman 
 
 A TENEMENT HOUSING TWELVE FAMILIES WITH MORE THAN SEVENTY 
 
 MEMBERS 
 
 for taking care of these poor little girls, and the Asso- 
 ciated Charities could be responsible for their welfare. 
 Then, as soon as Maggie is strong again, we can help her 
 to learn a trade which will make it possible for her to 
 support herself." 
 
?8 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Mr. Abbott not only considered his daughter's propo- 
 sition a wise one, but broke out enthusiastically with : 
 " What a splendid thing it is in these days that our 
 city department can cooperate with volunteer charity 
 boards and make our joint work so helpful to every- 
 body ! There was a time when people who had charge 
 of private charities would not have anything to do with 
 us who represent the city, but now we are all striving 
 together to see that there is relief for the really poor, and 
 that impostors and lazy people do not take the money 
 intended for the needy. I am more and more convinced 
 of our responsibility. We not only need to realize that 
 the care of the poor and the infirm is really a great 
 social duty, but we also need to realize that indiscrimi- 
 nate charity is a twofold evil. It not only is a wrong 
 against the agency that is trying, honestly to better the 
 situation, but it is also a wrong against the individual 
 who attempts to cheat the agency." 
 
 When, just after midnight, Mr. Abbott and his 
 daughter left the Connors children in the care of a dis- 
 trict nurse, only two hours had passed since they came ; 
 yet the system of relief for the poor had made it possible 
 to provide for these little children almost immediately, 
 and if it was not actually the cause of their lives being 
 saved, it did make new surroundings with happy interests. 
 
 At all events, six months later Maggie was no longer 
 selling papers on the street or working in a midnight 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 79 
 
 restaurant. Instead, she was learning a trade while she 
 and Annie and the baby boarded with the woman who 
 was being assisted by the Associated Chanties organiza- 
 tion. Maggie keenly realized her indebtedness to the 
 city government through the Overseers of the Poor and 
 to the members of the Board of Charities who had also 
 taken an interest in her case. She had learned through 
 her experience of the great work done by these organiza- 
 tions. Indeed, she was learning many things in her new 
 life and, best of all, she was forgetting the sad and un- 
 happy times of the past. There were two things she 
 would never forget, however, the kindness of Mr. Abbott 
 and the loving interest of Annie's teacher, who had helped 
 her to keep her little family together. 
 
 What does this mean, " Not alms, but a friend"? 
 
 How does the work of our city or town department 
 (the Overseers of the Poor) carry out the above motto ? 
 
 What is outdoor relief? 
 
 Would it be wise to send able-bodied men to alms- 
 houses because they were unable, at certain times, to 
 support their families ? 
 
 What are some of the methods adopted by the Over- 
 seers of the Poor, in your city or town, to help the 
 indigent to become self-supporting ? 
 
 What is done with the orphan children in your city or 
 town ? How much care is taken of the sick through the 
 
8o 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 dispensary, or hospital and city physician, or through 
 the selectmen if your home is in a town ? 
 
 Is your town farm built on the cottage plan, or is it 
 
 one building? 
 
 How does your city 
 or town deal with 
 tramps ? 
 
 Are paupers ex- 
 pected to work at the 
 town farm ? 
 
 If an inmate of the 
 poor farm is found to 
 have been a citizen 
 of some other city or 
 town, which treasury 
 ought to bear the ex- 
 pense of supporting 
 such a person ? 
 
 What charity organ- 
 izations have you in 
 your city or town ? 
 Do they cooperate 
 with the Overseers of the Poor? 
 
 Have we industrial schools in our country, provided 
 by state or city, to help educate the ignorant to work for 
 themselves ? 
 
 What are our state institutions for the poor or sick? 
 
 THE BACK YARD OF A WRETCHED 
 TENEMENT 
 
AN OVERSEERS OF THE POOR STORY 
 
 81 
 
 Have we state institutions for idiots and the insane? 
 And for deaf mutes, for the blind, and for inebriates? 
 At such institutions is there furnished any special edu- 
 cational instruction ? 
 
 What are the relations between state and city or town 
 institutions? 
 
 What Federal institutions are there for disabled 
 seamen and soldiers ? 
 
 In what towns or cities of the United States are these 
 homes situated? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEERS 
 OF THE POOR 
 
 overseers 
 state aid 
 ward 
 pauper 
 insane 
 almshouse 
 institutions 
 poor farm 
 
 asylums 
 truant school 
 hospital 
 state hospital 
 decrepits 
 infirmary 
 dormitory 
 ambulance 
 
 dispensaries 
 
 tramps 
 
 outdoor relief 
 
 official relief 
 
 citizens' relief association 
 
 " fresh air " societies 
 
 sick-diet kitchen 
 
 thrift agencies 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE OVERSEERS OF THE POOR 
 
 The Board of Overseers of the Poor or the Commission of Charities : 
 
 These city officials have charge of all city expenditures for paupers, 
 
82 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 and for insane and other dependents. The work is often divided into 
 "indoor and outdoor relief." 
 
 The Clerk : The official in charge of the accounts. 
 
 Superintendent of the Almshouse or Poor Farm : The presiding officer 
 of the " town farm " or " city farm " often has extensive authority 
 over both the inmates of the home and the work carried out on the 
 farm itself. 
 
 Duties of the Board of Overseers, or Commissioners : These officials 
 approve reports ; they elect all officers under their authority ; they 
 visit state and city institutions ; they elect advisory committees, 
 auditing committees, and committees on rules, etc. 
 
 Duties of the Clerk (sometimes designated Chairman): This of- 
 ficial's work for the most part covers the " outdoor relief " of the 
 city poor. He must investigate each special case and give imme- 
 diate relief if the case is worthy. No permanent aid can be given 
 by him without advice of the board. He must make out an inventory 
 of each case for further reference. 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 
 
 Two children sat on the edge of the little lake watch- 
 ing the swans circling upon the water. The morning 
 was hot, but the air was fresh, and it was pleasant sitting 
 under the big willow which cast cooling shadows upon 
 the water. On a settee .under the tree sat an elderly 
 man with his newspaper in his lap. 
 
 " I wish I could feed the swans," the little girl said, 
 turning to her brother. 
 
 " The next time we come we'll bring some bread," the 
 boy replied. 
 
 " I always have something in my pockets for the 
 swans." The voice came from behind them. Turning 
 quickly, little Mary Aldrich saw the kindly face of the 
 ge'ntleman on the bench, but it was her brother who 
 answered him. 
 
 83 
 
84 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Have you fed them yet, sir ? " 
 
 u No, not yet; so you and the little girl may take this 
 cake if you wish to." 
 
 Thus it was that after the swans had been fed, Tommy 
 and Mary Aldrich found themselves on the grass chat- 
 ting pleasantly with their new acquaintance. 
 
 WHERE SWANS LIKE TO FEED 
 
 " Why, I can remember," the gentleman said, " that 
 when I was your age this park was just a stretch of 
 meadow and woodland. You know there was no city 
 here fifty years ago. It was a farming town, but the 
 railroad came and then the mills were built, and by 
 and by so many people came here that the farms were 
 cut up, streets were laid out, and a city grew up before 
 you could say * Jack Robinson/ " 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 85 
 
 " What did you use to do when you were a little 
 boy ? " asked Mary. 
 
 "One of the things I liked best to do was to come 
 here hunting with my father during the partridge season. 
 Right over there, where the summerhouse stands in 
 the botanical gardens, the woods were very dense, and 
 partridge covies could always be started up in the 
 
 season." 
 
 " It's too bad," interrupted Tommy, " that . there are 
 no partridges here now. I wish it were still wild country 
 as it was when you were a boy." 
 
 "No; I think you will prefer it as it is, when I tell 
 you how much more pleasure the park gives to all the 
 people in the city than even the wild country gave to us 
 boys and girls years ago." 
 
 " How is that? " Mary spoke this time. 
 
 " In the first place, it was not safe even for boys to 
 come here alone. Some of the land was marshy, and the 
 woods were so tangled that young children might have met 
 with injury. Then, too, it was not public property, and 
 although no one objected to our straying across the land 
 if we did no harm to fences or crops, still our fathers 
 and mothers felt that we were trespassing. Then, in 
 my day, children stole birds' eggs, and we shot and 
 trapped the squirrels and rabbits. You youngsters know 
 better. You are taught to be friendly with the wild 
 creatures, and to watch their habits and enjoy their free 
 
86 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 life." They were silent for a few moments. Each was 
 thinking. The kindly old gentleman was hoping that 
 what he had said would make the children more than 
 ever interested in the habits of the "pets of the park," as 
 he liked to call the tenants of trees and shrubs ; and the 
 
 AN ATTRACTIVE SPOT IN A PARK 
 
 children were wondering how it would seem to bring 
 guns and traps into the park, instead of nuts with which 
 to feed the animals. After all, their way was the best, 
 as their friend on the bench had said. 
 
 " I was very glad, in after years, when I became a man, 
 and was interested in public affairs, to vote for a Park 
 Commission," Mr. Colburn remarked presently. 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 87 
 
 " What does a Park Commission have to do with a 
 park ? " asked Mary. 
 
 " I know," answered Tom, without waiting for their 
 new friend to explain. 
 
 " Well ? " inquired Mr. Colburn, who had grown inter- 
 
 IN A BOTANICAL GARDEN: THE CHRYSANTHEMUM HOUSE 
 
 ested in the children and felt quite willing to sit still 
 under the tree and enjoy their young comradeship. 
 " They are the policemen who patrol, aren't they ? " 
 " No, Tommy, you are not right this time. The Park 
 Commission is a committee appointed by the mayor to 
 look after the trees and the public land owned by the 
 city arid used by the public for pleasure purposes. One 
 
88 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 reason why I so enjoy coming to this park and sitting 
 under these trees is because I was the first chairman of the 
 first Park Commission the mayor appointed. We did not 
 have much money at the outset, thirty years ago. All 
 we could do at the beginning was to acquire the land, 
 plant shrubs, and trim out a few trees. We began our 
 first work on the public Common. The second year 
 we had the benches built, and put new pathways across 
 the Common. Then old Madam Gordon died and left 
 
 this land and her 
 whole estate to the 
 city for a park sys- 
 tem. It included 
 this land here, and 
 the upland mead- 
 ows across the canal 
 where we have the 
 orolf links and ball 
 grounds, as well 
 as t h e down-town 
 playgrounds for little children. I shall never forget the 
 fight we had in the Common Council over the accept- 
 ance of the gift." 
 
 " Why, Mr. Colburn," burst forth Mary, "do you mean 
 that gentlemen fight together when they are on com- 
 mittees ? " 
 
 " Not exactly, little Miss Mary ; that was not a good 
 
 THE CHILDREN'S SAND HEAPS 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 89 
 
 word to choose. I meant that they argued. Some men 
 wanted to accept the gift, and others said that it would 
 cost the city a great deal of money to maintain or take 
 care of so much ' waste property,' as they called it. Still 
 others replied that the gift ought to be accepted because 
 the parks would beautify the city, and attract people to 
 build new homes in this part of the suburbs, and that 
 this would pay back the cost of the parks in new 
 taxes." 
 
 "Has this park really made money for the city?" 
 asked Tommy, who was much interested in his arith- 
 metic work, and who was already trying to make up an 
 example beginning, " If a city buys a park for #200,000, 
 and the assessed valuation of the neighboring property 
 is one and a half millions, and taxes are $15 on a 
 thousand, how long will it take to pay for the park ? " 
 
 But the old gentleman continued, " If the parks and 
 open fields did not raise the value of taxable property, 
 they would serve a noble purpose in themselves." 
 
 " How? " asked Tommy. 
 
 u I think Mary can guess," replied the old man. 
 
 " Do you mean because it gives people a place to 
 be happy in ? " replied the girl, thoughtfully. 
 
 " That's the sum total of it, Mary. Let us think 
 about it. In the first place, the poor people can come 
 here and enjoy fresh air. Think of all the babies that 
 have been toddling past us since we have been talking, 
 
90 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 and how much good it must do the mothers who are 
 here with them. Then, too, it teaches the citizens to 
 love beautiful nature. Even the back yards in the 
 mill districts are kept better and made more attractive 
 because the fathers, who come out here Sundays to rest, 
 see the beauty of our growing shrubs and vines and 
 
 A PARK ENTRANCE 
 
 flowers. Then, again, everybody really owns the park, 
 because it is public, and everybody takes pride in his or 
 her share of the ownership. It is very seldom that even 
 lawless boys harm any of our flower-beds or park 
 property." 
 
 Presently Mr. Colburn rose to go, but Mary and 
 Tommy were not to be left behind. With one on either 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 91 
 
 side of him, Mr. Colburn wandered across the soft velvety 
 grass to a pathway marked " Robin's Way," because there 
 in the spring the first robins find shelter in the spruces 
 and cedars. As they trudged along, Tommy said: "What 
 do our park commissioners do now? They have got 
 everything all done, haven't they ? " 
 
 " Oh, no ! there's still a large work to do, and they need 
 money more than ever," Mr. Colburn replied. " This 
 coming year they are going to use most of their appro- 
 priation to fight the brown-tail moth. You see, for the 
 sake of the people who have no other chance of a summer 
 holiday except to visit parks, there is great need to keep 
 the foliage on the shade trees. But after this siege is 
 over, I hope that the commission will be able to build an 
 out-of-door gymnasium with a swimming pool. I've 
 even thought of a playhouse for little girls and their 
 dolls; and Mr. Boyd has his heart set on a Zoo, so that 
 you children can see animals without going to the 
 circus." 
 
 Tommy instantly exclaimed, "Oh, Mary ! think what 
 fun it will be to have real live animals in this park ! " 
 
 But Mary answered, as most little girls would answer, 
 "Yes, but I like to think of real live dolls and a real live 
 doll-house." 
 
 The children felt sorry to leave their new friend when 
 he reached his own doorway. But the morning's pleasant 
 conversation proved the beginning of a friendship which 
 
92 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 will last, because they each have a love for the park as a 
 common bond, and they often meet under the old willow 
 trees. 
 
 Name the parks or " commons " and public land for 
 recreation in your town or city. 
 
 THE PARK LILY POND 
 
 Who has the care of this property ? 
 
 What amount of money was appropriated last year for 
 the use of the park system in your city or town ? 
 
 What steps are being taken to develop further recrea- 
 tion grounds and playgrounds-? 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 
 
 93 
 
 Name certain locations where playgrounds are 
 needed. 
 
 What is being done in your city to create " school 
 gardens " ? 
 
 What can the boys and girls do to help improve the 
 parks ? 
 
 What can we do here in the schoolroom to help the 
 park system as well as to interest ourselves in school 
 yards ? 
 
 A RECREATION PIER 
 
 Why should we feel that public property is our per- 
 sonal care ? 
 
 Plan a walk through the parks in order to see the 
 latest improvements or the possibility for more. If your 
 city could afford it, would public bathhouses in some 
 of the parks be an advantage ? Would trolleys through 
 the great parks be an advantage ? 
 
94 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Have you a state park in your state ? 
 Where are the famous national parks ? Where in all 
 probability will a new national park be established? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE PARK COMMISSION 
 
 commission pathways . 
 
 parks artificial duck ponds 
 
 commons wading pools 
 
 landscape gardening summerhouses 
 
 boulevard pavilion 
 
 parkway donor 
 
 statuary community 
 
 fountains officers 
 
 outdoor gymnasiums chairman 
 
 public playgrounds secretary 
 
 baseball diamond general superintendent 
 
 lawns consulting engineer 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE PARK COMMISSION 
 
 Officers of the Park Commission : The city officials who have charge 
 of the maintenance and development of parks, boulevards, trees, and 
 public land for the city, with control of the finances appropriated for 
 the use of the park system. 
 
 Chairman : The presiding and governing officer. 
 
 Secretary : The recording officer. 
 
A PARK COMMISSION STORY 
 
 95 
 
 General Superintendent : The official who has charge of all public 
 works connected with the Park Commission. 
 
 Consulting Engineer : The official who has care of surveying, and 
 the plans of construction. 
 
 Inspector of Trees : The official in charge of trees, sometimes 
 called " tree warden." This officer often places labels with both the 
 common and the botanical names upon the trees. 
 
 Landscape Gardener : The person who, having studied the art of 
 horticulture and park systems, is appointed to care for the beautifying 
 of the parks. 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 
 
 ANDY HARTWELL was a little country boy. He lived 
 upon a great wheat farm in Kansas. When he stood in 
 the doorway of his father's house, as far as his eye could 
 reach he saw the horizon line bounding his father's 
 estate, for farms in Kansas are like great plantations. 
 
 Andy was all excitement. His cousin, Alice Ferguson, 
 from a city in the far East, had arrived late the night 
 before with her mother to make a visit ; and as soon as 
 the guests should breakfast, Andy was to show Alice the 
 wonders of his home. All Andy knew of a city was 
 what he had heard his father tell after his return 
 from business trips to Kansas City. Andy had a large 
 imagination, and he tried to picture the big farm made 
 over into a city. Somehow it always looked to him as 
 
 9 6 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 97 
 
 if it were made of children's blocks, and he knew that 
 his picture was not real. 
 
 As soon as breakfast was over, Andy brought to the 
 door two saddle horses, just such well-trained horses 
 as every boy or girl in the country would like to ride. 
 Alice, who had taken riding lessons in her own city, was 
 fearless in her anticipation of the morning's pleasure. 
 
 " Why, Andy ! " she exclaimed joyously, " it is going 
 to be such fun to ride across country and look off at the 
 sky without any interruptions." 
 
 " It is a fine day," rejoined Andy ; " I can see very few 
 clouds." 
 
 " Oh ! by ' interruptions ' I did not mean clouds." 
 
 "What did you mean, Cousin Alice?" asked the 
 boy. 
 
 " Why, I meant great tall chimneys and electric poles 
 and hundreds of fine glistening wires and steeples and 
 water tanks and gasometers, besides horrid black, sooty 
 smoke hanging over all. The sky here looks as if the 
 angels had washed it and put in too much bluing." 
 
 So they chatted merrily, as they crossed the home- 
 stead orchards into the paths that led through the wheat 
 fields, where the harvest was already fulfilling its spring 
 promise. Alice asked Andy question after question 
 about the life which he knew so well. He liked to ex- 
 plain the mysteries of the farm and to show her the barns 
 and stables which were bigger and airier than any she 
 
98 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 had ever dreamed of. Then she marveled at the ma- 
 chinery for planting, hoeing, reaping, and threshing; 
 each remarkable invention which Andy explained, as 
 only a boy can, gave the city girl a wonderful insight 
 into scientific agriculture. 
 
 " Oh, Andy, I should think you would so enjoy living 
 on this great farm ! " she exclaimed, when the ride was 
 over and the horses were back in the stable. 
 
 " No, Cousin Alice, just as soon as I am old enough to 
 go to college I wish to go to Chicago University. I 
 know I shall like the chimney tops and the electric 
 wires and the steeples, and even the horrid old smoke, 
 better than I could possibly ever like farming. I am glad 
 I have been a little boy on a farm, but I wish to be a man 
 in a big city. What is a real city like, Cousin Alice ? " 
 the boy asked, throwing himself down on the grass, 
 while his daintily dressed cousin established herself in a 
 hammock. 
 
 Alice Ferguson, like her cousin Andy, had a keen 
 imagination, so she shut her eyes and let her memory 
 call up the picture of her own city. 
 
 " You take this farm and cut it all up into broad 
 streets, five times as broad as the path that is cut by 
 your biggest McCormick reaper; then you build great 
 big houses side by side." 
 
 " I've never seen such houses," interrupted Andy; " but 
 I think I can imagine brick blocks. I have seen pictures 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 99 
 
 of the houses in New York and Boston. Aren't there 
 any trees on the streets, Alice ? " 
 
 " Not very often, except out in the suburbs where the 
 private residences are ; there the trees and gardens and 
 parks are beautiful. Do you know, Andy, right in the 
 heart of the city there is so much to think about that 
 
 CONSTRUCTION OF A SEWER CONDUIT 
 
 you don't stop to think at all ! Why, under the streets 
 there are the great subways where the electric cars fly 
 back and forth like shuttles in a loom ! Then there are 
 sewer conduits and water pipes and gas pipes and 
 sunken electric wires." 
 
 " Why, Alice ! " exclaimed Andy, " I thought electric 
 wires ran from pole to pole above the ground." 
 
100 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " So they did at first, but they don't any more in the 
 big cities." 
 
 " Why not ? " 
 
 " Oh, the people come and go so constantly in a 
 crowded city that overhead wires do great damage at 
 times. The city authorities demand that the wires shall 
 be laid under the ground." 
 
 A PUMPING STATION 
 
 " Alice, did you ever visit the great stations where 
 all these wonderful underground conveniences are 
 started ? " 
 
 " Yes, Andy, when my father was one of the city engi- 
 neers I used to drive with him every afternoon, and we 
 often had to visit the power house of the electric lighting 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY K?$?^ 
 
 system ; then we went sometimes to the pumping station 
 of the water works." 
 
 " I know a little about dynamos and electricity, 
 Alice, because some of our machinery here goes by 
 electricity, and we have batteries, and I have a little 
 dynamo of my own ; but I don't know a thing about 
 pumping stations and reservoirs. We use windmills, 
 you see." 
 
 INTERIOR OF A PUMPING STATION 
 
 " Of course I really don't know much myself," Alice 
 replied frankly, " but it always interests me very much 
 to remember where the water comes from when I turn 
 on a faucet in my room." 
 
 " Where does it come from ? " asked Andy, eagerly. 
 
 " It comes from a lake higher up in the country, 
 twelve miles north of our city. It comes in great pipes 
 
:I02 i liEBSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 to the reservoir. At the reservoir there is an immense 
 pumping station run by dynamos not unlike those in an 
 electric car barn. Then the great main pipes are laid 
 eight or nine feet below the pavements. They carry the 
 water through the streets, and service pipes pass from 
 the main pipes to all the buildings and houses that use 
 the water. It is all very intricate, Andy; there are so 
 
 CLEARING LAND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM 
 
 many little valves like gates that open and shut accord- 
 ing to the pressure of the water, You know that when 
 we go away in summer or winter and shut up our houses, 
 we can shut off the water without notifying the Water 
 Board, but if there is any trouble with our water supply, 
 it is our duty to notify the board immediately, that they 
 may investigate." 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 
 
 103 
 
 " Do all cities get their water from so great a dis- 
 tance ? " asked Andy, after a few moments' thought. 
 
