Millionaire’s Freak.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 294, 19 December 1901, Page 4

Millionaire’s Freak.

ST. LOUIS, Nnv. 12.-James Eads How, heir to an estate valued at LHIO.Oim. graduate of Harvard, philanthropist, former man of letters, a fit earner of dreams and friend of the lowly, has become a newsboy and now shates their joys, their sorrows and hardships, food and beds. His purpose in entering tins new field of

effort, as expressed by him to a World correspondent, is to form a co-opera-tive association of newsboys which shall enable them to work together and furnish a club house, and in other ways ameliorate their condition. ‘ t have begun selling various newspapers among the newsboys on the

do.vuU'.vi streets,” he said, ‘‘because r want to he one of them. I want to help them lead better lives if t can. I want to teach them to help themselves Before t can do this I must gain their

coMidcuce, study the lives, share with them their trials and their lot, which is hard enough, God knows, and, in other words, become one of them. I

don’t know how far the means will he justified by the end. I have no purpose to rob any boy of his sustenance by selling papers. But r do not see how .1 am to gel. inly their lives without sharing their fortune. “ In the work, the great work that

iilie new' age demands, it, seems that (lie children should he taught first of all the changes which are coming, and which they Will know much longer than we who are grown. If they come to understand how man must stand by man, 1 mean now man should stand by man, they will he, I think, the most potent influences in effecting some betterment of present conditions m society in general. “ I want to l.eli) the hoys ; yes, I would like to help men too, hut I do not know whether tiiey ought not rather help themselves. Yet 1 do not, think it would be wrong in anyone to lend a helping hand to men who are leading dark and gloomy lives. What I. am striving for is to teach the hoys rani not force them, to form co-op-erative association. Call if,’ “The Newsboy Co-operative Society," perhaps. All members could buy the I aper direct from the purchasers am! save the middleman’s profit, to go to Nie boys collectively. “Yes, they might branch out into a Koc.hodaio 'Jfy-“”C"auvc Company. Don’t you think they would be bcnciiten hy having a nood, clean, -,d olesome place to spend their leisure ‘-me in, ami to he able there to read what they need, and to get baths, and all that 7 All these things might be accomplished by such an association as 1 think of. Suppose now, that, this club, or society, or brotherhood, were to go out of the mere traffic in papers, and become a, mutual co-operative purchasing agency for all that the hoys need. tUir clothes, playthings, and lunches. Then yon would have the Rochodale system Does not that seem better than the present competitive system 7 “ Oh, it, seems to me that these ho vs, now in their tendcrest years,

should be taught the need of man lor his hi other, The dependence of each upon his associates in the group to which he belongs, and of each group on ail others. Yes, I am in favor of that system of reform called socialism—l men:: intelligent socialism. Tncre are so many schemes, but if these newshovs can he got to work iur themselves, eael'i tor himself througn u>opei ation with his associates rather than by antagonism to them, it would seem certainly that they had stepped a little forward toward the new age. “ i don't, know how long I shall jell.am on the streets selling papers. 1 stand at Fourth and Pine in the mornings, and a: Twelfth and Olive in me alter cons. I want to gain the eon'iricnce r f the boys, f don't believe that Ll.ev distrust my motives. I have tee. t. id. though, that on one or ttvo eccasiors they have borrowed from me and not repaid. But l forget. I believe that I am progressing, and I am verv hopeful.’' Humbleness, absolute, deprecating i iiniblencss, is the keynote of James leads How’s character. More than any oilier man does he look like one wno would turn the other cheek to the suiter,

Povc rfy asceticism, and submission are ixclic.zcd in every lineament oi lie fate of this scion of millions, this graduate of Harvard. T'.e wur.der is that. the corner policeman does not disturb his reveries v% r s liaish move-on. so completely doe., lie reformer resemble those he inks ». (.iiilicls that one may see standin.l; lici.trsiy on the sunny side o£ the Lvg buildings. His tiovvnish coat and trousers have faded to a nondescript hue, His old Hack hat has seen much service. His white shirt is clean, but the reauvma.lj t.e is not even pinned closely a;cu,d 1 is pointed collar. His face is long and narrow, the forehead protruces