File:Street-land; its little people and big problems (1915) (14595145738).jpg

Identifier: streetlanditslit00davi (find matches)
Title: Street-land; its little people and big problems
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Davis, Philip, 1898-
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, Small, Maynard
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ungover their shoulders. During the day and the 74 STREET-LAND early part of the evening, there is very littlelegitimate business and they are frequently re-duced to stealing. There are more tricks in this trade than youmay imagine. Stalls are very common.One boy acts the part of a beggar, engaging theattention of the stand-keeper while the othersrun away with the dope from the rear. Arow is always effective. The idea is tostart something. The pushcart man, agreenhorn, cannot bear to see the boys pum-mel each other and earnestly tries to part them.The boys then turn upon him and, in the melee,the leaders make away with the spoils. Street boys, as a rule, have little use for theirsisters; but when scavenging, sisters can helpa lot. At eleven oclock when the market isclosing, you may see dozens of children busy asants, loading, lifting and lugging bagfuls ofstuff which would hardly pass the test of thePure Food Inspector. No one has yet meas-ured the amount of harm which these foods, as
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Photograph >■>! Lewis II. Him for tin National Child Labor Committee Willie, the Food Scavenger NIGHT CHILDREN 75 well as the scavenging, are doing to these chil-dren and their families. Snatching from passing teams is also popu-lar, especially in back streets in the dark. Thisdemonstrates Stevensons doctrine that a givensetting almost irresistibly invites its specialkind of law-breaking. The theory seems tobe that he who runs may steal; that is, providedhe can catch up with the team. Bananas andcoal are most easily stolen. The simplestscheme is for one boy to get on the wagon inthe rear and drop the bananas along the wayjust as the fox in the fable dropped the fish.His pal picks them up. The pilferer may get a taste of the whip, butthat must be put up with as one of the hazardsof the profession. Its all in a days work,the gang leader tells you philosophically. Oftenenough, the wagon is too long for the reach ofthe whip. That is when the situation is bothexciting and amusing.

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