 " Oh, no ! Where Uncle James lives the water comes 
 from a system of driven wells just out of the city; and 
 when I was in Washington I discovered that I was 
 drinking the water of the Potomac River." 
 
 CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM 
 
 The boy said, "Why, I should think that would be 
 horrid!" 
 
 " No, they have a wonderful filtering process to make 
 the water clear and pure." 
 
 " Tell me about the gas works in a big city," demanded 
 Andy, after he had adjusted himself to a new position 
 on the grass. 
 
104 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Why, you have never seen a gasometer ! " ejaculated 
 Alice. 
 
 " No, of course not," Andy replied ; " but wait until 
 this evening after dark and you will see a natural 
 
 A GASOMETER 
 
 gas well, something you have never seen, Alice, I 
 reckon." 
 
 " I shall want to see it," said Alice, "and I wish it were 
 dark now." 
 
 " In the meanwhile," said Andy, " you may tell me 
 how a gasometer looks." 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 
 
 105 
 
 "Our gasometer at home is a great round building 
 made of iron and steel, and, Andy, you won't believe it, 
 but the great iron roof, or cover, rises and falls in such 
 a way that it 
 looks sometimes 
 like a skeleton 
 building, just 
 framework and 
 open spaces; at 
 other times it 
 looks like a huge 
 red kettle." 
 
 ' I can't imag- 
 ine it at all," 
 said Andy, and 
 he spoke almost 
 petulantly. 
 
 " I am sorry, 
 
 Andy," his cousin replied. " I can't describe it any 
 better, but when I go home I will send you a picture 
 of it. The gas pipes that go from the gasometer are not 
 so large as the water pipes that go from the mains, but 
 they run along the streets parallel with and sometimes 
 above the water pipes, and these, too, have small pipes run- 
 ning from the large ones. Thus the gas enters every 
 house, or almost every house, in the city. Did you know 
 that the gas and water are both metered in most cities?" 
 
 INTERIOR OF GAS HOUSE SHOWING MAIN THROUGH 
 WHICH THE GAS RUNS 
 
io6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " What does that mean ? " Andy asked. 
 "Why, it means measured. You pay for so many 
 cubic feet of gas or so many gallons of water. Years 
 ago they did not meter the water, but the waste was so 
 
 great in tene- 
 ment houses, 
 where ignorant 
 people often let 
 the water run 
 all day, that a 
 meter system 
 was introduced. 
 "Oh! I had 
 
 k WHERE THE COKE is FORCED OUT OF THE RETORT forgotten to tell 
 
 you that all our 
 
 city streets, public buildings, and many of our residences 
 are lighted by electricity. The electric plant at home " 
 
 " What's an electric plant ? " interrupted Andy. " Is it 
 a vegetable ? " 
 
 Alice looked up quickly to see if her cousin was 
 in earnest, but she saw a merry twinkle in his eyes and 
 knew that he was joking. 
 
 " I rather think you know about the electric lighting 
 station, because you say you understand dynamos and 
 electrical machines." 
 
 " I don't believe I really know anything about elec- 
 tricity, but I think a good deal about it, Alice. I want 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 107 
 
 to be an electrician, but my father says I must go to college 
 first so as to be an ' all-round ' man. I shall be very old 
 before I really get to work. I am fifteen now, and it will 
 take ten years to get me ready to begin at the 'foot of 
 the ladder,' father says." 
 
 " I am fifteen, too," Alice rejoined. 
 
 A CITY POWER HOUSE 
 
 " Do all the boys and girls in your home know as 
 much about city interests as you do?" 
 
 " Why, yes, I think so," she replied modestly. " Chil- 
 dren can't help knowing something about the water 
 works and gas and electricity, because they are the 
 necessities of our life. Then the public school boys, 
 and even the girls, have opportunities to watch the 
 excavations and construction of these great city systems. 
 
io8 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 It sometimes seems as if our streets were being paved 
 and repaved constantly, because of the necessary recon- 
 struction, or new pipe laying." 
 
 Just then a great gong struck, and Andy told Alice 
 that it meant dinner for the farm hands. " Our dinner 
 will be ready before long," he added, as he jumped up 
 from the grass. 
 
 As Alice walked beside him to the house, Andy ejacu- 
 lated, " Oh, cousin, I feel so ignorant of the great world 
 
 ahead of me ! " 
 
 " Don't say that, 
 Andy," Alice an- 
 swered. " I wish I 
 had been brought 
 up on a farm and 
 had grown strong 
 with the opportu- 
 nity to live an out- 
 door life; then I 
 should know some- 
 thing about nature. Think of all the things I don't 
 know that are like A, B, C to you ! " 
 
 " Perhaps you are right, cousin, but I am glad you are 
 here on the farm with me now." 
 " So am I," the girl replied. 
 
 A GUSH OF WATER FROM A DRIVEN WELL 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 
 
 109 
 
 Have you a Water Board in your town or city ? 
 
 Is your lighting system controlled by your town or 
 city, or by private corporations ? 
 
 Why is it so important that a city should have 
 the best water supply in quantity as well as quality? 
 
 PIPE DRAWING WATER FROM DRIVEN WELLS 
 
 Why are the street, sewer, and fire departments so 
 closely connected with the water department? 
 
 In what way can school children materially help the 
 water department ? 
 
 Write a little story describing a city with the water 
 supply shut off for two whole days. Think not only of 
 the dreadful things that would happen, but of the things 
 that men and women would have to do in order to find 
 a substitute for water. 
 
IIO 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Write a story describing a city or town in which all 
 the gas and electrical supplies are shut off, and imagine 
 
 what would happen. 
 Let your imagina- 
 tion picture what 
 the citizens would 
 do at once in order 
 to get light without 
 the aid of the great 
 systems. 
 
 Why is the boy 
 or girl on the farm 
 so much better 
 able to live hap- 
 pily without these conveniences than the city boy or girl ? 
 Do you know of any village where these conveniences 
 are being introduced, and if so, why it is wise to intro- 
 duce them? 
 
 WATER DISCHARGING FROM DRIVEN WELL 
 
 VOCABULARY THE CITY LIGHTING DEPARTMENT 
 
 gas 
 
 gasometer 
 
 gasoline 
 
 explosion 
 
 meter 
 
 converter 
 
 underground lines 
 
 batteries 
 
 dynamo 
 
 carbons 
 
 fuse 
 
 incandescent 
 
 mantel 
 burners 
 transmitters 
 insulators 
 dead wires 
 live wires 
 
A MUNICIPAL INTERESTS STORY 
 
 III 
 
 nitrogen 
 reservoirs 
 engine 
 pumping station 
 
 VOCABULARY THE WATER BOARD 
 
 oxygen sprinklers 
 
 sediment standpipe 
 
 hydrant conduit 
 
 low service fountain 
 
 evaporation 
 
 high service 
 
 water meters 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 MUNICIPAL INTERESTS 
 
 Water Board or Water Commissioner : The official or officials who 
 have control of the city supply of water. 
 
 Superintendent of Sewerage or Sewerage Commission : The official 
 or officials who have control of the city's sewerage. 
 
 City Lighting Department or Commissioner of City Lighting : The 
 official or officials who have control of the city lighting : either of 
 the gas or electricity, or of both, if the city owns these important 
 works. 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 
 
 "Wno do you think will get the gold prize? " asked 
 Mary Baxter of her brother Ralph, as the two children 
 walked toward their home from school. It was the last 
 day of recitations for the year, and they were carrying 
 with them a curious collection of odds and ends, which 
 Ralph called a " regular museum of fine arts." 
 
 " I think Joe Blake will get it," Mary continued ; " he 
 has been a real worker the whole year." 
 
 " I don't," Ralph replied, stooping to pick up a writ- 
 ing pad which Mary had dropped. " No, I rather 
 think Jake Swan will win. Jake has done wonders ever 
 since last Thanksgiving. Besides, the gold prize has 
 always been given for greatest improvement in conduct 
 
 112 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 113 
 
 as well as scholarship. Joe Blake couldn't improve in 
 conduct. He is always as good as good can be." 
 
 " Well, perhaps you are right," Mary spoke thought- 
 fully. " I do wish Jake could win it. It would be such 
 a - oh, I don't know what to call it! only I know he 
 would keep on trying more if he had such encourage- 
 ment. Just think, it was only a year ago that every- 
 body thought Jake was going to grow into a wicked 
 man ! " 
 
 " Well, it is all Judge Benson's doings. He has 
 saved Jake everybody says so," Ralph rejoined. 
 
 " Judge Benson and Jake himself. It took the some- 
 thing good in Jake to get the good out of Judge Ben- 
 son's advice," Mary added. 
 
 " Why, of course ! " said Ralph. " There is good 
 in almost everybody, way down, if it is only helped." 
 
 Jake Swan did win the gold prize. Do you wonder 
 that he was proud ? Let me tell you about the boy. 
 
 Jake's father worked in a saloon down at Seven 
 Points, and Seven Points was the worst district in the 
 city. Jake had never known a mother's love. He 
 sometimes wondered what his mother would have been 
 like; but he .did not wonder often, because he was so 
 busy going to school and selling newspapers in the 
 Square at night. When Jake was ten years old, his 
 father died suddenly. The saloon keeper, thinking it 
 would be a kindness, offered Jake a home in the saloon. 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 He was to run errands after school hours in exchange 
 for a bed and his board. He had no home ; somebody 
 must take care of him ; and so Jake went to the saloon 
 
 and became the "Mascot of 
 Floyd's Gilt Edge Bar Room," 
 as the newspaper boys called 
 him. 
 
 In spite of the fact that 
 all his life he had come and 
 gone behind the bar with his 
 father, he now had errands 
 to do, in relation to the sa- 
 loon, that at first made his 
 young heart ache with shame 
 and regret. He saw bad men 
 and bad women doing sinful 
 deeds and rejoicing in their 
 sins. However, because 
 everybody around him was 
 bad, he soon began to believe 
 that the world was made up 
 of nothing but wrongdoing, 
 notwithstanding the stories 
 he read in school and the 
 
 talks he had with his teachers. Jake positively liked 
 to tell lies, and draw on his big imagination. The boys 
 said that nobody could tell such lies as Jake. He grew 
 
 A BOY FROM THE STREET WHOSE 
 
 CHARACTER is BEING FORMED 
 BY GOOD INFLUENCES 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 115 
 
 stout, and soon became the biggest fighter in the set of 
 followers who, with him as leader, made up a "gang." 
 Playing truant from school was an offense that would 
 soon have become a habit, but a worse fate was before 
 Jake. One night he stole a pocket-book from a table 
 in the saloon where its owner had left it. He was 
 detected in the act, a summons was drawn up, and the 
 next morning Jake Swan stood in the dock. 
 
 It was " Juvenile Court Day " and Judge Benson sat at 
 the court room desk reading a document. Jake watched 
 him for a few moments, and then his mind wandered 
 away from the court room. He remembered that he 
 had once had a mother. What would his mother say to 
 him if she had lived ? He was not yet fourteen years 
 old and already a thief ! He dropped his head on his 
 chest, and the words that formed in his mind were : " I 
 am glad now that I have no mother. She would be sick 
 with shame ! " 
 
 When Jake's name was called he stepped forward and 
 waited. The judge looked at him, and taking off his 
 spectacles, said : " You look like a boy who is bright 
 enough to earn money instead of stealing it. Should 
 you like to go on a farm and really work, work so hard 
 that you would want to go to sleep when the chickens 
 go to roost ? " 
 
 Something came over Jake; perhaps it was due to 
 the kindness in the judge's face or to his fatherly way 
 
n6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 of speaking. Jake's throat seemed to grow small and 
 his voice sounded very hoarse, but he answered the 
 judge : " Why, yes, sir. Yes, I'd be glad to go away, 
 anywhere you say, sir." 
 
 A PLEASANT HOME FOR THE BOY WHO is SENT INTO THE COUNTRY 
 
 Then Judge Benson took up the report which lay 
 before him on the desk. As he glanced over its type- 
 written face, he talked half to himself and half to Jake. 
 " The probation officer says that this boy has no home ; 
 that he has never known a mother's care ; that for four 
 years he has had no father. He sleeps in a saloon and 
 eats in a back room with the waiting men. This is his 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 117 
 
 first appearance before a court. Do you know, Jake, I 
 think you have not had your chance as yet. I am 
 wondering how you have pulled along for four years 
 without a real friend." 
 
 Jake was silent. He had heard that the new judge 
 had established this Juvenile Court and that he believed 
 in children. He waited for his verdict. 
 
 " Mr. Slater is our probation officer." The boy did 
 not take his eyes from the judge's face. " Mr. Slater, I 
 think we won't send Jake away to a farm. He needs 
 to stay with his friends right here in the city. 
 
 " And now, Jake, Mr. Slater expects to be one of your 
 friends, and I am going to be another. Then your 
 teacher is going to be the third, if she is the woman I 
 hope she is. You will have a card given to you by Mr. 
 Slater, who will explain what it means, and once a week 
 you will report to him with the card so that he may 
 make a record as to your progress. Then Miss Brown 
 will have another card, which will be a daily report, 
 recording your school attendance and behavior. I my- 
 self will not give you a card ; instead, you will just 
 belong to my ' crowd,' and you may come to me for 
 advice any time you wish. Perhaps once in two weeks 
 you will come, anyway, just to remind yourself that I am 
 your friend. Very soon Mr. Slater will find you a better 
 home than a saloon. Now we'll shake hands, Jake." 
 
 That was how it happened that Jake Swan became 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 another boy in everything except his curly hair and black 
 eyes. In fact, his very body seemed to grow just as his 
 spirit did, because he carried himself in more manly 
 fashion. You see he tried to stand straight and walk 
 as Judge Benson did, though he never told anybody. 
 Yes, Jake did win the gold prize, a ten-dollar gold 
 piece. The superintendent of schools made a speech 
 
 A PARENTAL SCHOOL 
 
 that Jake will never forget, and yet he did not realize 
 at the time that the boy of whom the superintendent 
 was speaking was himself; no, not until the very close, 
 when Mr. Hartshorn said, " I believe no boy ever de- 
 served a prize more than our young friend, Jake Swan." 
 Jake's friends were all present the judge and the pro- 
 bation officer, as well as Miss Brown and the boys and 
 girls, Ralph and Mary Baxter among the others. They 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 
 
 119 
 
 all believed in Jake. But best of all, Jake now believes 
 in himself. He feels sure that he will keep true to his 
 resolutions to be a good man, even if he cannot be a 
 great one, like his hero, the judge of the Juvenile Court. 
 
 In Chicago there is published a paper whose title 
 is the Juvenile Court Record. Its motto reads, " It is 
 wiser and less expensive to save children than to punish 
 criminals." Let us think about this statement. When 
 a child's surroundings are unfortunate or even vicious, 
 what can the children who go to school with him do 
 to better that child's con- 
 dition ? 
 
 Here are some of the 
 objects of the Juvenile 
 Court laws: To see that 
 children on probation 
 are kept in their own 
 homes, if they are good 
 homes where proper care 
 and training to help the child can be given; to 
 combat the negative influence of bad surroundings by 
 forming a society where boys can have access to libraries, 
 reading rooms, and baths ; to provide for homelike deten- 
 tion houses instead of jails ; to hold parents and guardians 
 responsible for children's offenses, where through neglect 
 or immoral influence the children have broken the law. 
 
 THE WORKSHOP OF A PARENTAL 
 SCHOOL 
 
I2O 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Judge Lindsey of Denver, Colorado, defines the aim of 
 the Juvenile courts when he says that their efforts are 
 not so much toward reforming as toward forming childish 
 character. 
 
 Why is it wiser to use a summons rather than a war- 
 rant for arrest with children ? 
 
 PARENTAL SCHOOLBOYS AT WORK IN WINTER 
 
 In some cities boys and girls under arrest with older 
 persons are conveyed to prison in separate conveyances 
 as well as detained in separate rooms. Why should 
 every city take these precautions ? 
 
 Why are the probation cards often given to the teacher 
 to care for instead of to an officer or guardian ? 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 
 
 121 
 
 Have you in your state many industrial institutions 
 or schools for wayward boys and girls ? 
 
 In these parental schools and reform schools what 
 trades are often taught? 
 
 How do charity associations cooperate with the Juve- 
 nile Court in -your city or state? 
 
 What is the difference between punishment as a 
 
 A HOSPITAL AT A PARENTAL SCHOOL 
 
 " means of correction " and punishment " for a deed 
 committed "? 
 
 How can this spirit of helpfulness be carried out in 
 the schoolroom ? 
 
 This is what Theodore Roosevelt says of the Juvenile 
 Court: "The work of the Juvenile Court is really a work 
 of character building. It is now generally recognized 
 that young boys and young girls who go wrong should 
 not be treated as criminals,' not even necessarily as 
 needing reformation, but rather as needing to have their 
 
122 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 characters formed, and for this end to have them tested 
 and developed by a system of probation." 
 
 A PARENTAL SCHOOL KITCHEN WHERE THE BOYS ARE 
 
 TAUGHT TO COOK 
 
 VOCABULARY THE JUVENILE COURT 
 
 juvenile court 
 
 probation 
 
 summons 
 
 detention 
 
 guardianship 
 
 absentees 
 
 truants 
 
 warrant 
 
 complaint 
 
 magistrate 
 
 custody 
 
 industrial school 
 
 sentence 
 
 environment 
 
 reformatory 
 
 refuge 
 
 rescue homes 
 
 institutional home 
 
A JUVENILE COURT STORY 
 
 123 
 
 IN THE CARPENTERS' SHOP OF A PARENTAL SCHOOL 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE JUVENILE COURT 
 
 Juvenile Court Judge : The judicial executive who passes judgment 
 upon juvenile cases before the law. 
 
 Probation Officer : The court official appointed to keep in close com- 
 munication with a " delinquent " through a report system. His work 
 is to form character in the offender as well as to reform it. 
 
 Detention House Officers : The superintendent and matron, with their 
 assistants, who have care of "delinquents." 
 
 Officials of the Industrial School: These officers are at the heads 
 of reform schools for boys and girls, where trades are taught. 
 
A CAUCUS AND ELECTION AND INAU- 
 GURATION STORY 
 
 (From a Boy's Diary) 
 
 August 6, fpoj. Uncle John took me to the primary 
 that's the caucus in a ward of a big city. When we 
 lived in the country we never called a caucus a primary. 
 
 The men of our ward were all standing about when 
 Uncle John and I arrived. Some were talking loudly, 
 others whispering, but everybody seemed excited. By 
 and by Mr. Smith, chairman of the city committee, called 
 the meeting to order, and Uncle John was made moder- 
 ator. Uncle John expected to be made moderator. The 
 
 124 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 125 
 
 reason he took me to the primary was so that I might 
 better understand party organization and the work of a 
 political committee. He had already told me that there 
 would be no voters of the opposite party at this primary. 
 They meet in another caucus, on another night. Every 
 caucus of a political party has to be called by a legal or 
 printed notice, and any registered voter may take part 
 in it if he is willing to take an oath that he belongs to 
 the political party which has called the caucus. If any- 
 body doubts his statement, the voter may be challenged, 
 and must then take the oath and put it on record. 
 There is a check list of all the voters, and this is used in 
 balloting; if a man had been careless and had forgotten 
 to have his name placed upon the check list, he could 
 not vote. 
 
 The first business of the caucus last night was 
 that of choosing a chairman and secretary and other 
 such officers, including a treasurer. This caucus also 
 had to choose delegates to the state convention, as well 
 as a warden, a clerk, and five inspectors. They also 
 talked over the way to bring out sentiment in favor of 
 their party throughout the city. I was surprised to find 
 that every man who wished to run as a candidate had 
 to pay a sum of money. Uncle John says it varies in 
 different cities and for different positions. Here in our 
 city, if a man does not receive his nomination after all, 
 the money is returned in full, but in some places only a 
 
126 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 part of his money is made good, and of course he may 
 not be elected even after he is nominated. 
 
 The balloting had to close at half past eight. I was 
 allowed to walk up and watch the exact way in which 
 the voter makes out his ballot. First of all, I noticed 
 
 INTERIOR OF POLLING PLACE 
 
 that the ballot has an official heading with the party 
 name. On the back and outside of each ballot is printed 
 "Official Ballot of the - Party," and this is fol- 
 
 lowed by the number of the ward, the date of the caucus, 
 and a facsimile of the signature of the secretary. The 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 127 
 
 names of the candidates for each elective office are 
 arranged alphabetically according to their surnames, 
 and the names of the candidates for caucus offices are 
 arranged in groups, also alphabetically. Against the 
 name of each candidate was printed the statement con- 
 tained in his nomination paper. The nomination papers 
 had already been in circulation for two weeks. A state- 
 ment against the name had to be written, in not more 
 than eight words, describing the candi- 
 date's qualifications for the office. 
 
 I walked up with Mr. Gray, father's 
 partner, and he took the ballot and 
 marked a cross against the names of 
 those candidates for whom he wished 
 to vote. When he came to the sheriff's 
 name he crossed it out and wrote in 
 another. This was legal, though very 
 few voters make changes in the nomi- 
 nation ballot. After the polls were 
 closed the voters stood near, within 
 three feet of the rail, and watched the inspectors count the 
 votes; then Uncle John, the moderator, made a public 
 announcement of the candidates elected. Immediately 
 began a discussion about the nomination for sheriff, 
 because many had scratched out the printed name, fol- 
 lowing Mr. Gray's method of writing in the name of his 
 own candidate. It was found; however, that a majority 
 
128 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 had voted for the regular candidate. The clerk made a 
 copy of the record of votes, certified and sealed it, and 
 made the package ready to send to the election com- 
 missioners at the Capitol, the warden and the clerk 
 having endorsed the package in the meanwhile. 
 
 I must say I was sleepy when it was all over, and glad 
 enough to get out of the ward house and breathe the 
 fresh air. I said to Uncle John, " There's lots more 
 4 liberty ' out of doors than there is in such a place as 
 
 a caucus." 
 
 He laughed and answered : " Still, we have to be 
 cooped up in just such stuffy places as this, in order to 
 organize and arrange matters so that big and little citi- 
 zens, such as you and I are, may have a smoothly run- 
 ning city to live in by day and night. We must have 
 law in order to enforce peace, my boy. Do you see ? " 
 
 I was so sleepy that I did not care much ; I just 
 wanted to get home. But the more I thought about 
 it this morning, the more I realized how necessary it is to 
 have just such legal meetings to make sure that the peo- 
 ple shall have a chance to select the men that they wish 
 for their candidates. In many states a boss makes up 
 all the tickets, and nobody can be nominated unless the 
 boss consents. 
 
 December 6, spoj. The excitement has begun .over 
 the election of the mayor. The delegates elected by the 
 caucus held committees and nominated father's friend, 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 129 
 
 Mr. Gray. His friends have spent a great deal of money 
 on " campaign literature," which sets forth the waste of 
 funds by the city's last administration, showing that the 
 whole policy of the other party is wasteful and that 
 the present mayor is weak. Early in October both 
 national committees published campaign text-books, 
 
 ELECTION DAY 
 
 which have been in circulation all over the city. Of 
 course they have nothing to do with our city officials 
 of either party, but they set forth the principles of each 
 party, and that helps, because it proves to all the fol- 
 lowers of each party that theirs is the one honest and 
 good party. 
 
130 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 I don't see how the parties dare to call each other 
 such names, but they do, and nobody seems to mind. 
 Hundreds and hundreds of dollars have been spent on 
 little pamphlets containing the story of city interests. 
 Photographs of the mayor-elect and some of the alder- 
 men have been left at everybody's door, and there have 
 been public meetings, with men from out of town to make 
 speeches in favor of good government. 
 
 December 14, 1903. Yesterday was election day, and 
 such a time as we had ! Father let me go with Uncle 
 
 John to the city 
 committee rooms 
 to watch the work 
 at headquarters. 
 
 There are nine 
 wards in our city, 
 and the polling 
 booths were closed 
 at four o'clock; 
 but the check lists 
 were not made up 
 
 and sent to the City Hall before seven ; so we had a 
 long time to wait after that, before we knew which way 
 the vote had gone. It was pretty close, and in one 
 ward there was so much challenging that it was ten 
 o'clock before the inspectors were able to seal their 
 check lists and send in the result. 
 
 BELATED VOTERS 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 131 
 
 I had no idea until to-day that people could care so 
 much about getting out the voters. Our city committee 
 hired one hundred hacks and not only carried old men 
 and invalids to the polling houses, but after three o'clock 
 
 CITY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Specimen Ballot for Ward 1, Precinct 1, Boston, December 12, 19O5. 
 
 Vote for a Person mark a Cross |X| in Square at right of Name and Designation. 
 
 for SEVE.1 : ; ran SCHOOL COMMITTEE (3 T ears). vt far TWO 
 
 JSTREET COMMISSIONER. 
 
 COUNCIL. Vote for THBE 
 
 H ; ;'j SCHOOL COMMITTEE (I Yearsl. vo for TWO 
 
 
 Llf IttMVUM.UID: 
 
 n SCHOOL COMMITTEE tear). vae fa OBI 
 
 A SPECIMEN BALLOT 
 
 in the afternoon they telephoned to a great many voters 
 who had not appeared ; they would not risk their forget- 
 ting to appear till too late. 
 
 In our city the women vote for the School Committee, 
 and when our party found that the other men were 
 urging their women voters to appear at the polls, our city 
 
132 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 committee sent barges right and left, up and down the 
 streets to give free rides .to the ladies. Every woman 
 who was on the check list not only could reach her own 
 polling place with great ease, but she had the fun of a 
 sleighride all through the city if she wished it. It was 
 the first time either party had tried to bring out the 
 
 women voters, and when 
 it was all over both parties 
 discovered that exactly the 
 same number of women 
 voted in the Democratic 
 wards as in the Republi- 
 can. So, after all, calling 
 out the vote of the women 
 really didn't make much 
 difference. 
 
 The method of voting at 
 the polling places is much 
 like that at the caucus. 
 At each precinct there 
 was a check list of legal voters and inspectors and clerks. 
 The full Australian ballot system was in use at the election. 
 Every official candidate's name was on the ballot given 
 to voters, and beyond the rail were six little booths so 
 arranged that a man voting in one booth could not see 
 his neighbor's ballot. The ballot contained the names 
 of all the candidates, and the voter put a cross after the 
 
 A GROUP OF POLITICIANS 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 133 
 
 name of the 
 man for whom 
 he wished to 
 vote. In some 
 places you can 
 vote a "straight 
 ticket" for all 
 the candi- 
 dates of one or 
 another party 
 by writing a 
 cross in an up- 
 per circle, and 
 in some places 
 there are voting 
 machines. The 
 expenses of this 
 election seemed 
 to me to mean 
 a good deal of 
 money, but 
 father says that 
 in other cities 
 it costs a good 
 deal more than 
 here, where 
 things can be 
 
 I 
 
 G 
 
 I 
 
 
 III 
 
 lit 
 
 a 
 
 Bi 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
134 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 simpler, because our population is only one hundred 
 thousand. 
 
 In a great city like New York, where there are about 
 nine hundred thousand voters, politics are not so simple. 
 Campaign literature is not so useful, and personal 
 conversations do more good, so that a great many men 
 are required to go about among the ignorant and unin- 
 formed citizens in order to create an interest in the 
 election. 
 
 January 2, 1904. Until I studied the machinery of 
 political government, I did not understand that there was 
 a great deal to be done after election day. First of all, 
 in two wards the vote was very close and a recount was 
 asked for, and that took two whole days, but it did not 
 change the result. Mr. Gray was elected. Then, ever 
 since election day the winning party has been getting 
 ready for the inauguration of the mayor. 
 
 Yesterday morning Uncle John took me to the City 
 Hall and into the gallery of the aldermanic chamber. 
 Great bouquets of flowers had already been sent and were 
 upon the desks of the new aldermen, as well as upon the 
 large desk on the platform where the exercises of inaug- 
 uration were to take place. 
 
 At ten o'clock the minister and the judge of the police 
 court came down the aisle of the room accompanied by 
 the president of the Board of Aldermen. Just behind 
 them were the outgoing mayor, Mr. Bryant, and the 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 135 
 
 incoming mayor, Mr. Gray. These were followed by the 
 aldermen, and then a great many of the City Council and 
 city officials crowded into the room, standing or sitting 
 as best they could. Most of the guests sat in the gallery 
 where we were. 
 
 After the prayer, 
 the chairman of the 
 ward called upon 
 the judge to admin- 
 ister the oath of 
 office to Mayor 
 Gray, who then de- 
 livered a formal 
 address as mayor 
 to his council, in 
 which he set forth 
 his own policy for the city government, as well as the 
 great principles of the party that had elected him. I 
 had never seen an inauguration before, and it seemed 
 very dignified. 
 
 One reads in the paper a great deal about city corrup- 
 tion and the wrongdoing of officials. I wonder if politics, 
 in themselves, do corrupt officials, or whether it is the 
 men outside the government who are continually tempt- 
 ing the officials to use their positions to work for them. I 
 didn't think of that myself until Uncle John said that he 
 thought the man who kept offering bribes was perhaps 
 
 THE INAUGURATION OF A MAYOR 
 
136 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS . 
 
 quite as bad as the man who sometimes fell through 
 temptation. 
 
 Just as soon as the mayor's speech was over, a great 
 many office-seekers were standing in line to meet the 
 new mayor, and he had to slip away from the City Hall, 
 or he would have done nothing else the greater part of 
 the day but talk with men who expected that, because 
 they had voted for him, they were entitled to some 
 appointment, whether they knew anything about the 
 office and whether the man already in the position was 
 doing his .duty or not. 
 
 The mayor's power to appoint officers is his greatest 
 mark of authority ; yet father thinks men dread this re- 
 sponsibility more than anything else. In some cities the 
 mayor's power is so great that the appointment of of- 
 ficials is not even subject to ratification. As the execu- 
 tive of the city the mayor's greatest weapon is his veto 
 power, which tends to prevent excessive use of money 
 by the council, and to prevent measures which he con- 
 siders unwise or a menace to public welfare. In some 
 cities a mayor is but a figurehead in comparison with the 
 Board of Aldermen and councilors. In our city, how- 
 ever, the charter gives great power to the mayor, and I 
 do hope Mr. Gray will be able to execute his office with 
 force and clearheadedness. 
 
 Father explained to me last evening- what " parties " 
 mean. A political party is in its form simply a society 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 137 
 
 of men who come together in order to direct in an intel- 
 ligent manner the management of political campaigns 
 and elections, setting forth by speeches or written or 
 printed matter the principles and policy which they mean 
 to follow. Although these men as an association are not 
 able to contract debts or to enforce their rights by law- 
 suits, they are very great forces in the country. The two 
 most important parties are the Republican and the Demo- 
 cratic. Then there are the Socialists, the Prohibitionists, 
 and other smaller political parties, such as labor, good gov- 
 ernment, and reform parties, citizens' leagues, and so on. 
 These great parties meet every year and appoint 
 national committees to represent the country at large. 
 The states each have state committees, and there are 
 committees for the congressional districts and city com- 
 mittees and town committees. These committees are 
 made up of leaders or managers, just as in football there 
 is a manager who can accomplish the work of the team by 
 careful and earnest supervision. These managers draw 
 up and discuss beforehand what shall be accomplished at 
 conventions, and what platforms shall be brought before 
 the conventions. Sometimes these city committees are 
 served year in and year out by the same persons, who often 
 become dictators to their party. Then they are known 
 as "bosses," and instead of the leader representing the 
 people and carrying out the wishes of the people, this 
 political boss becomes a tyrant, using his great power 
 
138 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 not for the good of his party but for the benefit of 
 himself and his friends. The only weapon against 
 such boss government must be the honest vote of honest 
 people. The citizens of a municipal government are in 
 duty bound, for the sake of their fellow-citizens, to see to 
 it that the municipal government is honestly carried on. 
 
 WARD 2. PRECINCT 1 
 
 A LIST OF QUALIFIED VOTERS 
 
 If you live in a large city, do you know whether your 
 wards are divided into precincts, and if so, why ? 
 
 When your ward caucus is first held, do the precincts 
 come together in this primary ? 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 139 
 
 What is the " boss " of a ward ? 
 
 Why are specimen ballots sent out to the people to 
 examine ? 
 
 Why are not the real ballots ever shown before the 
 hour of balloting? 
 
 If a voter puts a cross against two names, one Demo- 
 cratic and one Republican, what happens in the count of 
 votes ? 
 
 If your city is large enough, what other authorized 
 parties are there to be voted for or against on the 
 ballot ? 
 
 Have the Prohibition or Socialist parties in your city 
 ever elected their candidates ? 
 
 Can you, in very simple terms, explain the principles 
 of the Democratic, the Republican, the Prohibition, and 
 the Socialist parties ? 
 
 Do you think it is wiser to belong to some party 
 organization and to be enthusiastic and take active part 
 in it, or to stand outside and criticise the work of party 
 organizations ? 
 
 Do you not think that to organize games, such as 
 football, basketball, golf, tennis, and so forth, helps the 
 spirit of the game? Is it not well, therefore, to have 
 organizations in politics, and for persons to group them- 
 selves according to their principles and work in hearty 
 cooperation ? 
 
 What makes a good leader on a football team ? 
 
140 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 What characteristics will aid a man who goes into 
 politics ? 
 
 Why are torchlight processions and rallies and stump 
 speaking thought necessary to campaigns ? 
 
 In choosing candidates for city government is it wiser 
 to vote for a party candidate or for a man simply 
 because he is likely to look out for the city interests ? 
 For instance, is it necessary in electing School boards or 
 Park commissions to consider the political point of view 
 of the nominees ? 
 
 How far ought Civil Service examinations to be the 
 test for all employees in municipal government? 
 
 To what extent are these examinations used in your 
 town or city ? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE ELECTION AND INAUGURATION 
 
 check list veto power appointive power 
 
 precinct registry ward 
 
 specimen ballot inspector Australian ballot 
 
 political party polling places vote 
 
 election candidate nomination 
 
 campaign literature mayoralty campaign 
 
 political machinery challenge booths 
 
 inaugural oath inauguration executive 
 
A CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION STORY 141 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE CITY COMMITTEES 
 
 Chairman : The official in charge of the work of the city committee. 
 
 The City Committee : Each important political party has its com- 
 mittee, appointed by a former committee, which has in charge the 
 work of nomination of candidates ; the superintendency of polling 
 booths; the check lists of the party; the distribution of specimen 
 ballots ; the care of campaign literature ; the engagement of stump 
 speakers; and the correspondence with country, state, and national 
 committees. 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 
 
 SPRING had come to Allston in late March. Pussy 
 willows were growing furry on the bushes along the 
 highway, crocuses poked through the brown earth close 
 to the houses, and the smell of the earth suggested that 
 soon the little shoots under the soil would appear. 
 
 Ever since early morning people had been coming in 
 wagons, carts, carryalls, and buggies into the village. In 
 the sheds behind the churches, the citizens of Allston 
 had tied their horses, and then on their way back to the 
 Town Hall walked in little groups, discussing the im- 
 portant business of the day. 
 
 Mary Martin wished that she was a boy, so that she 
 too could go to the town meeting. There was no school 
 because of the spring vacation, there was no coasting 
 because the snow had all melted, there was no skating, 
 
 142 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 143 
 
 and it was too early to plant seeds. After the excite- 
 ment of watching the arrival of the voters there would 
 be nothing to do all day. 
 
 " I wish I could go with you, father," Mary ventured 
 to say, as Mr. Martin put on his overcoat and brushed 
 his best hat. 
 
 He reflected and replied, " You may if you will be a 
 good girl, and sit in the gallery with the old ladies and 
 little boys." Mary jumped for joy. Then her mother 
 added, "You must wrap up warmly, for the hall may be 
 cold." 
 
 Mary ran and drew on her rubber boots. It would 
 be a muddy walk, even across the village Common ; 
 and, besides, boys wore rubber boots! She put on a 
 reefer and a cap. Somehow she felt that if she was 
 going to town meeting, she must not look like a fine 
 little girl in her best clothes, but quiet and simple and 
 sensible like the citizens themselves who represented the 
 farming district of Allston. 
 
 As they crossed the Common, Mr. Martin asked his 
 little daughter how much she knew about town meet- 
 ings. " Oh, I don't know much," Mary acknowledged, 
 skipping along with her hand in his; "but I know that 
 there is a long list of things on the church door that 
 you are going to vote about, and it's signed by Sheriff 
 Bacon, because his name is there." 
 
 "We call that printed paper a warrant, Mary," her 
 
144 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 father said; "and it states the business that is to be 
 transacted to-day. I don't believe you will want to 
 stay through both sessions, but I'm glad you wanted 
 to come, because now you'll know what a town meet- 
 ing is like. It is the town meeting or its equivalent 
 throughout the United States that makes the demo- 
 cratic government of the people which you are studying 
 about in your history." 
 
 Mary listened attentively. Then she broke out with, 
 " Yes, and I learned in English history that the very first 
 government the English people ever had was the tun- 
 mote, and that the Saxon forefathers who were freemen 
 and lived in their hamlets and tuns used to get together 
 to settle all their important questions. The text-book 
 says that they used to clash their arms on their shields 
 when they meant ' yea ' or ' nay.' v 
 
 " Good, Mary, good ! your history is really meaning 
 something to you. Yes, our old Teutonic forefathers, 
 even before they went to Britain, had their out-of-door 
 meetings, and the majority settled disputes and made 
 the common law of the land." 
 
 " Their laws couldn't have been like our laws, father, 
 could they ? " 
 
 " No, not exactly," Mr. Martin replied, " and yet our 
 customs and pome of our common law have grown out 
 of their early laws and customs. For instance, when 
 those old fellows used to exchange land they gave a 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 
 
 145 
 
 piece of turf along with it as security. That custom 
 has simply developed into our giving deeds." 
 
 " Why, how interesting, father ! Do you know of any 
 other such custom ? " 
 
 " Yes, but here we are at a modern town meeting. I 
 
 will take you upstairs. When you want to go home, 
 don't wait for me." 
 
 Mary felt very much impressed with her dignity as 
 her father left her between Miss Brown, the school-teacher, 
 and Mrs. Perkins, the one woman suffragist in the village. 
 She sat up very straight and kept thinking : " I'm not a 
 
146 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 boy, but I'm here! I'm not a boy, but I'm here!" By 
 and by she overcame her nervousness and began to look 
 around. The men had been standing in little groups 
 when she and her father entered, but now they were 
 seated on long benches. One of the men on the plat- 
 form was calling the meeting to order. 
 
 Mrs. Perkins had a copy of the warrant in her hand, 
 and she whispered to the little girl, " You see the first 
 thing they'll have to do is to choose a moderator." Mary 
 watched. Her uncle, John Ames, was the town clerk who 
 had called them together. He appointed a committee, 
 called the Nominating Committee, and at once printed 
 ballots were distributed by this committee. Again there 
 was a great deal of hubbub and discussion on the floor. 
 Then the balloting began: There was a box into which 
 each citizen dropped his vote as he filed past it. Two 
 men sat by the box, and after all the voters had dropped 
 in their ballots, the box was opened and the vote declared. 
 Mary confessed to her mother afterwards that if it had 
 not been for Mrs. Perkins's interest and her own constant 
 conversation with Miss Brown, she might have found the 
 time very long while the vote was being cast. 
 
 As soon as the moderator took his seat, one by one 
 the articles of the warrant were brought up for discus- 
 sion. The first two matters were dispatched without 
 argument, and the little girl felt that it was evidently a 
 very simple thing to settle the affairs of Allston. But 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 147 
 
 when the moderator read the third article, Miss Brown 
 laughed and said, " This is what I came for." Mary 
 examined the warrant and discovered that it was a propo- 
 sition to increase the appropriation of money for schools. 
 It also included a phrase which indeed would appeal to 
 Miss Brown and all the teachers in Allston. It read, 
 " And all teachers' salaries shall be raised this year and 
 for two succeeding years." Already Miss Brown's 
 cheeks had grown pink, and Mrs. Perkins had drawn her 
 end of the bench up close to the railing. Mary had 
 not noticed until now that the gallery was filling up 
 with women and children, and that there was no seating 
 room left. Downstairs, also, the groups had increased, 
 and directly under the gallery the men's voices sounded 
 very loud as if there was a growing excitement. 
 
 When the moderator finally brought about order by 
 pounding the desk with the gavel over and over again, 
 Mary saw that her own minister had risen to his feet. A 
 moment later he began to talk. She thought he was 
 going to say something to quiet the audience, as he some- 
 times did in Sunday School. Instead, in a very loud and 
 very spirited voice, he made a speech upon education and 
 the usefulness of the school-teacher in the world. It was 
 such an eloquent appeal to the men present that Mary 
 felt sure every citizen would at once vote for the passage 
 of the article. It was therefore greatly to her amaze- 
 ment when the kindly old deacon of the church hurried 
 
148 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 to his feet and, in a less oratorical though none the less 
 emphatic manner, set forth the reasons why such an 
 increase to the school funds would be extravagant, 
 unnecessary, and even harmful. Mary's breath was 
 fairly taken away by the arguments, each man's speech 
 was so clear, so reasonable. One presented the good 
 that comes from education to each child and therefore 
 to the town. The other argued that the schools of the 
 past had turned out good citizens without wastefulness 
 from the town's purse ; that taxes were heavy and 
 ought to be kept down ; that a new school was not 
 education, that it was simply architecture, and if the 
 town needed architecture, a new town hall was more 
 important than a schoolhouse. Miss Brown looked 
 troubled, Mrs. Perkins fanned herself, and Mary sat very 
 still. Other men made speeches, but Mary paid no atten- 
 tion. She was trying to make up her mind which way 
 she would vote if she were a man. It was a matter of 
 taxes on the one hand and school advantages on the 
 other. She waited impatiently until she caught sight of 
 her father and beckoned to him. In a few moments Mr. 
 Martin joined the party in the gallery and said, " Do you 
 want to go home ? " He had supposed that was why 
 she had beckoned to him. 
 
 " Oh, no ! but I could not wait. I wanted to know 
 how you feel. How are you going to vote, father? " 
 
 Mr. Martin smiled. 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 
 
 149 
 
 " Suppose I vote on this article to please you." 
 
 " Why, that wouldn't be right, father ! You have to 
 vote honestly at a town meeting." 
 
 " Good ! That's good civics, Mary. Well, dear, I'm 
 going to vote so that Miss Brown's salary shall be 
 raised." 
 
 And Mr. Martin hurried away again with a smile at 
 Mary and her 
 friends, while his 
 little daughter pat- 
 ted her teacher's 
 glove and whis- 
 pered : "I'm glad. 
 That's the way I 
 should vote, too." 
 
 When the mod- 
 erator at last tried 
 
 to bring the meet- A TYPICAL TOWN HALL IN A NEW 
 
 r ENGLAND VILLAGE 
 
 ing to a vote, first 
 
 one man and then another put it off by starting new 
 arguments against the article. Noon came and still 
 nothing was settled. A motion was made that the meet- 
 ing should adjourn until after dinner, and the vote was 
 carried unanimously. Then a stampeding followed 
 from both gallery and floor of the house. Mary Martin 
 ran across the Common as fast as her feet would carry 
 her. 
 
150 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Oh, mother ! " she cried, bursting into the sitting 
 room, " town meeting is so exciting, and more important 
 than anything I ever went to before. It takes so much 
 thinking to decide which way to vote." 
 
 Mrs. Martin smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm. 
 
 " Are you going back again ? " asked her father, coming 
 in a moment later. 
 
 " Yes, indeed ! I shall stay until everything is over. I 
 want to see just how the meeting closes as well as begins." 
 
 That afternoon when Mary reached the hall she heard 
 the news that the article upon the school appropriation 
 was lost. Her eyes filled with tears because she felt so 
 sorry for Miss Brown and the other teachers. But 
 further business followed, and she soon forgot the defeat 
 of the third article in the victories of following ones. 
 They appropriated money for street lamps, a new town 
 pump, and, best of all, a new town house in place of the 
 little hall where they were now so crowded. 
 
 When the meeting was over and the polls were 
 declared closed, Mary and Mrs. Perkins were the last two 
 gallery guests. It was quite dark when Mrs. Perkins 
 crossed the Common with Mary. 
 
 " It has been a good lesson in government for you, 
 Mary," Mrs. Perkins said, as she bade her good night. 
 
 " I wish all lessons were real lessons like this 
 one," the little girl answered Then she too said, 
 "Good night." 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 
 
 Can anything be discussed at a town meeting that 
 does not appear in the warrant? 
 
 How do people make up their minds before they 
 come into the caucus which way they had better vote ? 
 
 Ought people whose candidate was defeated in the 
 caucus to be ex- 
 pected to support 
 the man who wins 
 the nomination ? 
 
 Which is the 
 better way of form- 
 ing an opinion on 
 a public question, 
 by talking it over 
 with one's neigh- 
 bors in the country 
 store or by reading 
 newspapers and 
 magazines ? 
 
 Are the select- 
 men always chosen 
 in town meeting ? 
 
 Must they report 
 to the town meeting the work of the year ? 
 
 When does your town meeting occur? 
 
 Why is it called in the early spring instead of 
 summer? 
 
 A MODERN TOWN HALL IN A LARGE 
 TOWNSHIP 
 
152 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 What is the annual town meeting for ? 
 
 Do the .people in the South and West have town 
 meetings? 
 
 Why is this so ? 
 
 How many articles were there in the last warrant ? 
 
 Which one did your family care most about ? 
 
 What articles could be incorporated next spring by 
 which school children might be benefited? 
 
 Who are the town officers most important on town 
 meeting day ? 
 
 Why do citizens care so dearly for their privilege to 
 vote ? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE TOWN MEETING 
 
 selectmen superintendent of public 
 
 town clerk works 
 
 town constable superintendent of roads 
 
 town warrant Australian ballot 
 
 registrar engineer of fire department 
 
 treasurer franchise 
 
 assessors tax collector 
 
 constable or policeman school committee 
 
 Board of Health highway surveyor 
 
 auditors moderator 
 
 articles gavel 
 
 ballot vote 
 
A TOWN MEETING STORY 153 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 
 THE TOWN MEETING 
 
 Selectmen : These officers have the general .charge of the business 
 of the town ; they call town meetings ; they act as boards for various 
 departments such as the Board of Health, or Overseers of the Poor, 
 if such boards do not exist in the town ; they appoint men to fill all 
 minor town offices ; they represent the town in its relations to county 
 and state and in suits at law ; they must appear at town meeting 
 to represe.nt the town. 
 
 Moderator : The officer who presides over a town meeting, proposes 
 questions, regulates proceedings, and declares votes. 
 
 Town Clerk : The officer in charge of all records, births, marriages, 
 deaths, and all town business. At a town meeting he records the 
 vote. 
 
 Officers at Town Meeting : The constables or appointed officers who 
 distribute ballots. 
 
 Registrars : The persons in charge of the check lists. 
 
 Constables: The officials who keep order during town meeting. 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 
 
 STORY 
 
 IT was just after breakfast, and the guests at the 
 Mansion House had assembled on the piazza to decide 
 upon what they should do that day. The great question 
 was whether there should be a picnic or a tournament 
 or an automobile trip. The sun was unusually hot even 
 for August, and Mrs. Marshall established herself in a 
 big straw chair announcing her intention of sitting still 
 on the piazza all the morning, and doing nothing but 
 look at the lovely view which lay stretched out before her. 
 
 Just then the proprietor of the Mansion House joined 
 them on the piazza, his two collie pups dogging his heels. 
 
 " It is pretty, right here, isn't it?" he exclaimed, sitting 
 down on the lower step and pulling the tail of Tike, 
 who sat down beside him. 
 
 '54 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 155 
 
 Little Mary Marshall took the other puppy in her lap, 
 and sat listening to her mother and Mr. Crosby, mean- 
 while letting the little dog nibble her fingers and pull 
 at her dress. 
 
 " I think this village is the prettiest one in New Eng- 
 land, Mr. Crosby." Mrs. Marshall was growing enthusi- 
 astic in spite of the heat. 
 
 " When I was a boy, Mrs. Marshall, I think Fairview 
 was the ugliest village in western Massachusetts. 
 If it had not been for the Village Improvement 
 Association and the coming of the railroad, I don't 
 believe the land would have been worth ten dollars an 
 
 acre." 
 
 " Oh, but the scenery is so lovely ! " 
 
 " Yes, but the village was so unattractive and so des- 
 perately inconvenient! It was as dull as a hoe. When I 
 was a boy, Mary," said Mr. Crosby, turning to his seat- 
 mate, "there was not a sidewalk or a lamp post in town. 
 The town pump was a well with a bucket which never 
 worked when you wanted it to, and squeaked when it 
 did work. There was no common, and the grass was 
 allowed to grow all summer at its own free will, except 
 for one haying and the aftermath. The roads were not 
 kept in order ; there was no street-watering cart. Every 
 man's dooryard was allowed to take on the character 
 of the owner, oftentimes looking as shiftless as the 
 most shiftless farmer in the town." 
 
1 5 6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " I can't imagine it," Mrs. Marshall said; "it is now so 
 well kept and really beautiful." 
 
 " My father started the Village Improvement Associa- 
 tion twenty-eight years ago. He was the stage driver 
 between here and Hampton. They ran four stages a 
 
 A VILLAGE STREET BEFORE THE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 
 BEGAN ITS WORK 
 
 day, two over and two back, carrying the mails, and now 
 and then a passenger. We never had any boarders in 
 town, and the average farmer bartered his goods at 
 the country store and lived a quiet, uneventful life." 
 
 " How did your father happen to start the association 
 if things were so dull ? " Mary inquired. 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 157 
 
 "Why, mother always put a lamp in the window so 
 that father could drive in the yard without hitting the 
 gatepost ; and one day father said * Why not have a 
 street lamp ? ' So he invented a glass case, and made 
 a post out in his carpenter's shop. After it was set in 
 
 THE SAME STREET AFTER FENCES WERE REMOVED 
 AND PORCHES ADDED 
 
 front of our driveway I used to climb up and put a lamp 
 into the case every night. People liked the idea so much 
 that many of the neighbors said, ' Why can't we have 
 lamp posts, too, Mr. Crosby ? ' and my father turned out 
 more than a dozen the next winter. So our town got its 
 first street lighting." 
 
158 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Isn't it interesting ! " Mary whispered to her mother. 
 
 " That stirred up people to go out evenings. It wasn't 
 dark and spooky any more, and the next March father 
 invited them all to our house and talked about planting 
 trees on the Common, which at that time was nothing 
 more than a stretch of public land where sheep grazed 
 or the loafers of the town congregated around the flag- 
 pole. That meeting was the beginning of the Village 
 Improvement Association here. 
 
 " The boys and the girls took hold of it, too ; I was not 
 a day older than you are, Mary, but we children formed 
 ourselves into a branch association to look after the 
 front dooryards of our homes ; and we had great times 
 seeing whose flower beds would be the prettiest, while 
 members of the real association were trying to rival 
 each other with lawn mowers and newly growing vines 
 and shrubs. 
 
 " It took ten years to create enough enthusiasm in town 
 so that the town meeting was willing to appropriate any 
 money for beautifying the village. But the time came 
 when we did get an appropriation for sidewalks ; that is, 
 the town paid half the cost in each case. 
 
 " The very fact that the association had to raise its 
 ow r n money during those ten years led to little enter- 
 tainments, one in the winter and a strawberry festival in 
 the summer. So the association really did a great deal 
 toward bringing the people together socially. 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 159 
 
 "After the sidewalks were put in, father took down our 
 fence, and that was the beginning of the green lawns 
 running from one place into another, with shrubs here 
 and there for landmarks. Somehow, it hurt me to see 
 the fences go. I like a fence ; it guards my castle. I 
 rather think I am a true Englishman in my instincts. 
 But the change did make the town more lovely, because 
 the fences were often so worn out and ramshackly that 
 they were an offense to the passers-by. 
 
 " Just at that time the Talcotts bought the water power 
 in the South Village and put in their cotton plant. One 
 of the first things Mr. Talcott did was^to join the asso- 
 ciation and give to the town the fountain over there." 
 Mr. Crosby pointed across the street to the beautiful 
 drinking fountain where the old town pump had stood. 
 
 " I think it is rather nice of a man to give something 
 while he is alive. Mr. Talcott has been doing some- 
 thing for the association ever since he moved here, 
 although he lives three miles away from the Center and 
 is in New York most of the winter. Why, the associa- 
 tion has even gone so far as to induce some of our 
 citizens to change the site of their buildings ! Hackett's 
 store used to be right on the street, out of line with 
 every house on either side. One day when Hackett 
 was standing at the fountain with Mr. Talcott, he said, 
 ' I wish my store could walk back a couple of rods, so as 
 to even things up.' 
 
i6o 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 A PLAIN DWELLING HOUSE 
 
 11 Mr. Talcott answered, ' Why can't it ? It wouldn't 
 cost much money, and it would bring you more trade 
 if you did the town the compliment of helping to beautify 
 
 its streets to that 
 extent. I will lend 
 you the money to 
 pay the expense, 
 and you needn't 
 pay any interest.' 
 "There was 
 nothing for Hack- 
 et t to do but 
 accept the offer; 
 and you never saw 
 a prouder man than he was when he got that building 
 moved back and the approach to it so attractively laid 
 out. You see they raised the store, and the Hacketts 
 live upstairs. Mrs. Hackett makes the garden in front 
 of the shop a bower of beauty." 
 
 Mary Marshall spoke up then and said, " Next to 
 Celia Thaxter's garden at the Isles of Shoals, where we 
 were last summer, it is the prettiest garden I ever saw." 
 "Just think of it!" Mrs. Marshall exclaimed. "Do 
 you mean that that attractive country store was once a 
 commonplace little building right on the street?" 
 
 " That is what I mean, Mrs. Marshall, and if it had 
 not been for mother's lamp in the window twenty-eight 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 161 
 
 years ago, who knows but that Fairview might still be as 
 it was then ? " Mr. Crosby had risen, but both the dogs 
 had gone to sleep. 
 
 " What are you going to do next ? " asked Mary. " Is 
 there anything else to do to make the village more 
 beautiful ? " 
 
 " It seems perfect to me," interpolated Mrs. Marshall. 
 
 " There isn't so much to do to the village itself, but the 
 boys and girls who belong to the Revolutionary Society 
 are going to erect 
 markers on all the 
 historic spots in 
 town." 
 
 " Why, what hap- 
 pened here in Rev- 
 olutionary days ?" 
 asked Mary, who 
 enjoyed more than 
 anything else her 
 history lessons at 
 school. 
 
 " Oh, Burgoyne's 
 army was here for 
 
 a month, on its way back to Saratoga. A little later 
 Stark's army was here. Then the old grounds for 
 training the militia in this vicinity were right here on 
 the Common, and they are going to place a slab over 
 
 THE SAME HOUSE AFTER THE OWNER HAD 
 WON A PRIZE FOR FLOWER BEDS 
 
162 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 there at the north end, with a muster roll of the com- 
 missioned officers who served in the colonial wars. 
 The teachers and the School Board also have caught 
 the association spirit at last. They give prizes to the 
 
 A VILLAGE PARK BEFORE THE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 
 BEGAN ITS WORK 
 
 children for bulb-raising in the spring of the year, and 
 have summer gardens and that sort of thing. Our 
 association has joined the Massachusetts Civic League. 
 I imagine that we are one of the oldest towns with 
 an association, and I know that the league is much in- 
 terested in what we have already accomplished." 
 
 " Isn't it strange," Mrs. Marshall said, half musingly; 
 " isn't it strange that the forefathers of this town should 
 have named it Fairview because of the beautiful outlook, 
 and yet it has really taken two hundred years to fulfill 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 163 
 
 its name, because things must be beautiful close at hand 
 in order to be in keeping with the distant scenery ! When 
 did the summer boarders first come to Fairview ? " she 
 asked a moment later. 
 
 " Just as soon as the railroad was put through. That 
 very next summer people began to write to the post- 
 master, to ask about farms where they could get board. 
 That is how father happened to go into the business. 
 Of course he gave up driving a stage and carrying 
 the mails, so he took a few boarders into the home. 
 It was too much work for the old folks, so I built 
 
 THE SAME PARK AFTER THE TREES AND SHRUBS WERE PLANTED 
 
 here, and that is how it happens that I am running the 
 Mansion House." 
 
 As he ended his story Mr. Crosby said : 
 
 " Mary, don't you want to come and help me make 
 
1 64 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 hay? It's a regular hay day. I am going to have 
 molasses and ginger water for the haymakers and you 
 may ride home on the load this afternoon." 
 
 " Of course I should like to go, Mr. Crosby. May I, 
 mother ? " 
 
 " Why, yes, Mary. It won't be any harder than play- 
 
 A HOUSE THAT WON A PRIZE FOR VlNES AND SHRUBS 
 
 ing tennis, and the smell of the hay and the rest under 
 the apple trees will be good for you." 
 
 " You can play that you are your mother when she 
 was a little girl," said Mr. Crosby, as he took Mary by 
 the hand and walked on toward the barn. 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 165 
 
 Has your town or city organized a civic league ? 
 
 Does your town or village interest itself in civic im- 
 provement ? 
 
 What does a Village Improvement Association do to 
 further interest in town 
 citizenship ? 
 
 When a community 
 takes pride in its well- 
 lighted streets, its pub- 
 lic parks and buildings, 
 its good roads, its 
 library, and so forth, 
 is it not more likely 
 to develop i n di- 
 vidual pride in the 
 care of its private 
 dwellings? 
 
 What part can boys 
 and girls take in an 
 organization for civic 
 improvement ? 
 
 Make a list of all 
 
 the things a child can do to help a Village Improve- 
 ment Association. 
 
 If your town has no association for civic improvement, 
 why not form a school club to begin such an organi- 
 zation ? 
 
 A PICTURESQUE RUIN THAT MIGHT BE 
 MADE BEAUTIFUL BY A VILLAGE IM- 
 PROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 
 
1 66 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 During the fall the children can plan to keep the 
 schoolroom clean and bring in autumn flowers and 
 green plants, starting bulbs which will blossom dur- 
 ing the winter, and later in the year planting seeds 
 that may be transplanted in the spring into the school 
 gardens. 
 
 This school club can do outside work by planting 
 vines and shrubs in the gardens at home, by keeping 
 the street clean in front of the houses so that weeds 
 shall not grow where grass seed might have a chance, 
 and by keeping the back yards of the homes clean and 
 neat 
 
 Very likely out of this school club for improvement 
 there might develop a spirit of similar enthusiasm in the 
 older citizens, and a real Village Improvement Associa- 
 tion grow out of the children's influence. 
 
 VOCABULARY THE VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT 
 ASSOCIATION 
 
 civic pride . reformatory interests 
 
 civic betterment public service of citizenship 
 
 civic league charitable institutions 
 
 social interests playsteads 
 
 social improvement forestry preservation 
 
 public sentiment local history 
 landmarks 
 
A VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION STORY 167 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 
 
 President : The officer elected by the association to preside over 
 and to govern the proceedings of the assembly. 
 
 Secretary and Treasurer : Persons in charge of the records and the 
 money belonging to the organization. 
 
 Executive Committee: A special committee which has the care of 
 the work undertaken by the whole association. 
 
 Tree Committee : Persons in charge of setting out trees and shrubs. 
 
 Park Committee : Persons in charge of beautifying and developing 
 parks or public land. 
 
 Street Lighting Committee : Persons in charge of the erection of lamp 
 posts or of furthering the introduction of gas or electricity into a town. 
 
 Sidewalk Committee : Persons in charge of making sidewalks or of 
 improving present conditions. 
 
 Lecture Committee : Persons interested in procuring the best speakers 
 to address the association and the guests. 
 
 Playgrounds Committee : A committee to make playsteads or to keep 
 open land free for the use of children. 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION 
 
 STORY 
 
 SABRINA COHENSKY was standing by one of the window 
 boxes of the schoolroom. Jonquils were in full bloom 
 although it was only February. Sabrina was poking 
 into the soil with a pencil, gently loosening the earth. 
 
 " It makes them grow better," she said to a little girl 
 standing near her. " It gives them more chance." 
 
 One of the smaller girls suggested, " Perhaps teacher 
 will not like to have you do it." 
 
 " Oh, yes, she will," Sabrina answered. " She has given 
 me my chance." 
 
 " How ? " asked the little girl. 
 
 " Yes, she's helped me grow," Sabrina went on. 
 " When I came here five years ago I was a little Rus- 
 sian girl, and could not say a word of English. Now 
 I am a citizen of the United States, and I can say any- 
 thing I want to in your language." 
 
 1 68 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 169 
 
 " Oh ! Oh ! Oh ! " came from the astonished children, 
 and then one girl spoke out, " But you're not a citizen, 
 and, besides, you never will be because you're a girl." 
 
 " Oh, yes, I am ! " Sabrina replied quickly. " I am an 
 American citizen. Father said so last night." 
 
 Sabrina Cohensky had just been promoted into Miss 
 McEvoy's room. Miss McEvoy was the principal of the 
 Allen School. From the morning when Sabrina, at eight 
 years of age, had taken her seat in the first primary 
 grade, to the present hour, this teacher had kept watch 
 of the little Russian, making sure that the bright child 
 should be promoted as fast as possible from one grade 
 to the next, so that she might get abreast with the other 
 pupils of her age as soon as she had mastered the new 
 language. Little Sabrina worked hard, learned quickly, 
 and now with the mid-year promotions, though but 
 thirteen years of age, had reached the last grade in 
 Miss McEvoy's building. 
 
 Just as the children were disputing Sabrina's citizen- 
 ship, Miss McEvoy herself joined them at the window. 
 She had heard Mary Green say, " You can't be a citizen, 
 because you are a girl." 
 
 " Yes, Sabrina is a citizen of the United States." Miss 
 McEvoy placed her hand on the little girl's shoulder. 
 " And if you will come to my desk, I will read you some- 
 thing which will make you see that you and she and all 
 of us are citizens." 
 
I/O LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 The children gathered around Miss McEvoy, and she 
 opened .a book which read as follows: 
 
 " Citizenship is recognized local membership in a polit- 
 ical community. Citizenship is a privilege which attaches 
 not only to men but to women and children, down to the 
 very youngest ; convicts, paupers, insane persons, may be 
 and usually are citizens, and as such are entitled to the 
 care and protection of the state. By the statute of 1885, 
 every woman married to a citizen of the United States 
 is deemed a citizen. Citizens may or may not be voters ; 
 only about one fifth of them have the right of suffrage." 
 
 " There ! there ! " shouted Sabrina. " You see I am ! 
 I am a citizen of the United States!" 
 
 " I wonder how many of you children are foreign- 
 born ? " Miss McEvoy asked, noting the interested 
 expressions on the faces of the children. Half a dozen 
 hands went up, and then she asked, " And how many of 
 you have foreign-born parents ? " 
 
 Every hand in the room was raised, for the Allen 
 School was in the heart of a big city, where the foreign 
 population had crowded out the older, native-born fami- 
 lies of an earlier generation. But Sabrina was the only 
 Russian in the room. Many of the children were Italians, 
 with here and there an Armenian or a Hungarian. 
 
 Because the children seemed interested in citizenship 
 at just this moment, Miss McEvoy told them she would 
 give up the spelling lesson after the recess was over, and 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 1 71 
 
 tell them more of " immigration " and the reasons why 
 so many of their parents and friends had longed to come 
 to our country. 
 
 And this is what she told them : 
 
 " Over there, in such countries as Italy and Russia 
 and Austria- Hungary, there are few well-to-do farms like 
 those of America. Most of 
 the land is cultivated by 
 peasants ; that is, a class of 
 tillers of the soil, often very 
 poor, who can do nothing 
 to better the condition of 
 their children in the future. 
 They find it very hard to 
 meet the heavy rents, or 
 taxes, for you see most of 
 the peasants have no right 
 to the soil. They live on 
 great estates owned by rich 
 men, who parcel out the 
 land to them and demand 
 rents. They have heard 
 that there is a better chance in America, and the people 
 of a village often raise money as a fund to be given to 
 enterprising young men and women, so that they may 
 travel across the continent of Europe and the Atlantic 
 ocean to come to this free country of ours. For 
 
1/2 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 here, after a little while, a man may not only support 
 himself at good wages, but he may save money and buy 
 a little farm, and still later may become a voting citizen 
 of the United States." 
 
 Up went Sabrina's hand. " When my father came 
 to this country, seven years ago, he walked all the way 
 from Moscow to Hanover in order to save the little 
 money his friends had collected for him. It took 
 father three years to get ready to come to America, but 
 it took him only two years after he got here to lay up 
 money enough to send for mother and little brother and 
 me. The United States is a wonderful country, my 
 father thinks." 
 
 " Why, Sabrina," Miss McEvoy asked, " do you mean 
 that your father had to walk all that distance ? " 
 
 " Yes, but there were Russians in almost every 
 town. He did not walk as a beggar. He had friends 
 to help him, and in every town through which he passed 
 there were other Russians getting ready to go; and 
 when he sailed there were seven hundred Russians in 
 the steerage coming to this country." 
 
 " When you and your mother came, Sabrina, were 
 you afraid ? " asked one of the little girls who had never 
 had to cross the Atlantic. 
 
 " I was not afraid," answered Sabrina, " but the ship 
 was very dirty, and the air so bad that we could not stay 
 downstairs in the cabin ; yet the deck was so wet that 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 173 
 
 we were chilled and sick if we stayed upstairs. When I 
 am old enough, I am going to write articles and stir up the 
 people to make better steerage rooms for the poor people. 
 We never had water to drink all day long unless we 
 stood by the faucet of the tank where the officers drank, 
 and now and then a good-natured officer would fill 
 my little tin cup for me. The steerage trip is very 
 horrid, but it is worth all the sickness and sorrow 
 once to get to a lovely country like this, and to have 
 such lovely teachers." The warm-hearted little Russian 
 girl put her hand into that of Miss McEvoy who stood 
 by her desk. 
 
 " I can remember," Sabrina went on, with glowing 
 eyes and unconscious gladness in her story, "just how 
 happy the passengers were when we sighted land and 
 saw the Goddess of Liberty in New York harbor. 
 Almost all the steerage passengers managed to get a 
 little water to wash their faces ; and some of them had 
 stored away in their packs bright scarfs, which they 
 took out and put around their heads. When we saw 
 that great statue, one man began to sing, and others 
 joined in the song. Finally the whole deck resounded 
 to the sound of happy voices. I shall never forget it. 
 They were trying to sing America in all sorts of strange 
 tongues; even the music you would not have recognized, 
 Miss McEvoy." 
 
 " Have you any idea," Miss McEvoy asked the 
 
174 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 children, " how many immigrants arrive in the course 
 of a week at Ellis Island in New York? " 
 
 Of course the children did not know, so she told them 
 that in some weeks from eight to ten thousand foreigners 
 
 JUST BEFORE LANDING IN THE UNITED STATES 
 
 arrive by steerage, and that Italy, Austria- Hungary, and 
 Russia are the three largest sources of immigration. 
 
 "Just think!" she went on; "last year there were 
 over eight hundred thousand immigrants who came to 
 the United States. Of course you can see, children, that 
 what to do with all these foreign-speaking men and 
 women and little children is a very important question. 
 When they reach our ports they do not know how to 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 175 
 
 ask for the simplest things, and most of them have little 
 money. Sometimes they have friends waiting for them, 
 or letters to friends in various towns and cities where 
 they hope to go and find work." 
 
 One of the boys in the room who was older than the 
 others, and who had lived in New York City, raised his 
 
 THE INSPECTORS WHO MEET THE IMMIGRANTS 
 
 hand and said : " My father used to work for the Society 
 for the Protection of Italian Immigrants. He was an 
 interpreter. That is a great society, Miss McEvoy." 
 
 " What does it do ? " asked Sabrina. 
 
 Somehow, the children had forgotten all about school 
 discipline, and as Carlo Spiero spoke, they all turned in 
 their seats to listen to his story. 
 
 " Why, that society does lots of things," answered 
 Carlo. " First of all, they station men at the wharves in 
 
1 7 6 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 order to prevent boarding-house runners from urging 
 the ignorant immigrants to go with them. Then they 
 have to look out for * crooks,' who would exchange the 
 peasant's farm money for useless ' confederate ' money, 
 as it is called. And the society also tries to prevent the 
 district political boss from getting hold of the immigrant 
 
 on the spot, in 
 order to secure his 
 vote. The inter- 
 preters, like father, 
 find out if the im- 
 migrants have any 
 friends to whom 
 they wish to go, or 
 whether they care 
 for any particular 
 kind of work, and 
 later they try to 
 teach them the 
 rights and duties 
 of government in the United States. They put 
 tags of identification upon them and take them from 
 Ellis Island over to the Battery Landing in New York, 
 and then regular guards in uniform take them up to 
 Pearl Street, where the society has its headquarters." 
 
 Miss McEvoy asked Carlo where the society found 
 the most work to do, and he replied : " It is down at 
 
 JUST ARRIVED 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 177 
 
 Battery Landing that the runners and the crooks find a 
 large number of these Italians. Father said that once, 
 in spite of the city police force on guard, out of thirty 
 immigrants who were in the care of the society's agents 
 only fifteen arrived at Pearl Street. What became of 
 the others nobody knows, but there was a free fight, and 
 the Italians drew their 
 knives on the police and 
 the agents, as well as on 
 the crooks themselves." 
 "Yes," Miss McEvoy 
 continued, " Carlo is right. 
 The society of which he 
 speaks is doing a noble 
 work. There are other 
 societies the societies 
 for the Finnish people, for 
 the Irish, for the Jews, 
 
 and so on ; and the gov- 
 
 i ,1 LITTLE FRIENDS FROM EUROPE 
 
 ernment and these asso- 
 ciations together are doing their best, and doing it 
 promptly, to place these immigrants out in the country 
 on farms, away from the temptations of the city, and 
 where they will be able to use their great physical 
 strength in tilling the soil." 
 
 That evening when Sabrina Cohensky was at home, 
 she told her father about the conversation they had had 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 in the school during the morning. Mr. Cohensky was 
 much interested. 
 
 " If the teachers in the schools, Sabrina," said he, in 
 Russian of course, " would take more time to explain the 
 conditions in this country, there would not be so much 
 
 ignorant grumbling 
 among our people, who 
 do not understand 
 these matters. Only 
 to-day I heard a man 
 say that he wished 
 every European who 
 had come to this 
 country this year as an 
 immigrant might be 
 shipped back to his 
 own country. That 
 man was supposed to 
 be educated, yet he did 
 not understand what the United States is doing for 
 itself as well as for its foreign population." 
 
 " How do you mean ' for itself,' father ? " asked Sabrina. 
 " The great West needs the foreign workmen. The 
 country is building roads, opening up canals, developing 
 mines, digging ditches for irrigation. These hardy 
 peasants from the east and south of Europe bring to this 
 country the muscle and the nerve which makes such 
 
 ON PARADE 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 179 
 
 development possible. There is no fear from immigra- 
 tion so long as the foreigner has work with good wages, 
 which is what this country can give him in exchange for 
 his ambitious labor. Did your teacher tell you anything 
 about naturalization ? " 
 
 Sabrina shook her head. 
 
 " No, there was not time, I think." 
 
 " Probably most of the children in your school were 
 born of naturalized parents, but very few of them know 
 just what that means. Do you know what naturaliza- 
 tion means, Sabrina ? " 
 
 " I think it means that you can vote. " 
 
 " Yes, but it means a good deal more than that; and 
 you have to go through a complicated process before 
 becoming a citi- 
 zen of the country. 
 Let me tell you 
 what happened to 
 me before I be- 
 came a voter last 
 
 r 
 
 years ago, I filed 
 a * declaration of inten- 
 
 year. 
 
 "First, two 
 at the police court 
 tion ' to become a citizen of the United States. The 
 clerk gave me a copy of it which would prove my right at 
 the end of the two years to come up for naturalization, if 
 by that time I should have been five years in the country. 
 
i8o 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 So last May I went to the police court again, with two 
 witnesses, your uncle and Mr. Garaskoski, both citi- 
 zens, who swore before the judge that I was a good 
 man and not an anarchist. I myself made oath that I 
 
 believed in the Consti- 
 tution of the United 
 States, renouncing my 
 allegiance to Russia. 
 Then I received my 
 naturalization papers, 
 which were drawn up 
 by the clerk and sworn 
 to by myself. Later I 
 went to the city clerk 
 and placed my name on 
 a voting list, and last 
 November I cast my 
 first vote in America." 
 " Could you go back 
 to Russia, father, without any trouble with the govern- 
 ment ? " asked Sabrina. 
 
 "Why, yes. I could go back to my country to visit 
 friends. I am not an exile. But it might be dangerous 
 forme in Russia, although the government is supposed to 
 respect American citizens and to treat the United States 
 with great respect and regard." 
 
 A moment later Mr, Cohensky remarked : " I don't 
 
 Two RUSSIAN WOMEN 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 181 
 
 suppose you, Sabrina, will ever know what it is to live 
 in a country where there is so little personal liberty as in 
 Russia. The opportunities that you do not stop to 
 value here are just the opportunities that were denied 
 to me when I was a^boy. Think 
 of the things that you have as a 
 little girl citizen, that we, your 
 mother and I, never dreamed of 
 in our childhood." 
 
 " Why, I can remember some 
 things myself," said Sabrina. 
 " I have not forgotten what it 
 was like in Moscow. No school, 
 no playgrounds, no charity 
 headquarters I can remember 
 that, father." 
 
 " Ask your teacher to-morrow 
 to let the children make a list 
 of their rights and their parents' 
 rights as citizens. It may in- 
 terest them to take the lists 
 home and see how many of 
 
 those privileges their parents did not have in their 
 native land." 
 
 Sabrina did ask her teacher the next day to do that 
 very thing, and Miss McEvoy carried out the idea most 
 willingly, adding to the list of civil liberties enjoyed by 
 
 His FIRST PHOTOGRAPH 
 
1 82 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 citizenship in this country a list of special advantages 
 which the city child or the country child enjoys be- 
 cause of the advance in industries and art So it 
 was that a great deal of pleasant conversation came 
 out of little Sabrina's argument over her own rights 
 as a citizen. 
 
 Why do people from other countries flock to the 
 United States? 
 
 Do you know how many immigrants arrive in a week 
 at Ellis Island in New York City, where the great 
 majority of the immigrants land ? For what reasons can 
 
 an immigrant be turned back 
 after his steamer reaches the 
 United States ? 
 
 What is a quarantine 
 station ? 
 
 Why is it so necessary to 
 examine foreigners with such 
 care ? 
 
 How can an immigrant, 
 
 when he has finally passed 
 
 A FOREIGNER .1 ,. T-TT T 
 
 the examination at JcJlis Is- 
 land, find employment in a great city like New York? 
 Do you suppose that some immigrants are disappointed 
 in the government of the United States after they have 
 lived here two or three years? 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 183 
 
 How soon can a foreign-born man become a voting 
 citizen of the United States? 
 
 What steps must he take to become naturalized and 
 be given the fran- 
 chise ? 
 
 Are his children 
 citizens after he 
 has become natur- 
 alized ? 
 
 When he has be- 
 come naturalized, 
 what are his rights 
 as a citizen ? If 
 you do not know, 
 look for the Bill of 
 Rights in your state 
 constitution, and 
 in the first ten 
 amendments to 
 the Constitution of the United States. 
 
 Name the different races of people in your town or 
 city, Scotch, Irish, English, French, Jews, Armenians, 
 Syrians, Russians, Italians, Germans, Swedes, Nor- 
 wegians, etc. 
 
 Do the Japanese have the same privileges of naturali- 
 zation as the Germans, or are they excluded in certain 
 respects as are the Chinese ? 
 
 AN IMMIGRANT UNDER INSPECTION 
 
1 84 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Do you think the country needs to protect itself by 
 further exclusion ? 
 
 The requirements for naturalization, as fixed by Con- 
 gress, are as follows : 
 
 Five years' residence in the United States and one year's residence 
 in the state where naturalization is sought. 
 
 Two years' preliminary declaration of an intention to become a 
 citizen. 
 
 An oath to support the Constitution. 
 
 Renunciation of all foreign titles or orders of nobility. 
 
 Abjuration of allegiance to any foreign power. 
 
 NOTE. No alien can be naturalized if his native government is, at 
 the time, at war with the United States. 
 
 VOCABULARY IMMIGRATION 
 
 immigration emigration alien 
 
 exclusion restriction foreign 
 
 health inspection allegiance quarantine 
 
 naturalization declaration of intention anarchist 
 
 Castle Garden 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 
 IMMIGRATION 
 
 Commissioner or Board of Commissioners : The official representatives 
 of the United States who carry out the laws regulated by Congress in 
 relation to immigration. 
 
AN IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION STORY 185 
 
 Agent : The active officer of the department who has care of the 
 immigrants on the arrival of a ship in a port. 
 
 Inspectors : Officials in charge of the immigrants. 
 
 Quarantine Physician or Board of Health Agents : Medical inspectors 
 who examine and pronounce upon contagious diseases. 
 
 NATURALIZATION 
 
 Judge of the Police Court or Municipal Judge : This judge must have 
 " common law jurisdiction." Before him the oath of allegiance is 
 taken. 
 
 * Clerk of the Court : The clerk makes record of the act of naturaliza- 
 tion and grants certificates of naturalization. 
 
 The Witnesses: The friends who must testify to the man's term of 
 residence and declare him to have been during the term a man of 
 'good moral character," and a law-abiding person. 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 
 
 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 
 
 DEAR SISTER CHARLOTTE, 
 
 You cannot imagine the excitement in which I have 
 been living since we arrived in this great city. I meant 
 to keep a journal, so that you might read every detail of 
 my doings, but there has been so much to watch from 
 the hotel windows, even when I have not been out with 
 father, that all thought of a diary had to be given up. 
 I'll begin at the beginning and tell you as best I can just 
 what has happened on this wonderful visit. 
 
 Our state delegation arrived in its special car on 
 
 186 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 187 
 
 Monday at ten o'clock at night. We came like con- 
 querors, with a brass band of our own, banners flying, 
 and every man on the train decked out with buttons 
 and badges. 
 
 All the way from the station to the Auditorium Hotel 
 I looked out of the carriage window, fascinated by 
 the sight. It was as bright as daylight everywhere, 
 and the streets were crowded with people. The noise 
 and heat and excitement were indescribable. Other 
 delegations from other states were arriving at almost 
 the same time that we were, and the streets were filled 
 with little processions, headed by brass bands, which 
 kept their drums going when the musicians could 
 play no more. Of course father took me straight to 
 our suite of rooms and left me, with a promise from me 
 that I would soon go to bed, while he joined the impor- 
 tant committee meeting on credentials, held in Mr. 
 Barter's suite. I tried to keep my promise, but it was 
 more than an hour before I could tear myself away from 
 the crowd and the hubbub outside the windows. Yet 
 I knew that the tumult on the street meant nothing, 
 whereas the meeting across the corridor where father 
 was, and another in the next suite where they were dis- 
 cussing tariff reform, were all important. 
 
 Before we went to breakfast the next morning father 
 told me that two great compromises had been settled by 
 the managers in these secret meetings, and that the tariff 
 
188 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 plank in the platform would now probably satisfy the 
 party leaders, both north and south. While he was 
 talking, a number of newspaper men came to our room, 
 and asked many questions. It was most interesting to 
 listen to the questions which were put to father by the 
 reporters. They not only wished to know whether the 
 convention meant to discuss in its platform the great 
 issues of tariff, trusts, the Panama Canal, and all such 
 vital national subjects, but they plied him with most 
 unimportant questions as well. The smallest detail of 
 the secret meetings was seized upon by them. I suppose 
 they feel that the public likes to know everything. They 
 even asked father where the men sat and whether they 
 smoked as they discussed the tariff, and each reporter 
 was eager to know what the leaders wore. It seemed 
 very amusing to me. 
 
 After breakfast we went down into the lobby of the 
 hotel, and while I was waiting for Uncle Sidney, with 
 whom I was to sit in the gallery of the convention 
 hall, it was the greatest imaginable sport to watch the 
 hurrying and scurrying of people. After a little I could 
 tell the men from the different sections by their very 
 dress. You can imagine how our own friends from 
 the East looked. The Western man wears checked or 
 plaid trousers, leaves off his waistcoat, and goes about 
 in gay negligee silk or madras shirt and leather belt. 
 Westerners have a way with them, however, that would 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 
 
 189 
 
 captivate you girls. The Southerners wear black slouch 
 hats, black frock coats, and white neckties. Almost 
 every one of the delegates carries a palm-leaf fan, for the 
 
 From a stereograph copyrighted 1905 by Underwood and Underwood, New York. 
 
 A POLITICAL CROWD 
 
 thermometer has registered between ninety-five and a 
 hundred degrees every day. 
 
 Men were running about giving out printed circu- 
 lars, buttons, and badges ; others had buttonholed their 
 companions and were gesticulating like camp-meeting 
 
190 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 preachers. While I waited in the office, half a dozen 
 big transparencies were put into a great open automobile 
 wagon and hurried off toward the convention. 
 
 Uncle Sidney and I went up to the hall before eleven 
 o'clock, and we had great seats! There were twenty 
 thousand people packed into that building before the 
 convention was called to order. I never saw such a 
 sight. On the platform the members of the National 
 Committee sat with their guests, while on the floor 
 the delegates from each state were grouped together, 
 with a signboard bearing the name of the state over 
 their heads. Around the platform sat the newspaper 
 men, while many other men and women crowded the 
 galleries. I forgot to say that Uncle Sidney brought 
 little Marjorie with him, but Aunt Mary was ill and 
 could not come. 
 
 ft; was just eleven o'clock when a minister opened the 
 convention with a short prayer. Then the chairman 
 of the National Committee read some announcements 
 to which nobody seemed to listen. Already the heat 
 of the day was calling into action fans, hats, and news- 
 papers. The chairman had to bang the table with his 
 gavel over and over again in order to go on with busi- 
 ness. The roll-call of the states was the first real 
 business of the hour, and the clerk called "Alabama." 
 Immediately a man jumped up on a chair, and roared 
 out a little speech which simply meant that Alabama 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 191 
 
 had yielded its place to New York. The whole conven- 
 tion seemed stirred through and through by this state- 
 ment, and the New York delegation sprang to its feet 
 like one man, while some of the men jumped to their 
 chairs to wave their flags and shout uproariously. The 
 New York man who was to make the nominating 
 speech was introduced by the chairman and spoke from 
 the platform. I think it must have been a great speech, 
 though I could not hear a word, for when it was 
 over there went up a shout like a crash of thunder. 
 Flags appeared everywhere, hats were thrown up, men 
 jumped upon their chairs, women waved their para- 
 sols, and the whole hall seemed to rock with the motion 
 of the audience. While the band was playing^ the 
 chairman unfurled a silk flag, and handed it to one of 
 the other delegations. Immediately umbrellas of red, 
 white, and blue, bearing portraits of the President, added 
 new excitement. Then it was that the New York dele- 
 gation started out on a marching tour. Other delega- 
 tions joined the New Yorkers, and as they paraded up 
 and down the great aisles, shouting, laughing, and cheer- 
 ing, what did little Marjorie do but catch sight of father, 
 and wave her flag wildly at our own delegation. I don't 
 know what you will think when I tell you that father 
 was so excited that he came up into the gallery, picked 
 up Marjorie before Uncle Sidney knew what he was 
 doing, and pranced off with her on his shoulder, heading 
 
LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 193 
 
 the procession of our state delegation. I grew perfectly 
 scarlet, but Uncle Sidney only laughed, and said that 
 when I was old enough, I'd be a boy again. 
 
 After all this uproar over the nomination speech came 
 the roll-call for votes upon the nominations. It began 
 with Alabama again, which responded with a unanimous 
 vote and much cheering. The states followed alpha- 
 betically, and in a few moments the chairman announced 
 that nine hundred ninety-four votes had been cast for 
 the President. 
 
 I've tried to make you see and hear and feel this en- 
 thusiasm, but you can't half imagine the pitch of excite- 
 ment to which these delegates were carried during the 
 supreme moment. Father was only one among hun- 
 dreds who forgot dignity and propriety. I haven't 
 begun to tell you of the comings and goings of the man- 
 agers among the delegates, or the methods by which 
 the excitement is kept alive in order to sway the feelings 
 of the audience. 
 
 I would not have missed this visit to the national 
 convention for anything. I realize now what it means 
 to be in politics, and I also realize that campaigning for 
 the Federal government is more important than being a 
 soldier. Why, Dot, I'm going to be a politician just 
 like father, and if I ever am sent as a delegate to the 
 national convention, you shall be one of the ladies in 
 the gallery with a white parasol and a silk flag. I forgot 
 
194 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 to say that we didn't stay for the nomination of the Vice 
 President. Marjorie was so excited that we had to take 
 her home. When father finally came to Uncle Sidney's, 
 he was so hoarse he could not speak aloud. Aunt Mary 
 wanted to send for Dr. Hyde, but Uncle Sidney said 
 
 DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AT ST. Louis, 1904 
 
 that father had surely had a good time and did not need 
 a doctor. This letter is to you and mother together, and 
 I am the happiest fourteen-year-old boy in all Chicago. 
 
 Your loving brother, 
 
 PAUL HILLMAN. 
 
 P. S. Two hours later. Father's voice has come 
 back, but he'll lose it again talking so much with Uncle 
 
A NATIONAL CONVENTION STORY 195 
 
 Sidney They sound like two college men after a victo- 
 rious football game. I tell you it's great, Dot, it's great 
 to be here ! P. H. 
 
 From what source do the funds come to run a national 
 convention ? 
 
 Why is the committee on credentials so very important ? 
 
 Why are cities like Chicago and St. Louis chosen to 
 entertain the national convention ? 
 
 What does " dark horse" mean at the time of a conven- 
 tion ? 
 
 What is the method of voting at the convention ? 
 
 How is a case actually reached in case of deadlock ? 
 
 Play that you are a man who was desirous of going 
 to the national convention and explain the steps to be 
 taken to send you as a delegate. 
 
 VOCABULARY THE NATIONAL CONVENTION 
 
 national committee platform 
 
 nominating committee plank 
 
 committee on credentials nominee 
 
 standing committee campaign 
 
 candidate national convention 
 
 delegate state convention 
 
 delegates at large county convention 
 
 district delegates congressional district con- 
 alternate vention 
 
196 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 THE NATIONAL CONVENTION 
 
 President : The officer or chairman in charge of the convention. 
 
 Temporary Chairman : The person in charge for the time being. 
 
 Permanent Chairman : An official elected to the office by a vote or 
 choice of a committee. 
 
 National Committee : The members of this committee have charge 
 of the national convention and its work of organization. They call 
 for state and city conventions ; they choose a place of meeting and 
 appoint executive committees, standing committees, committees on 
 credentials, etc. 
 
 Executive Committee : These officials have care of the convention, 
 make press announcements, and publish party literature. 
 
 Committee on Credentials : These officials have care of the roll of 
 delegates, seats in the convention, and the contests of delegates. 
 
 Standing Committee : These officials arrange for the future work of 
 the organization. 
 
 Committee on Platforms : These members announce the policy of 
 the party in written form. 
 
 Committee on Nominations : This committee organizes the members 
 who are best fitted for candidates. 
 
 Committee on Rules : These officials make the rules and regulations 
 by which the committees and convention are ordered. 
 
 Meeting : A National Committee chooses a convenient center of the 
 country for the national convention, and makes plans months before- 
 hand in order that there shall be hospitable conditions for members 
 of the convention and their friends. 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 
 
 " WE had a debate in school to-day, father, and our 
 side won." Charlie Andrews had joined his father at 
 the office, and as he spoke, the latter was unfastening his 
 horse, ready to drive home in the long afternoon sun- 
 shine. 
 
 " It is the 1 8th of May, you know, father; Peace 
 Day, our teacher called it. It is the anniversary of the 
 opening of the great conference at The Hague." 
 
 " Tell me about the debate," Mr. Andrews said, pick- 
 ing up the reins and backing the horse. " We'll drive 
 home the long way around, it is such a beautiful after- 
 
 noon." 
 
 " Yes, my teacher said when she introduced Mr. 
 Brown, that she was sure the day itself believed in peace, 
 everything was so lovely. 
 
 '97 
 
198 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Well," and the boy leaned forward with his hands on 
 his knees as the horse settled down to an easy jog, 
 " to begin, only twelve pupils took part, six on each 
 side. The class had chosen the debaters a week ago, 
 and then we drew lots for the sides. The question 
 was: 'Resolved: International disputes can be and 
 should be settled without war.' ' 
 
 " On which side did your lot fall, Charlie ? " asked his 
 father. 
 
 " I was on the affirmative, and I was glad, because I 
 believed in everything I said. I have been reading in 
 the library for just this debate. Our teacher told us 
 what to read." 
 
 "Well, how did it come out?" Mr. Andrews asked. 
 " I myself am not sure that I believe in no more warfare ; 
 it has proved beneficial in the past ; war has led men to 
 be brave in sacrifice and strong in character." 
 
 " Oh, father, that was one of the very arguments Arthur 
 Bemis used, but Jerry O'Neil replied that there was 
 opportunity for men to be brave at fires and floods and 
 famines, and where war might make one man brave it 
 would more likely make nine men diseased or immoral. 
 And he made a good point, we thought, when he said 
 that bravery in battle does not imply courage to face 
 false public opinion, or to vote honestly, or to carry on 
 business by upright methods." 
 
 " That's true," Mr. Andrews replied, smiling down 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 
 
 199 
 
 at the eager face beside him. " What else did your side 
 say? How about the old saying, ' In time of peace pre- 
 pare for war ' ? " 
 
 " Mary Chapman had to answer that point in the 
 argument, and she 
 thought that when 
 neighbors were 
 friendly, it would be 
 very wrong to be on 
 the alert for dis- 
 loyalty or insults. 
 She instanced 
 Canada and the 
 United States. I 
 can't remember all 
 that she said about 
 it, but everybody 
 clapped after her 
 speech because she 
 was so earnest." 
 
 " Did any one 
 suggest that war kills off surplus population and gives 
 an opportunity for thousands of men who might other- 
 wise become tramps ? " 
 
 " Don't, father ! There is no need of killing off 
 people. How can there be too many people? In our 
 geography lesson we have learned that the whole popu- 
 
 HUGO GROTIUS 
 
26O 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 lation of the earth could be put into Texas with an 
 allowance of half an acre to each family." 
 
 " But war does give occupation, my boy. Look at 
 those men over there ; see how shiftless and slovenly 
 they are. If they were in barrack drills, they would 
 
 have to be clean, and 
 they would be well dis- 
 ciplined." 
 
 " Yes, but if there were 
 no armies, hundreds of 
 millions of dollars more 
 could be spent every year 
 upon the education of 
 just such ignorant people; 
 and by and by there 
 would be no ill-fed, 
 slovenly class." 
 
 The horse was walking 
 now, but Mr. Andrews 
 seemed to forget every- 
 thing except his son's ani- 
 mated argument. In fact, he was very much interested. 
 " I was talking with Captain Armstrong not long ago, 
 Charlie," he broke out after a few moments' silence. 
 " He thought that the army and the navy had become 
 the two greatest national functions of our country. He 
 seemed to feel that but for our Spanish War we should 
 
 IMMANUEL KANT 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 2OI 
 
 still be a second-grade nation, but that now we lead in 
 dignity and authority." 
 
 "Oh, I wish you could have heard Mary Ellis answer that 
 argument, father. She said that one might as well ask 
 a dressmaker whether one needed a new gown as to ask a 
 soldier whether he needed more battleships. She also 
 said that of course a soldier receives- no promotions in 
 time of peace, and gets little glory. Naturally he wants 
 both. She argued that the business man is, therefore, a 
 better judge than a military expert, who might magnify 
 his own profession and want large appropriations of money 
 to increase military authority. One of the arguments 
 used by the negative side was, ' You can't change human 
 nature.' I replied to that." 
 
 " Well, can you change human nature, Charlie ? " his 
 father asked with a roguish look in his eye. 
 
 u Oh, I don't suppose I said much," Charlie answered, 
 blushing a little. " But I did say that the world had 
 changed in its interests, activities, and tastes during the 
 last two hundred years." 
 
 " How could you prove it? " 
 
 " We don't hang witches or persecute Quakers, and we 
 aren't so intolerant in religion. We don't keep slaves, 
 and we have associations to prevent cruelty to dumb ani- 
 mals. So you see I had some facts to prove that we are 
 less cruel than our ancestors. My teacher told me to take, 
 for an example, the men who used to fight duels. They 
 
202 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 thought no court could settle a question of honor, but 
 gentlemen of to-day carry no swords, and if they do have 
 quarrels, they settle them in courts and not by killing 
 each other." 
 
 " Still, I don't know ; it looks to me sometimes as if in 
 spite of these few changes, mankind had not gained 
 much in the last hundred years." Mr. Andrews liked 
 to hear what Charlie would say, you see, and argued in a 
 
 half quizzical mood. 
 " But, father, even 
 if mankind does not 
 change very fast, we 
 do not need to wait 
 for persons to be good 
 before certain bad 
 habits are given up. 
 In my reading I 
 have found that in the 
 long run conditions 
 have been bettered in 
 spite of everything. 
 Think of those old 
 Italian cities, like 
 Genoa and Florence. 
 They used to wall themselves in, build fortifications, 
 and raise large armies just to fight with each other. 
 Even in the United States it took our Federal Consti- 
 
 WILLIAM PENN 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 203 
 
 tution to bind our states together. Now we live in 
 peace, even if all men are not noble minded. And 
 with a federation of all nations greater good might 
 be assured, we claimed." 
 
 " What was the next argument ? " asked Mr. Andrews. 
 
 " Mary Thomas answered the question, ' Will nations 
 keep their pledges if the court of arbitration decides 
 against them ? ' She said that in one hundred years 
 there had been two hundred and fifty disputes settled 
 l>y commissions or courts, and in not one single case 
 had there been a subsequent outbreak or disagreement. 
 Her argument closed the debate and the affirmative 
 was declared successful; but we had still other things 
 on the programme. First, we sang America, and then 
 one of the guests rose and told us about The Hague 
 conference. He was a Mr. Brown, who came on 
 purpose to tell us about it; he had acted as private 
 secretary to one of the delegates in the summer of 1899. 
 He said there were a hundred men present, representing 
 twenty-six nations. He described the palace where the 
 conference met and explained how it was established, 
 and what the Czar hoped would be accomplished. It 
 was very interesting. He told us about Mr. Carnegie's 
 gift of $1,500,000 to build a courthouse. After he 
 finished, Mary Stewart, who was dressed in white, 
 came forward and read the names of great men who 
 have worked for the peace of our country." 
 
204 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 " Who are they ?" asked Mr. Andrews. 
 
 " I can't remember all, but Washington and Lincoln 
 and Franklin and Jefferson I knew, and Beecher and 
 Horace Mann. Then there were General Armstrong 
 and Colonel Waring, and Charles Sumner and Dorothea 
 Dix. Yes, and there were still others, whom I have for- 
 gotten. Their names were written upon the blackboard, 
 and we are to study about them in reference books. 
 Then we shall know what work each one did that gives 
 him or her a place of honor on the roll-call of 'peace 
 heroes.' After Mary Stewart finished reading their 
 names, Jamie McDonald read the Arsenal at Spring- 
 field. There were flowers everywhere in the room, and, 
 somehow, I felt as thrilled with the thought of peace as 
 I do when I hear martial music. We wore tiny peace 
 flags in our buttonholes, and saluted the new peace 
 flag which Miss Brown had made for the room. 
 Oh, and I forgot ! There was the motto on the black- 
 board, ' Peace on earth, good will to men.' Nobody 
 spoke of it, but I guess everybody thought whose mes- 
 sage it was." 
 
 " Do you know, Charlie, I think I shall read these 
 convincing arguments which you have been reading, and 
 later join the Peace Movement Association." 
 
 "Will you, father? How grand! Just because I 
 helped win the debate ? " 
 
 " No, not exactly, though I am proud of you because 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 
 
 205 
 
 you helped in the debate. Your little class exercise has 
 made me interested in the movement, a movement that 
 may change the outlook 
 of civilization. If you 
 boys and girls are going 
 to help bring about bet- 
 ter things for the coun- 
 try, I must be on the 
 same side with my boy, 
 because we are such 
 good comrades," said 
 the father. 
 
 The boy sat still a 
 moment, then broke 
 out with, " We are 
 pretty good chums, 
 
 aren't we, father?" JEAN DE BLOCH 
 
 And then, because he 
 
 didn't quite know what to say next, he put out his hand 
 and asked, " May I drive the rest of the way home ? " 
 
 Which ought to unite countries more heartily, trade 
 intimacy or conquest by warfare ? 
 
 If trade exists, why not build up treaties instead of 
 standing armies ? And if treaties exist, why should not 
 disputes be settled by a supreme court or a court of ar- 
 bitration instead of by bloodshed? 
 
206 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Will the average man serve his country most by 
 dying for it or living for it ? 
 
 Why has the i8th of May been chosen for Peace 
 Day? 
 
 What institutions, such as hospitals, old people's homes, 
 trade schools, etc., are needed in your town for the good 
 of the people ? 
 
 Do you need these institutions as much as you need 
 soldiers on the frontier between Canada and the United 
 States ? 
 
 What inventions of the nineteenth century have 
 helped to bind the world together and make all people 
 dependent upon one another ? 
 
 Does it not seem more sinful and unnecessary to go to 
 war now than it did hundreds of years ago ? 
 
 Why do armaments cost vastly more than they used to ? 
 
 Do armies and navies differ from duelists ? Do they 
 aim to get justice done ? 
 
 How do police and militia aim to get justice done ? 
 Do the police of one city fight with the police of another 
 city? Why not? 
 
 Why is it that we shall continue to need police and 
 militia ? 
 
 If patriotism means serving one's country all the time, 
 just as religion means service of God all the time, how 
 have we shown our patriotism during the nine tenths of 
 the period in which this country has been at peace ? 
 
PUBLIC DAYS: A PEACE DAY STORY 207 
 
 What can you find out about Hugo Grotius, Imman- 
 uel Kant, Jean de Bloch ? 
 
 Should you prefer to have your name famous as a 
 great soldier or as a great peacemaker ? 
 
 What has our government done recently in the matter 
 of the " peace movement" ? 
 
 Who are the famous men connected with the Peace 
 Conference at Portsmouth, New Hampshire? 
 
 VOCABULARY THE PEACE MOVEMENT 
 
 arbitration disputes signatory power 
 
 organization commissions rescript 
 
 conference treaties ratified 
 
 international law permanent tribunal international police 
 code delegates world congress 
 
 disarmament conciliation world organization 
 
 OFFICIAL TERMS AND DUTIES 
 
 President : The presiding and governing officer of the assembly. 
 
 Vice Presidents : The officers who may preside and govern in the 
 absence of the president. 
 
 Standing Committees : Persons nominated to serve continuously, in 
 order to further the business of the commission. 
 
 Advisory Committees : Persons who are appointed to give their 
 opinion regarding matters that come before the commission. 
 
 Committees of Correspondence : Members of the commission who are 
 in communication with other commissions or individuals interested in 
 the peace movement. 
 
APPENDIX A 
 
 I. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Investigate the method of police appointment in your town or city. 
 
 How far does the Civil Service examination extend in the police department ? 
 
 How does street-lighting facilitate the work of preventing crime ? (Inter- 
 esting data may be found in street reports of Glasgow, Scotland.) 
 
 Have you the police signal in your town or city ? 
 
 What is the Nanze clock system ? What is the Bertillon system ? 
 
 Note the work of the police force in connection with strikes in New York, 
 Fall River, Lowell, Chicago, etc. 
 
 How do the police and fire departments work together ? 
 
 How much does it cost your city to keep the peace ? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of police departments ; DOLE, American Citizen, p. 87 ; 
 DOLE, Young Citizen, chapter x; CLARK, Government, chapter vi ; WIL- 
 LOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American Citizenship, pp. 112-113. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 HART, Actual Government, pp. 187-188, 575-576 ; JAMES and SANFORD, 
 Government in State and Nation, pp. 29-30 ; GOODNOW, City Government in 
 the United States, chapter ix ; WILCOX, Study of City Government, pp. 
 24-27; FAIRLIE, Municipal Administration, pp. 126-149; FORMAN, Ad- 
 vanced Civics, pp. 253, 390-395 ; BRYCE, American Commonwealth, vol. ii, 
 pp. 409, 568 ; FISKE, Civil Government in the United States, pp. 111-113. 
 
 209 
 
210 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 II. THE BOARD OF HEALTH 
 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Investigate the relationship between the city or town Board of Health or 
 Health Committee and the state Board of Health. 
 
 Report upon the state board's investigation in a special epidemic in your 
 town or city, if any such investigation has occurred. 
 
 Make a report of statistics, comparing the health of the city during one 
 decade with that of the following decade. 
 
 How much does the Board of Health cost your city ? 
 
 How is the Board of Health appointed ? 
 
 How far does the Civil Service examination have weight in the Board of 
 Health appointments ? 
 
 Investigate special advanced steps in sanitation in other cities, Boston, 
 Chicago, etc. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of Boards of Health ; SMITH, Training for Citizenship, pp. 
 93-94, 238-332 ; JAMES and SANFORD, Government in State and Nation, 
 pp. 89-99 ; MARTIN, Civil Government in the United States, p. 33 ; CLARK, 
 Government, p. 163. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 FORMAN, Advanced Civics, pp. 391-392 ; WILCOX, Study of City Govern- 
 ment, pp. 28-31 ; FAIRLIE, Municipal Administration, pp. 157-175; HART, 
 Actual Government, 571-573; GOODNOW, City Government in the United 
 States, pp. 235, 245. 
 
 III. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Investigate the appointment of the fire department in your city. 
 What is the actual cost of the fire department in your city or town ? 
 What power has the Civil Service in appointments, in this department ? 
 What is the organization in its social character ? 
 Contrast the ancient and modern fire organizations. 
 Explain the use of chemical apparatus. 
 
APPENDIX A 211 
 
 What need is there of fire-proof buildings ? Have all the buildings in 
 your city or town fire escapes ? 
 
 Explain the cooperation of police and fire departments. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of fire departments ; DOLE, Young Citizen, p. 87 ; O'HiG- 
 GINS, Smoke Eaters. (Extracts from these tales of the New York fire de- 
 partment will interest the children.) 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 HART, Actual Government, pp. 195-197, 573-574; FAIRLIE, Municipal 
 Administration, pp. 148-157; Forum, pp. 29, 566-571 ; Popular Science 
 Monthly, pp. 47, 477-603. 
 
 IV. THE STREET DEPARTMENT 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Investigate the relation of the street department to the Board of Health. 
 
 What is the probable relationship between this department and the Board 
 of Overseers of the Poor ? 
 
 What is the relationship between the purchasing agent or supply depart- 
 ment of the city and the street department? Illustrate with specimens of 
 requisition papers, contract papers, etc. 
 
 To what extent should Civil Service dictate the workman's position in the 
 street department? 
 
 Note the kinds of pavements in your own town or city, and their adapt- 
 ability to travel and traffic. 
 
 What relationship ought there to be between the street department and 
 Water Board? 
 
 Investigate successful work done by the street department in New York, 
 Berlin, and other large cities. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of street departments; CLARK, Government, pp. 56-163 ; 
 DOLE, Young Citizen, pp. 6-7, 89-91. 
 
212 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 GOODNOW, City Government, chapter ix ; FAIRLIE, Municipal Administra- 
 tion, pp. 225-260 ; WILCOX, Study of City Government, p. 344; HART, 
 Actual Government, pp. 195, 515-516; BRYCE, American Commonwealth, 
 vol. i, p. 654. 
 
 V. SCHOOLS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Of what does the Board of Education in your state consist ? 
 
 What is the relation between William T. Harris, the United States com- 
 missioner of education, and each state board ? 
 
 What pedagogical schools exist in the United States to-day at which experi- 
 ments in child study serve as basis for scientific principles in pedagogy ? 
 
 What men and women stand foremost among the many educators of 
 to-day ? 
 
 Are high schools increasing ? 
 
 Can academies take the place'of high schools in towns or in cities ? 
 
 Wherein does our American system of education differ from European 
 systems ? 
 
 What did Horace Mann do for education ? 
 
 What do industrial and textile and commercial education do to develop 
 pupils ? 
 
 Debate : Resolved, that we need more manual training in the public 
 schools, in order to further the best interests of the majority. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual report of the School Committee ; DOLE, Young Citizen, chapter iii ; 
 DOLE, American Citizen, chapter xvii; MACY, Our Government, chapter viii ; 
 SMITH, Training for Citizenship, chapter iv; CLARK, Government, chapter 
 ix ; PETERMAN, Elements of Civil Government, chapter ii ; MACY, First 
 Lessons in Civil Government, chapter v. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 BOYNTON, School Civics, pp. 283-286; GOODNOW, City Government 
 in the United States, chapter xi; JAMES and SANFORD, Government in 
 
APPENDIX A 213 
 
 State and Nation, chapter ix ; FISKE, Civil Government, pp. 20-23 
 FAIRLIE, Municipal Administration, pp. 200-217; FORMAN, Advanced 
 Civics, chapter xlvi ; HART, Actual Government, pp. 143-147, 548-549, 
 551-554. See educational journals for articles by great educators; for 
 instance, Charles Eliot, President of Harvard University, Nicholas Murray 
 Butler, President of Columbia University, etc. 
 
 VI. THE OVERSEERS OF THE POOR 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Investigate the method of appointment of the public officers charged with 
 the care of the poor. 
 
 Investigate the appointment of the superintendent of the city's poor farms 
 or almshouses, and his duties. 
 
 What relation is there between a city department and the state department 
 of charities ? 
 
 What power has Civil Service in the matter of appointment of assistants ? 
 
 What is the actual cost of caring for the poor in the city or town in which 
 you live ? 
 
 Note the increase or decrease, according to population, of paupers in your 
 town or city. 
 
 Note the forces in society which tend to the prevention or the increase of 
 pauperism. 
 
 Note the work of charity organizations and of city institutions, and of per- 
 sonal investigation in other cities, as instanced by that of Jacob Riis. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of public charities ; state charity reports ; magazine entitled 
 Charities, published by The Charity Organization Society, New York : DOLE, 
 American Citizen, chapters xxxiii-xxxiv ; MACY, Our Government, chapter x. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 JAMES and SANFORD, Government in State and Nation, chapter viii ; GOOD- 
 NO w, City Government in the United States, chapter x; FORMAN, Advanced 
 Civics, chapter 1 ; WILCOX, Study of Civil Government, pp. 34-36 ; COLER> 
 Municipal Government, chapters ii and iii ; FAIRLIE, Municipal Administra- 
 tion, pp. 182-191 ; see reports of private charities. 
 
214 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 VII. MUNICIPAL INTERESTS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 How are Water commissioners or Water boards appointed in your town 
 or city ? 
 
 How far does the Civil Service commission affect your Water Board ? 
 
 What does your Water Board cost annually ? 
 
 Are the gas and electrical plants owned by your city or town? If so, how 
 do the officers receive their appointments ? Does the Civil Service affect the 
 employees ? 
 
 If these departments are controlled by private corporations, what rela- 
 tion must exist between the city government and these corporations? 
 
 What arguments are there for and against municipal ownerships of such 
 franchises as gas, electricity, and trolley systems ? 
 
 Why are the Croton Water Works famous ? 
 
 What great water systems of your state are examples of special engi- 
 neering? 
 
 What European water works are world famous? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of Water boards and Street-lighting commissions: DOLE, 
 American Citizen, pp. 134-135; DOLE, Young Citizen, chapter ii ; WIL- 
 LOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American Citizenship, pp. 266-267 5 CLARK, 
 Government, pp. 85-86. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 COLER, Municipal Administration, chapter v ; WILCOX, Study of Civil 
 Government, pp. 43-47 ; FAIRLIE, Municipal Administration, pp. 272-289 ; 
 FORMAN, Advanced Civics, chapter xxix ; GOODNOW, City Government, 
 chapter xii ; HART, Actual Government, p. 574; FISKE, Civil Government, 
 
 pp. 115-117- 
 
 / 
 
 VIII. PARK SYSTEMS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 What professions have grown out of park making? 
 Where can students study for such professions? 
 
APPENDIX A 215 
 
 What do you know about national parks ? 
 What great and famous city parks can you name? 
 What private parks are world famous? 
 What is Congress trying to do about a new public park? 
 What does it cost your city to maintain its parks? 
 How are your park commissioners or their equivalent appointed? 
 Do Civil Service examinations control any appointments in the Park Com- 
 mission of your city or town ? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 Annual reports of the Forestry Bureau and city, state, and national parks. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 FAIRLIE, Municipal Administration, pp. 261-269 i HART, Actual Gov- 
 ernment, pp. 328-333 ; current magazine articles : for such see POOLE'S 
 Index. 
 
 IX. JUVENILE COURTS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 In what cities have the Juvenile courts made most progress? 
 
 Why does the immigration question make the Juvenile Court problem 
 more important? 
 
 What work is the national Children's Home Society trying to accomplish ? 
 
 What is the Visitation and Aid Society accomplishing? 
 
 Why must the development of the Juvenile Court spring from the city 
 and state rather than from the Federal government? 
 
 What progress has been made in the idea of punishment for children 
 during the last hundred years? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Juvenile Court Record (a magazine published in Chicago) : DOLE, Young 
 Citizen, chapter xi ; DOLE, American Citizen, chapter xxxviii. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 GOODNOW, City Government in the United States, pp. 211-212; WIL- 
 LOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American Citizenship, p. 93 ; COLER, 
 Municipal Government, chapter iii ; current magazine articles, referred to in 
 POOLE'S Index, especially noting work done in the Denver Juvenile Court. 
 
2i6 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 X. CAUCUS, ELECTION, AND INAUGURATION 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 What political conditions have led the citizens of your town or city to 
 need city committees ? 
 
 What are the problems which confront city committees where the popula- 
 tion is not only large but to a great extent foreign born ? 
 
 What famous elections have there been in the history of your town or 
 city? 
 
 What is the oath of office which the mayor of your city must take ? 
 
 How can the mayor of a great city overcome to any extent municipal 
 corruption ? 
 
 What mayors in the last five years throughout the country have attempted 
 this? 
 
 What cities in Europe are famous for their municipal government ? 
 
 What has the Civic League in certain states done to advance municipal 
 government ? 
 
 What has the " Civil Service Reform " accomplished in overcoming munici- 
 pal corruption ? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Campaign literature ; SMITH, Training for Citizenship, chapters x, xxii ; 
 DOLE, American Citizen, chapters viii, xix, xx, xxi ; BOYNTON, School 
 Civics, pp. 211, 270; WILLOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American Citizen- 
 ship, chapter xiii ; PETERMAN, Elements of Civil Government, chapter xviii ; 
 MACY, Our Government, chapter xiii. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 GOODNOW, City Government in the United States, p. 156; FISK, Civil 
 Government in the United States, p. 241 ; JAMES and SANFORD, Government 
 in State and Nation, chapter v ; MACY, Party Organization and Machinery 
 (very illuminating) ; BRYCE, American Commonwealth, vol. i, pp. 657-669, 
 vol. 2, pp. 142, 271 ; JAMES and SANFORD, Our Government, chapter xxiii ; 
 HART, Actual Government, pp. 72-85 ; WILCOX, Study of City Government, 
 pp. 65-66 ; COLER, Municipal Government, chapter ix ; MARTIN, New Civil 
 Government, chapter xxiv ; FORM AN, Advanced Civics, chapter xlv ; DAL- 
 LINGER, Nominations for Elective Office, chapters ii, v, viii. 
 
APPENDIX A 217 
 
 XI. TOWN MEETINGS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Why did New England adopt the town meeting, while the colonists farther 
 south preferred other forms of local government? 
 
 What happens in New England when the town becomes too large for 
 orderly government in the town meeting? 
 
 If a manufacturing village grows up in a farming town, ought it to be set 
 off as a separate town ? 
 
 Are there other democratic governments besides our own in which every- 
 body has a share ? 
 
 In the community meeting of the canton of Appenzell in Switzerland, four- 
 teen thousand men sometimes appear, each one wearing a sword. They 
 represent direct government " by the people." Why is our indirect and rep- 
 resentative form of government in larger towns of greater advantage to the 
 community, even if direct government be lost sight of? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual report of any New England town ; DOLE, Young Citizen, chapter 
 xxii ; MACY, Our Government, pp. 2-12 ; WILLOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of 
 American Citizenship, pp. 261-262. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 FISKE, Civil Government, chapter ii ; JAMES and SANFORD, Our Govern- 
 ment, pp. 23-29; BRYCE, American Commonwealth, vol. i, pp. 590-610; 
 FORMAN, Advanced Civics, chapter xxvii ; MARTIN, New Civil Government, 
 chapter xxii ; HART, Actual Government, pp. 170-171. 
 
 XII. VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 Has your state created any organized work to better village conditions? 
 
 What villages or towns near you have taken steps to organize local civic 
 interests? 
 
 How does a state federation go to work to help a local organization? 
 
 In great cities there is need of civic pride. Why does the town or village 
 need improvement also, though in different ways? 
 
218 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 In Dole's Young Citizen, chapters xxi and xxii, we are told the story of 
 " The City Beautiful " and " A Model Town." After reading these, write the 
 story of your own town or city and see if yours is " beautiful " or a " model." 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of local associations ; reports of Massachusetts Civic 
 leagues ; reports of American Civic associations ; past reports of American 
 League for Civic Improvement (now out of existence) ; past reports of Ameri- 
 can Park and Outdoor Art Association ; current magazine articles, referred to 
 in POOLE'S Index. 
 
 TEACHERS" LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of local associations ; reports of Massachusetts Civic 
 leagues ; reports of American Civic associations ; past reports of American 
 League for Civic Improvement (now out of existence) ; past reports of Ameri- 
 can Park and Outdoor Art Association ; current magazine articles, referred to 
 in POOLE'S Index. 
 
 XIII. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION 
 TOPIC FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 What were our relations to foreigners in the early period of our nationaliza- 
 tion? 
 
 What were the alien and sedition laws ? and why were they not enforced ? 
 
 What of the coming of the Chinese, and the subsequent Chinese Exclu- 
 sion Bill? 
 
 What very recent steps have been taken in order to admit certain Chinese 
 into the country? 
 
 What restrictions have been made in late years concerning foreign 
 immigration? 
 
 Do authorities upon immigration believe that we should protect ourselves 
 against further immigration? 
 
 Are the foreign countries themselves suffering from depletion of population 
 because of this steady increase in emigration ? 
 
APPENDIX A 219 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Annual reports of Immigration and Naturalization bureaus ; FLECKINGER, 
 Civil Government, p. 269; STRONG and SCHAFER, Government of the 
 American People, p. 186; JAMES and SANFORD, Our Government, pp. 99-153- 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 HART, Actual Government, pp. 17, 18, 450-453, 572, 573; GOODNOW, 
 City Government, pp. 4, 5, 572-573 ; BRYCE, American Commonwealth, vol. i, 
 p. 651 ; MARTIN, New Civil Government, pp. 46, 293; FORMAN, Advanced 
 Civics, pp. 102-105 ; WILLOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American Citizen- 
 ship, pp. 17-18, 28, 138, 190-191. 
 
 XIV. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 What famous national conventions have you read about in your history ? 
 
 What made the Democratic convention of 1844 a noted one? 
 
 Who were the leaders of the Free Soil convention of 1848? 
 
 In what convention was Lincoln so prominent? 
 
 How did Bryan save his party in 1904? 
 
 What takes the place of our national convention in English politics? 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Campaign literature of political parties ; MARTIN, New Civil Government 
 p. 227; MORY, Elements of Civil Government, pp. 104-108; SMITH, Training 
 for Citizenship, pp. 85-88, 109; WILLOUGHBY, Rights and Duties of American 
 Citizenship, pp. 305-308 ; STRONG and SCHAFER, Government of American 
 People, pp. 196-197. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 HART, Actual Government, pp. 96-98; JAMES and SANFORD, Our 
 Government, chapter xiii ; FISKE, Civil Government, pp. 240-241 ; JAMES 
 and SANFORD, Government in State and Nation, chapter v ; BRYCE, Ameri- 
 can Commonwealth, pp. 82,175-220; DALLINGER, Nominations for Elective 
 Office, pp. 35-43; FORMAN, Advanced Civics, chapter xxx; MACY, Party 
 Organization and Machinery, chapter vi. 
 
220 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 XV. PUBLIC DAYS PEACE DAY 
 TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
 What was accomplished by the World Court at The Hague in 1901 ? 
 
 What efforts have been made to establish general arbitration between all 
 nations, as already between a few ? 
 
 What two countries in South America have begun disarmament ? 
 
 If a small "armed national police force " were created to take the place of 
 a " standing army," how would it differ in usefulness to a nation in time of 
 riot, mob, etc. ? 
 
 What could an international police force do ? 
 
 How are the cruelties of war being lessened ? 
 
 What has the Red Cross work accomplished ? 
 
 What steps have already been taken for the organization of the world ? 
 What remain to be taken ? 
 
 When the nations have a World Congress and when they settle their dis- 
 putes just as men or cities now do, and an international police force takes the 
 place of armies and navies, how much money will be saved every year ? 
 
 How could this money best be spent ? 
 
 How many churches, hospitals, schools, dwelling houses, and business 
 blocks like those in your town (the cost of each to be ascertained) could be 
 built with the savings of one year ? 
 
 What does the neutralization of Switzerland and. Belgium mean ? 
 
 Would it be a wise thing for other countries to be neutralized ? 
 
 How did the Chinese merchants in 1905 teach the United States that 
 nations have other ways than war to get justice done to their citizens ? 
 
 Tell the story of the " Christ of the Andes." 
 
 Tell the history of The Hague courts. 
 
 CHILDREN'S LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 Such a list has yet to be developed. Many anecdotes taken from the 
 literature for older readers will serve delightfully. 
 
 TEACHERS' LIST OF BOOKS 
 
 BRIDGMAN, World Organization ; TRUEBLOOD, The Historical Develop- 
 ment of the Peace Idea ; CRAPSEY, Relation of War to Working Classes ; 
 WALSH, The Moral Damage of War ; VON SUTTEN, Lay Down Your Arms ! ; 
 SUMNER, Address on War; MEAD, Primer of Peace Movement; reports of 
 the Peace Society ; magazine articles. 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 GLOSSARY 
 
 Absentee. One who stays away from 
 his private or public place or sta- 
 tion. 
 
 Adult. A person grown up ; one of 
 age. 
 
 Aerial Ladder. An extension ladder 
 used at fires. 
 
 Agent. One who is authorized to 
 act for another or for a body of 
 persons. 
 
 Alarms. Signals by means of fire 
 boxes connected by electricity with 
 fire department headquarters. 
 
 Alien. A foreigner not naturalized as 
 a citizen. 
 
 Allegiance. The obedience or fidelity 
 which a citizen owes to the govern- 
 ment of his country. 
 
 Almshouse. An institution for the 
 care of the poor and unfortunate. 
 
 Alternate. A person selected as a 
 delegate to go to a convention in 
 the place of the regular delegate, if 
 the latter is unable to go. 
 
 Ambulance. A vehicle specially fitted 
 for service when accident cases or 
 invalids are to be carried to a hos- 
 pital. 
 
 Ammonia. A volatile alkali. 
 
 Anarchist. One who produces con- 
 fusion or disorder in government. 
 
 Apparatus. The tools and furnish- 
 ings used by the fire department. 
 
 Appeal. A removal of a case from 
 one court to a court of higher au- 
 thority for the purpose of ree'x- 
 amination. 
 
 Appointive Power. The right of an 
 executive to name men for certain 
 offices. 
 
 Aqueduct. A conduit or pipe for con- 
 veying water from one place to 
 another. 
 
 Arbitration. The investigation and 
 determination of a matter under dis- 
 cussion by a disinterested person 
 or persons mutually chosen by the 
 contending parties. 
 
 Arrest. The seizure of a person by 
 an officer of the law. 
 
 Articles. The terms set forth in a 
 town warrant or other written 
 notice. 
 
 Asphalt Pavement. A sidewalk made 
 of bitumen or mineral pitch and 
 other materials. 
 
 221 
 
222 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Assessor. One who estimates the 
 tax which should be paid by the 
 inhabitants of a community. 
 
 Athletics. Systematic exercise of 
 one's body to develop strength 
 and lightness and firmness of 
 muscles and nerves. 
 
 Auditors. Persons employed to ex- 
 amine the accounts of official de- 
 partments. 
 
 Australian Ballots. Ballots printed 
 by the state, containing the names 
 of all the candidates of all the 
 parties. 
 
 Bail. The release of a prisoner on 
 security for his appearance in court ; 
 also, the sum given for the security. 
 
 Ballot. Printed or written votes cast 
 at elections. 
 
 Baseball Diamonds. Land set aside 
 for exclusive use by baseball 
 players. 
 
 Bath House. A house fitted up with 
 conveniences for bathing, as bath- 
 room, tubs, sometimes a tank for 
 swimming-bath, etc. 
 
 Batteries. A group of cells or jars in 
 which electricity is produced by 
 means of chemical action. 
 
 Beat. The round or course walked 
 or ridden by a watchman. 
 
 Bituminous Macadam. A pavement 
 made of asphalt or mineral coal 
 or tar, or the like. 
 
 Board' of Health. A number of per- 
 sons appointed to see that the con- 
 ditions in a community are such as 
 will promote the health of the 
 public. 
 
 Booths. Temporary houses built for 
 the purpose of holding caucuses 
 and also used as polling places. 
 
 Boulevard. A wide public street usu- 
 ally planted with rows of trees. 
 
 Brick Pavement. A sidewalk made 
 from squares of earth or clay burnt 
 in a kiln. 
 
 Burners. The part of a lighting appa- 
 ratus from which the light issues. 
 
 Call Men. Citizens of a town or city 
 who are attached to a fire depart- 
 ment, but who serve only at the 
 time of actual need and are other- 
 wise engaged in their own trades 
 and callings. 
 
 Campaign. The agitation and prepa- 
 rations previous to an election. 
 
 Campaign Literature. Printed pam- 
 phlets, posters, and newspaper work 
 setting forth political issues and the 
 history of the candidates of a party. 
 
 Candidate. A citizen who offers him- 
 self or is offered at a caucus for 
 election to an official position. 
 
 Carbons. Rods ,of artificial carbon 
 used in arc lamps. 
 
 Castle Garden. A circular building 
 situated on the Battery, New York. 
 It was built in 1805. From 1855 to 
 1891 it was used as a place of recep- 
 tion for immigrants, but the immi- 
 grant station has been transferred to 
 the Barge Office and thence to 
 Ellis Island. 
 
 Catch Basins. Open waterways into 
 which the street water may flow, 
 and which are connected with the 
 sewers. 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 223 
 
 Chairman. The presiding officer or 
 speaker of an assembly, association, 
 or company. 
 
 Challenge. A call to answer or to 
 give account. 
 
 Charitable Institutions. Homes, asy- 
 lums, etc., established by the public 
 or by charity organizations for the 
 benefit of the unfortunate. 
 
 Check List. The registrar's list of 
 names of citizens who have a right 
 to cast a vote at caucus and election. 
 
 Chemicals. The apparatus designed 
 for immediate and temporary use 
 in putting out fires. The extin- 
 guisher generally contains an acid 
 which mingles with a salt and water 
 and produces a gas which smothers 
 the fire. 
 
 Cinder Pavement. One made of 
 burnt-out coals, reduced to small- 
 est possible size. 
 
 Citizens 1 Relief Associations. Organ- 
 ized societies to aid the poor. 
 
 Civic Betterment. The improvement 
 in town and city life which grows 
 out of municipal reform. 
 
 Civic League. An organization of 
 citizens to further good municipal 
 government. 
 
 Civic Pride. An earnest pride on 
 the part of citizens to make their 
 municipal life worthy of commen- 
 dation. 
 
 Code. A system of related laws. 
 
 College Course. A course that fits its 
 students to enter a college or uni- 
 versity. Also sometimes the course 
 of study at the university itself. 
 
 Commercial Course. A course that 
 prepares a young person to go into 
 the business world ; the course 
 generally includes the study of 
 stenography, bookkeeping, and 
 commercial law. 
 
 Commission. The appointment of 
 one or more officials to perform 
 certain duties. 
 
 Committee. A body of persons ap- 
 pointed to manage or examine. 
 
 Committee on Credentials. The com- 
 mittee to investigate the testimony 
 and legality of delegates to conven- 
 tions. 
 
 Commons. Open public grounds or 
 spaces. 
 
 Community. The body of the peo- 
 ple ; the public. 
 
 Competitive Contest. A mutual con- 
 test for the same object in order 
 to develop rivalry. 
 
 Complainant. One who makes a 
 complaint. 
 
 Complaint. A statement made to the 
 proper officer that some person has 
 been guilty, or is thought guilty, of 
 an offense. 
 
 Conciliation. Agreement of peace. 
 
 Concrete Pavement. A composition 
 of lime, sand, and pebbles, cemented 
 by mortar or refuse tar. 
 
 Conduit. A canal or drain or pipe 
 for conducting water. 
 
 Conference. A formal meeting or as- 
 sembly of persons for the discus- 
 sion of some important matter. 
 
 Constable. An official policeman or 
 watchman. 
 
224 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Construction. The act of building. 
 
 Consulting Engineer. An expert au- 
 thority upon mechanical drawings, 
 constructions, and plans. 
 
 Contagion. The communication of 
 disease from one person to another 
 by direct contact. 
 
 Contract. A writing which contains 
 the terms of a bargain. 
 
 Converter. A machine which changes 
 one current of electricity into a cur- 
 rent of another quality. 
 
 Courses. The arrangement of studies 
 in a methodical series. 
 
 Court. The place where justice is 
 administered ; also judge or 
 judges. 
 
 Criminal. A person guilty of break- 
 ing the law and offending the pub- 
 lic sense of justice. 
 
 Crossings. Flaggings running be- 
 tween street corners or at intervals 
 across streets. 
 
 Cultures. The forced increase of bac- 
 teria or other microscopic organisms 
 by the introduction of germs into 
 suitably prepared fluids or other 
 media. 
 
 Curriculum. A course of studies in a 
 school. 
 
 Custody. The act of keeping or 
 guarding ; imprisonment. 
 
 Cutouts. Devices by means of which 
 an object, which may become elec- 
 trified, is thrown out of contact with 
 an electric source. 
 
 Dead Wires. Conductors in which 
 there is no electric flow. Any elec- 
 tric wires which are not used. 
 
 Debates. Discussions where two or 
 more people dispute or argue a 
 question in such a manner that out 
 of this contest one or the other 
 debater is supposed to establish his 
 argument. 
 
 Declaration of Intention. A declara- 
 tion made in court by an alien of 
 his intent to become a citizen of 
 the United States. 
 
 Decrepits. People infirm because of 
 old age. 
 
 Delegate. Any one sent and em- 
 powered to act for another. 
 
 Delegates-at-Large. Four delegates 
 from each state, not chosen by dis- 
 tricts, to each national conven- 
 tion. 
 
 Derricks. Apparatus for hoisting 
 heavy weights, furnished with pul- 
 leys and consisting of a spar sup- 
 ported by stays. 
 
 Detention. The act of holding in re- 
 straint ; delay. 
 
 Dirt Scrapers. A machine to smooth 
 and clean roadways. 
 
 Disarmament. Divesting a nation of 
 its arms or warlike implements. 
 
 Disease. A condition which denotes 
 ailment of body or mind. 
 
 Disinfectants. Substances which pre- 
 vent infection from passing from 
 one person to another. 
 
 Dispensary. An office in which medi- 
 cines are compounded and from 
 which the poor may receive, at the 
 city's expense, their drugs when 
 needed. 
 
 Dispute. Where two people or two 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 225 
 
 nations cannot come to an agree- 
 ment. 
 
 Donor. One who makes a gift. 
 
 Dormitories. Sleeping apartments or 
 buildings capable of containing 
 many beds. 
 
 Drainage. The process of drawing 
 off surface or underground water 
 through canals or aqueducts or 
 other artificial channels. 
 
 Drain Wells. Cisterns connected with 
 drainage. 
 
 Draught Horse. A strong, heavily 
 built horse for carts or heavy wagons. 
 
 Drilling Spoons. Long-handled in- 
 struments for piercing or boring 
 holes. 
 
 Dumper. A boat so constructed that 
 rubbish, ashes, and all unsanitary 
 refuse can be dropped into the water 
 far away from shore. 
 
 Dynamo. A machine which generates 
 electricity. 
 
 Edgestones. Stones around public or 
 private property or on the outer 
 edge of sidewalks. 
 
 Election. The act of choosing offi- 
 cers of government by means of 
 ballot or other methods of voting. 
 
 Emigration. Going from one coun- 
 try to reside in another. 
 
 Engine. A machine that generates 
 force. 
 
 Engineer of Fire Department. The 
 chief executive of a fire company 
 or companies. 
 
 Environment. The physical and so- 
 cial conditions by which a person 
 is surrounded. 
 
 Epidemic. A disease which attacks 
 many persons at the same time. 
 
 Equipment. Necessary furnishings. 
 
 Evaporation. Act of dissipating 
 water into vapor. 
 
 Exclusion. The prohibition or ejec- 
 tion of some one from the privi- 
 leges of a place or a country. 
 
 Execution of a Warrant. The instru- 
 ment or official order by which an 
 officer is empowered to carry into 
 effect the judgment of a court. 
 
 Executive Power. The power of the 
 person who administers the gov- 
 ernment and laws of a community. 
 
 Experimental Station. A laboratory 
 where tests are made and other ex- 
 periments tried for the public benefit. 
 
 Exploders. Instruments made to hold 
 explosives to be used in explosions. 
 
 Explosion. A bursting or breaking 
 forth with a loud noise. 
 
 Explosives. A mixture of materials 
 which burst forth with violence 
 and noise, breaking into or forcing 
 themselves upon other matter. 
 
 Extension-ladder. A device used in 
 the fire department for ascent, 
 which can be lengthened or short- 
 ened. 
 
 Felony. A crime that is punishable 
 by death or by severe and lengthy 
 imprisonment. 
 
 Fire Commissioner. A city official 
 who has charge of the fire depart- 
 ment. 
 
 Foreigner. An alien ; a person from 
 another country. 
 
 Forestry Preservation. The attempt 
 
226 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 on the part of individuals and or- 
 ganizations to keep our forests 
 intact. 
 
 Fountain. An ornamental structure 
 in which the flow of water is made 
 a public convenience, or is used to 
 beautify. 
 
 Franchise. A right given to the peo- 
 ple by a government ; as a right to 
 vote, or a right to use public pos- 
 sessions fora private business, as to 
 lay tracks in streets. 
 
 "Fresh Air 1 ' Societies. Charity or- 
 ganizations which provide city chil- 
 dren with holidays in the country 
 or at the seashore. 
 
 Fumigation. The act of fumigating, 
 or of using or applying smoke or 
 fumes (as of sulphur) for various 
 purposes, as for coloring, or disin- 
 fecting houses, clothes, etc. 
 
 Fuse. A strip of lead so placed on 
 the passage of an electric current 
 that when the current becomes too 
 strong, it will melt and thus break 
 the circuit. 
 
 Garbage. Refuse matter which is 
 gathered by the health department. 
 It is often burned in crematories in 
 order to prevent disease springing 
 from decay. 
 
 Gas. A colorless, invisible substance 
 which, when burned, produces light 
 and heat. 
 
 Gasoline. A colorless, volatile, im- 
 flammable liquid, produced by dis- 
 tilling crude petroleum. 
 
 Gasometer. A tank for storing gas, 
 consisting usually of an iron cylin- 
 
 der closed at the top and open at 
 the bottom, resting in a water tank 
 in which it rises and falls as gas is 
 admitted or withdrawn. 
 
 Gavel. The mallet used by the mod- 
 erator or chairman of a meeting 
 to call the members to order. 
 
 Germs. Bacteria ; the smallest forms 
 of life, which, by their presence and 
 multiplication in animals, cause 
 many diseases. 
 
 Grades, (i) The preparation and 
 raising or leveling of ground to a 
 certain height or depth ; (2) the 
 divisions or classes of a public 
 school course. 
 
 Graduation. The act of dignifying 
 with a degree or diploma a boy or 
 girl who has finished his or her 
 course in a school or college. 
 
 Guardianship. The office of a per- 
 son appointed to protect or to have 
 the custody of another person or 
 another person's property, because 
 of the person's incapability of 
 directing his own affairs. 
 
 Gutter. A drain for carrying off sur- 
 face water. 
 
 Health Inspection. Oversight of sani- 
 tary and hygienic conditions. 
 
 Highway. A public road open to all 
 passengers. 
 
 Highway Surveyor. The public of- 
 ficer who measures the land, roads, 
 and streets of a township. 
 
 High Service. Pressure of water that 
 can supply houses standing on high 
 elevations. 
 
 Hog Reeve. An unimportant officer 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 227 
 
 in a town government. He has the 
 care of stray swine. 
 
 Holiday. A day for rest or sport or 
 festivity. 
 
 Hook-and-Ladder Wagon. The trucks 
 containing the short ladders and 
 hooks to be attached to the ladders 
 or worn by the firemen. 
 
 Hose Carriage. The wagon contain- 
 ing hose pipe. 
 
 Hospital. A building provided for 
 sick, wounded, lunatic, and other 
 unfortunate persons. 
 
 Houses of Mercy. Homes established 
 by charity organizations, where the 
 unprotected or destitute may re- 
 ceive judicious aid. 
 
 Hydrant. A discharge-pipe from the 
 main pipe of an aqueduct. 
 
 Hydraulics. The motion of liquids 
 and the laws which regulate them 
 and the effects which they produce. 
 
 Hygiene. That branch of study or 
 investigation which has for its ob- 
 ject the preservation of health. 
 
 Immigration. Coming into a place 
 with the intention of residing in it. 
 
 Inaugural Oath. The oath taken at 
 inauguration by an executive offi- 
 cial is a formal statement or promise 
 to serve city or state or country. 
 
 Inauguration. The act of introducing 
 into an office with certain cere- 
 monies. 
 
 Incandescent. Shining or glowing 
 with heat. 
 
 Industrial Schools. Institutions es- 
 tablished by the state or charitable 
 associations where boys and girls 
 
 may be taught a trade and receive 
 homelike care at the same time. 
 
 Infection. Communication of disease 
 by indirect as well as direct contact. 
 
 Infirmary. A kind of hospital for the 
 sick poor. 
 
 Insane. Persons whose minds have 
 become deranged. 
 
 Inspector. One who oversees or ex- 
 amines critically ; one who makes 
 an official examination. 
 
 Institutional Home. An establish- 
 ment under the state or charity 
 organizations where wayward boys 
 and girls are sent in order to be- 
 come of greater service to them- 
 selves and others. 
 
 Institutions, (i) Establishments for 
 the promotion of some object; 
 (2) organized societies or bodies of 
 persons devoted to a special pursuit 
 or pursuits. 
 
 Insulator. A device employed for pre- 
 venting the transmission of elec- 
 tricity from a wire or other electri- 
 fied body to surrounding objects. 
 
 International Law. Law common to 
 two or more nations ; or law relat- 
 ing to the intercourse between dif- 
 ferent nations. 
 
 International Police. A constabulary 
 force which has power of enforcing 
 law and order among different 
 nations. 
 
 Isolation. The state of being isolated 
 or alone. 
 
 Janitor. A person who has care of 
 buildings. 
 
 Jigger, (i) A small, light-running 
 
228 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 mechanical contrivance used for 
 hauling, and having a rapid, jerky 
 motion; (2) a machine to haul in 
 a cable. 
 
 Judgment. The decision pronounced 
 by court upon matters brought be- 
 fore it. 
 
 Juvenile. Youthful. 
 
 Juvenile Court. A court of probation 
 and lesser punishments, connected 
 with municipal courts, where first 
 cases of misdemeanor on the part 
 of youth meet with special protec- 
 tion and advice. 
 
 Kindergarten. A school for the 
 youngest children ; from the Ger- 
 man " child 1 s garden." 
 
 Lamp Posts. Posts placed on corners 
 and at intervals along streets for 
 the support of lights. 
 
 Landmarks. Any fixed objects serv- 
 ing to preserve boundaries of lands. 
 
 Landscape Gardening. The art of 
 laying out ground so as to produce 
 the effect of natural landscape. 
 
 Law. Rules and enactments made 
 by legislative authority in accord- 
 ance with preexisting constitutions. 
 
 Lawns. Open spaces where grass is 
 grown. 
 
 Live Wires. Wires through which 
 an electric current is passing. 
 
 Local History. The history of an in- 
 dividual town or city. 
 
 Low Service. Pressure of water that 
 can supply houses on ordinary level. 
 
 Macadamized Pavement. A pave- 
 ment made of crushed stone, so 
 named from McAdam, the inventor. 
 
 Magistrate. A public officer having 
 authority in affairs relating to the 
 community ; he may be either an 
 executive or judicial officer. 
 
 Manholes. Openings of sufficient 
 size to admit a man, which com- 
 municate from the surface of a 
 road-bed with an underground con- 
 duit. 
 
 Mantel. The incandescent body in a 
 Welsbach gas burner. 
 
 Manual Training. Hand work which 
 becomes through exercise an educa- 
 tional branch of learning. 
 
 Mayoralty. The office of a mayor. 
 
 Meter, (i) An apparatus for meas- 
 uring the quantity of electricity 
 or gas that passes through it in a 
 given time. (2) An apparatus for 
 measuring the amount of water 
 that passes through it in a given 
 time. 
 
 Microbes. Bacteria which are instru- 
 mental in the production of infec- 
 tious disease in man and the lower 
 animals. 
 
 Microscopes. Optical instruments, 
 consisting of lenses or mirrors which 
 magnify objects, that often are 
 not visible to the naked ey,e. 
 
 Minor. A man under twenty - one 
 years of age, or woman under 
 eighteen years of age ; one not al- 
 lowed by law to act in important 
 matters independently of a parent 
 or guardian. 
 
 Misdemeanor. An offense not so 
 criminal as felony, or a so-called 
 minor offense. 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 229 
 
 Moderator. One who presides over a 
 meeting called for the discussion of 
 public matters. 
 
 National Committee. The committee 
 appointed at a national convention 
 to decide upon matters relative to 
 the next national convention. 
 
 National Convention. The meeting 
 together of the delegates sent from 
 the states and territories for the 
 purpose of nominating a President 
 and Vice President. 
 
 Naturalization. The act of being 
 invested with the privileges of 
 native subjects or citizens. 
 
 Nitrogen. A gas which, together 
 with oxygen, forms atmospheric 
 air. 
 
 Nominating Convention. A repre- 
 sentative body called for the pur- 
 pose of naming candidates for office. 
 
 Nomination. The act of naming 
 some one for office or place. 
 
 Nominee. A person named by others 
 for office or for election to office. 
 
 Offenders. Guilty persons ; those who 
 disobey a law. 
 
 Officers. Persons authorized to per- 
 form public duty or specific duty. 
 
 Official Relief. Aid derived from the 
 proper authority or officials. 
 
 Organization. A public body or 
 society so regulated for work, 
 through systematized parts, as to 
 form one whole. 
 
 Outdoor Gymnasium. A place for 
 athletic exercises conducted out of 
 doors. 
 
 Outdoor Relief, The department of 
 
 Overseers of the Poor which sup- 
 plies necessary goods, such as food 
 and medicine and fuel, at certain 
 times, to the poor of a city or town. 
 
 Overseers. Inspectors or agents. 
 
 Oxygen. A gas existing in the com- 
 mon air which is necessary for 
 breathing. 
 
 Park Commissioner. A municipal offi- 
 cial in charge of a park or system 
 of parks. 
 
 Parks. Inclosed gardens and fields, 
 made beautiful, so far as possible, 
 for public use. 
 
 Parkway. Part of a park system, 
 generally the territory connecting 
 one park with another. 
 
 Pathway. A narrow walk for trav- 
 elers on foot. 
 
 Paupers. The poor who acknowledge 
 themselves incapable of self-sup- 
 port. 
 
 Pavement. A covering of a street or 
 sidewalk made of stone, brick, or 
 other material. 
 
 Pavilion. A summer-house ; a tent. 
 
 Permanent Tribunal. A lasting court 
 of justice. 
 
 Piping. Tubes or conduits, generally 
 of metal or earthenware, used to 
 conduct gas or liquids from place 
 to place. 
 
 Plank. Each one of the declarations 
 of the principles of a political party 
 put forth in its platform. 
 
 Platform. A statement of political 
 principles issued by each party. 
 
 Playsteads. Public land set aside for 
 the use of children. 
 
230 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Plumbing. System of pipes, traps, 
 connections, etc., carrying fresh 
 water, steam, or refuse through 
 private houses, or public build- 
 ings. 
 
 Plumbing Inspector. A city official 
 who examines the pipes and other 
 apparatus connected with water 
 works and sewerage. 
 
 Pole Lines. A term applied to tele- 
 graph, telephone, and electric light 
 or power lines that run overhead, 
 to distinguish them from similar 
 lines placed underground. 
 
 Police. Civil officers whose duty it is 
 to enforce law and order. 
 
 Policeman. A member of the police 
 force. 
 
 Political Machinery. The organized 
 officials and supporters of a politi- 
 cal party who produce certain far- 
 reaching results. 
 
 Political Party. An organized body 
 of men, interested from the same 
 point of view, who act together to 
 further certain state or national 
 policies. 
 
 Polling Places. Places where caucus 
 and election votes are cast. 
 
 Poor Farm. A home provided by 
 municipal government for the sick 
 and decrepit of a city or town. 
 
 Pound-driver. The town official who 
 has charge of stray animals if there 
 is a " pound " or public field for 
 such animals. 
 
 Precinct. A municipal district, gener- 
 ally included within a ward. 
 
 Probation. A trial or time allotment 
 
 through which one must pass in 
 order to prove that past misde- 
 meanors will not occur again. 
 
 Protective Wagons. The wagons 
 containing the rubber blankets 
 and other coverings that are used 
 at fires to prevent damage from the 
 water. 
 
 Public Playgrounds. Places provided 
 in cities where children who live in 
 crowded districts may play. 
 
 Public Safety. Protection, health, and 
 the use of public conveniences are 
 included in the assurance that a 
 city is a safe place in which to live. 
 
 Public Sentiment. The point of view 
 taken by the majority of the people 
 for the time being. 
 
 Public Service. The duty of men and 
 women to interest themselves in the 
 affairs of their government. 
 
 Pumping Station. The house con- 
 taining the engine which forces 
 the water into the mains. 
 
 Push Button. A device for operating 
 an electric circuit by the movement 
 of a button. 
 
 Quarantine. A brief confinement of 
 immigrants or travelers on entering 
 a country for fear of bringing infec- 
 tious diseases. 
 
 Ratifying. Making valid or confirm- 
 ing a contract properly entered into. 
 
 Reformatory. An institution for re- 
 forming criminals. 
 
 Refuge. A place of safety; that 
 which shelters or protects. 
 
 Refuse. Waste matter, rejected as 
 useless. 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 231 
 
 Registrar. One whose office is to 
 keep a record. 
 
 Registry, (i) The act of enrolling a 
 name upon a record ; (2) a place 
 of record of documents. 
 
 Repairs. Things mended or refitted. 
 
 Rescript. An order or command. 
 
 Rescue Homes. Charitable institu- 
 tions where young people may be 
 assisted to live purer and more ser- 
 viceable lives. 
 
 Reservation. In the United States : 
 a tract of the public land re- 
 served for some special use, as 
 for schools, communities, parks, 
 Indians, etc. 
 
 Reservoir. A place where the supply 
 of water for a city or town is held 
 before it is distributed throughout 
 the great mains. 
 
 Restriction. A limit. 
 
 Rubbish. Worthless matter. 
 
 Rubbish Dump. A public heap re- 
 served for refuse, which the public 
 may use. 
 
 Salvation Army. A religious and 
 charitable sect doing its work 
 among the very poor. 
 
 Sanitation. The care of conditions 
 pertaining to health. 
 
 Scavenger. A person engaged to 
 clean the city streets by sweeping 
 and scraping, and by carrying off 
 the refuse. 
 
 School Board. School Committee : a 
 number of persons chosen by a.town 
 or city to look after the needs 
 and oversee the work of the public 
 schools. 
 
 School Superintendent. One who 
 attends to details of school super- 
 vision under the general direction 
 of the School Committee. 
 
 Scientific Course. A course that in- 
 cludes the study of natural phi- 
 losophy, biology, chemistry, and 
 such branches. 
 
 Secretary. A person employed to 
 manage affairs and to have charge 
 of orders, letters, public or private 
 papers, records, and the like. 
 
 Sediment. That which settles at the 
 bottom of water or other liquid. 
 
 Selectmen. The town officers who 
 are chosen by the people to con- 
 trol, administer, and execute the 
 laws and business of a town, when 
 town meeting is not in session. 
 
 Sentence. The judgment of a court 
 upon a criminal pronounced after 
 the hearing of a cause. 
 
 Serving a Warrant. Executing a 
 summons or warrant upon a per- 
 son supposed to be guilty of an 
 offense. 
 
 Sewage. The superfluous water and 
 refuse carried off through subterra- 
 nean drains in a city. 
 
 Sewer. A passage or drain to con- 
 vey water underground. 
 
 Sewerage. A system of drainage by 
 means of sewers or drains. 
 
 Sewer Maintenance. The supply ap- 
 propriated by the city or the town 
 for keeping up a proper system of 
 drainage. 
 
 Sheriff. The chief civil officer of a 
 county, intrusted with the execu- 
 
232 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 tion cf the law and the preserva- 
 tion of peace. 
 
 Shrubbery. Low shrubby bushes. 
 A plantation of shrubs, as in a 
 garden or pleasure ground. 
 
 Sick-diet Kitchens. Charity rooms 
 where women are taught to cook 
 wholesome food for invalids, and 
 where the poor may receive soup 
 for their sick friends. 
 
 Signatory Power. The power to affix 
 a binding signature with a seal. 
 
 Social Improvement. The advance- 
 ment of society in towns and cities. 
 
 Social Interests. Such objects of 
 study and aid as schools, munici- 
 pal ownership of street railways 
 and gas plants, the development 
 of parks, the care of the poor, 
 etc. 
 
 Specimen Ballot. An unofficial bal- 
 lot which may be examined before 
 the state ballot is issued. 
 
 Sprinklers. Machines for watering 
 the streets. 
 
 Stand-pipe. A tower for the water 
 supply. 
 
 State Aid. Money provided by the 
 state for the benefit of worthy 
 persons where private means are 
 insufficient. 
 
 State Hospital. An institution pro- 
 vided by the state, generally hold- 
 ing from one thousand to two 
 thousand inmates, who are depen- 
 dent upon charity, from one cause 
 or another. 
 
 Statuary. Images of marble, bronze, 
 or other substance. 
 
 Steam Drills. Large boring machines 
 run by steam. 
 
 Stone Crushers. Heavy machines 
 made to crush large stones to 
 small size. 
 
 Storm Guards. Wooden fences made 
 of boards, placed close together 
 and so situated as to prevent the 
 sidewalks and bridges and open 
 thoroughfares from accumulating 
 snow or sand ; or to protect from 
 the winds. 
 
 Street Roller. A machine which 
 smooths the surface of a street. 
 
 Summerhouse. A rustic building 
 in a garden, used in summer for 
 pleasure. 
 
 Summons. A writ by which a per- 
 son is summoned to appear in 
 court to answer a plaintiff. 
 
 Superintendent. One who super- 
 vises with much authority. 
 
 Superintendent of Public Works. The 
 public officer who has charge of 
 public buildings or construc- 
 tions. 
 
 Superintendent of Streets, or Road- 
 master. The official who cares 
 for the highways and public thor- 
 oughfares. 
 
 Supervisor. An inspector or over- 
 seer, as in school matters or street 
 departments or waterworks. 
 
 Supplies. The stock needed to fur- 
 nish the schoolroom or store. 
 
 Supply-wagons. The fire department 
 wagons which are filled with ad- 
 ditional tools, instruments, cloth- 
 ing, etc. 
 
APPENDIX B 
 
 233 
 
 Swimming Pools. Artificial ponds, 
 generally with a sloping bottom, in 
 which swimming is learned or 
 practiced. 
 
 Switches. Devices for opening and 
 closing an electric circuit. 
 
 Tax Collector. One appointed by a 
 city or town to collect the taxes due 
 the government. 
 
 Technology. An explanation of the 
 art or science of a particular pro- 
 fession. 
 
 Test. A process by which certain 
 physical conditions are proved or 
 disproved to exist. 
 
 Thoroughfare. An unobstructed way 
 or street. 
 
 Thrift Agencies. Charitable organi- 
 zations which teach the ignorant 
 poor how to live well with small 
 means. 
 
 Town Clerk. The officer who has 
 charge of the written records. 
 
 Town Constable. A police officer. 
 
 Town Warrant. An official notice is- 
 sued by the selectmen of a town and 
 bearing the town clerk's signature. 
 
 Training. Act of shaping by exercis- 
 ing discipline. 
 
 Tramps. Men or women who wan- 
 der from place to place with no 
 home and no purpose of steady 
 work. 
 
 Transmitter. An electrical apparatus 
 which sends the electric impulses 
 over a conductor. 
 
 Treason. In the United States con- 
 sists only in levying war against 
 the United States, or in adhering 
 
 to her enemies, giving them aid and 
 comfort. 
 
 Treasurer. One having charge of 
 the money of any organization. 
 
 Treaties. Agreements or contracts 
 made between two or more inde- 
 pendent states. 
 
 Trial. An examination before a com- 
 petent tribunal, according to the 
 laws of the country, of facts or of 
 persons for the purpose of deter- 
 mining whether such facts are offen- 
 sive, or if the persons are guilty of 
 offending the law. 
 
 Trial Justices. Justices assigned to 
 hold court for the trial of causes, 
 usually before a jury. 
 
 Truant Commissioner. The officer in 
 charge of children who stay from 
 school without permission. 
 
 Truants. Children who stay from 
 school without permission. 
 
 Truant School. A home and school 
 for boys who have become con- 
 stant truants from the city or 
 town school where they should re- 
 ceive their education. These tru- 
 ant schools are for the most part 
 reform schools with a high purpose. 
 
 Trucks. The fire wagons that hold 
 the long ladders. 
 
 Tunnel. An underground passage. 
 
 Underground Lines. Electric con- 
 ductors placed underground, either 
 by actual burial or by passing them 
 through underground conduits or 
 subways. 
 
 Vacation. A long recess from work 
 or from school. 
 
234 
 
 LESSONS FOR JUNIOR CITIZENS 
 
 Vaccination. An operation which 
 consists in inserting matter under 
 the skin in order to prevent the 
 disease of small-pox. 
 
 Vaccine. Virus ; a substance obtained 
 from a cow and used in vaccination 
 for the prevention of a greatly 
 dreaded disease. 
 
 Ventilation. Purifying with fresh air 
 or wind. 
 
 Verdict. The unanimous decision 
 made by a jury and reported to the 
 court in civil or criminal cases. 
 
 Veto Power. The power which the 
 executive branch of a government 
 has to refuse to sign a bill passed 
 by the legislative power. 
 
 Vote, (i) The right of suffrage; 
 (2) the right of a legislator to ex- 
 press his preference in regard to 
 any question, measure, or choice. 
 
 Wading Pools. Artificial or natural 
 water places, shallow enough for 
 children to use for bathing. 
 
 Ward, (i) A municipal district under 
 the charge of a government officer ; 
 (2) a person under the care of a 
 guardian. 
 
 Warrant. A writ authorizing an 
 officer to arrest a person named 
 or to attach certain property. 
 
 Watering Department. The official 
 or board that has care of watering 
 the streets. 
 
 Water Meters. Machines that meas- 
 ure the supply of water. 
 
 Water Tower. A portable pipe made 
 in sections used to afford a high 
 head of water at fires. * 
 
 Welsbach Lighting. A gas-lighting 
 system in which an asbestos mantle 
 is heated to white heat. 
 
 Wiring. Collectively, the wires or 
 conducting circuits used in distrib- 
 uting electricity. 
 
 Witness. A person who gives evi- 
 dence before a court or representa- 
 tive of the court. 
 
 World Congress. A meeting together 
 of representatives from all civilized 
 nations of the world. 
 
 World Organization. Uniting all civil- 
 ized nations into a body acting as 
 a whole in matters of law and 
 order, 
 
YC 45210 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY