FURTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE GANG
There is probably no more characteristic difference between boyhood
and middle age than the strange _Wanderlust_ of youth. We adults are
content to work year after year at the same desk, and think ourselves
lucky if we can warm our feet year after year over the same register.
But the boy,--
“He must go, go, go away from here,”
and “the old spring fret comes o’er him” at all seasons of the year.
_Migratory Activities_
The migratory impulse takes a sudden rise at the dawn of adolescence.
Nearly all boys with good, red blood in their veins are touched by it.
It appears to come as a strong wave at the gang age, and then gradually
subsides; but it rarely entirely disappears.
Boys in their gangs love to tell and to hear stories of adventure,
and there is no question that the gang is often a direct agent for
stirring the call of the wild. In forty-four (67 per cent) of the
sixty-six gangs there are records of the travel of one or more of the
group. A boy who has taken some adventurous trip is a hero, and his
stories are listened to with great zest. Boys rarely go off in large
companies, for it is impossible for them all to get away at once.
Commonly, not more than three or four go at a time; often a boy and his
companion together; sometimes a boy goes alone.
In the following records, I have, as before, suppressed such
geographical names as would be meaningless to most readers, and
substituted for them some suggestion of the distance, or indicated
whether the journey was from country to city, or the reverse.
“From A---- [a city of 100,000 people] go to B---- [a neighboring town]
Sunday afternoons. Jump freights other days and go to [two other large
cities, one of them nearly a hundred miles away]. Stayed out one or two
nights. Ran away from home [nearly two hundred miles]. Stayed there two
weeks.”
“Sometimes go on a trip in the country on Sundays. Catch a freight, go
to [near-by towns]. Go to B---- to shows and circus.”
“Take a car, go to City Point, just for a little ride. Nice and breezy
on the cars. Went to C---- on a freight. Got back same night about one
o’clock. Go off for a trip on Sundays. Go out to A----, W----. Went to
P---- [one hundred miles]. Had a tent in the woods for a month.”
“Jumped freights. Was going to New York. Stopped [on the way]. Went
back, was arrested.”
“Took walks to Y---- Woods and R----’s Pond. Some saved up money and
went to L---- Fair [one hundred and thirty miles each way]. Some went
to [state capital] to ball-games.”
“Broke into a store and then ran away from home so we wouldn’t get
caught. Went to B---- on a freight. Stayed at Hawkins Street Home one
night. Went to O---- on freight. Stopped for a week in Armory in O----.
Walked to N---- [ten miles] to sister’s. Stayed a couple of days.
Went to W---- and then back to M----, and was caught. We planned to
go to A---- [which would have taken them two hundred miles into three
states].”
“Go off to different cities on freights. Went to P---- [one hundred
miles], five or six times. Stayed a week once. Went to N---- twice.
Stopped one day each time. Went to A---- six times. Stayed two weeks.
Went to E---- five or six times [these are within fifty miles of home],
stopped three or four days. Went [across into Canada three hundred and
fifty miles]. Got a job in a steam laundry there. Saved up money and
then went off for a good time.”
“Stay out nights three months to a time. Stay in cellars, freight cars,
and entries. Sundays go out to [a surburban town] to get apples and
pears. Jump freights to R---- and K----. Get off and come right back.”
“Stay out nights. Go in back yards and sleep. Run away to [nearest
large city]. Walked. Took four days. Got arrested there.”
“Go down to Apple Island in a boat. Stay out at night; stay in paper
offices on Washington Street. Lots of boys get there at one and two
o’clock for their papers. When woke up, say: ‘I am waiting for the
papers.’ Run away from home several times. Get as far as W----, turn
round and come back at nights. Say we would try it some other times.”
Or, to sum up:--
23 boys had jumped freights to other towns or cities.
3 walked to distant towns or cities.
4 paid fares on cars to different towns or cities.
30 gone off to distant cities.
14 of the thirty had run away from home.
16 had stayed out nights.
In addition to the records of travel found in these gangs, the
following records taken later are interesting:--
_Boy Number 1_
L. E. has a fair home ten miles from Boston; both parents are living.
This boy was fourteen years of age by the time he was finally
committed to a Reform School and had run away from home eight times. He
went the first time when eleven years old. His reason for going always
was: “I like to see places.” The places were, however, all near-by.
_Trip A._ “Went to F---- to the military encampment; stayed there two
days. Walked to B---- [twenty miles] and stopped around the wharves.
Begged something to eat. Slept in alleyways and in mission. Policemen
caught me; took me to the station till father came and got me.”
_Trip B._ “Went to R---- to watch them drive cows to get killed.
Stopped there for three days and worked for something to eat by driving
cows. Slept in the stockyard barn.”
_Trip C._ “Went to W---- to see them make guns and stopped at Arsenal
two days. Went to C---- to a boy’s house that I knew. Went to theatre,
stopped out too late; policeman took me; father came and got me.”
_Trip D._ “Went to H---- to the place where they keep warships. Stayed
there a week looking at guns and things. Went on errands for men; slept
in a barn; took some apples off a fruit stand; policeman took me;
father came and got me.”
_Trip E._ “Went to B---- again; liked to go to places. Went out for
a week, catching fish [salt water fishing]; went out as far as a
lighthouse; slept in a bunk. After return stayed in B---- four days.
Went to R---- again to see them kill cows. Policeman took me; father
came and got me.”
_Boy Number 2_
“G. stole some money, $75, and asked me to go with him to see the
world. ‘We’ll go to St. Louis, earn some change and come back.’ Went to
P---- from B----; stayed there two nights; went by boat to New York;
and then, the same day, took boat to Norfolk, Virginia; stayed there
three weeks. Went around taking in the theatres, concert gardens, and
having a good time. Went to cut-rate office for a ticket to St. Louis;
found it would take all our money. We went over to Baltimore, and
then to Philadelphia. We were ‘financially embarrassed.’ Worked at a
restaurant for something to eat. Struck Wanamaker’s for a job. I got
$4 a week. I told a hard-up story to the floorwalker and he gave me
$1 in advance; hired a room for $1 a week. He [G., the chum] didn’t
pay anything toward the room, and bummed around looking for a job. We
stayed in Philadelphia five weeks. I paid rent and meals for all but
once. Man paid me off and gave me $2 extra. We told hard-up story to
our landlady; she went and told the Associated Charities; two policemen
came and took us. We would not tell right names; we were sent to the
House of Detention for two weeks; sent me back to B---- and kept my
chum. Sent me over to jail on C---- Street for three weeks. I would
not tell my name; got bread and water twice a day. I told them that I
lived on Cherry Street, New York. I was getting sick with the itch, and
got scared, and told my right name. Folks didn’t want to send me here;
judge did it.”
This was a boy of fine ability and not a bad fellow. You can see in his
story noble traits of character. He stood by his chum and fed him; he
had good grit. One does not like to think what might have become of him
if he had not caught the itch.
_Boy Number 3_
“Father takes his money and Mr. D.’s up to the car barn. Mr. D. gave me
the money [$27] to take to my father. Instead of going to my father,
I jumped fence and went down to the city. I was going to New York. I
bought a ticket, got on board of the special train, and went to New
York. It was night. I slept at the station. Had some money left; went
out and bought a telescope and other things I did not need. Went back
and slept in the same station. Police officer took me and put me on the
train. Mother would give me a flogging every time I came home. Father
used to read newspapers how boys ran away and men escaped punishment.
The day I went he read about a man who got shot in New York; another
man shot him in the back of the head; when he was shot, he fell back
and pulled the reins so the horse stopped; the other man got in and
drove off; took man’s money and dropped him with a stone in the river.
After a while he floated, and murderer was caught in New Jersey.”
* * * * *
Of course, it’s a serious matter, this _Wanderlust_ of boyhood, and
the boy who indulges it often comes to irreparable harm. But, after
all, what is there like this going to and fro in the world to teach
self-reliance and a knowledge of men? All normal boys want to run away;
it is rather to their credit when they remain at home.
_Truancy_
Truancy is another manifestation of the _Wanderlust_. It takes the
combined restraint of good parents and good teachers to hold a boy in
that public prison, a quiet schoolroom, in the brisk days of fall when
the chestnuts are falling, or in the mild days of spring, when the
birds return and the buds are bursting. Notice the very suggestive
words of the boys in reference to school. The following answers came
from different truants in answer to the question, “Why did you run away
from school?”
“Miss P. [his teacher] was all right. When I could not get my lessons,
she would not scold me, but helped me out on them. Miss L. [another
teacher] had it in for me. I was to blame part of the time, but she
blamed other folks’ actions on me, and the school was right near the
park. I could see them playing and having fun. I wanted to have some
fun, too, so I ran away with another fellow.”
“Run just to get away from school. Gather up old barrels and junk to
get money to go to shows; used to go alone mostly.”
“Liked all the teachers but one; she didn’t like colored boys. I liked
to walk around the streets and look into the big store windows. Ran
away to go to the theatre, and to go to ride on the express wagon.”
“I didn’t like school; I didn’t like geography and history. I liked to
go to shows. Rather be out working than going to school. Went down
around markets to get jobs; about four of us used to go together.”
“Didn’t like to be in there sitting down.”
“Didn’t like to study.”
“Have to sit quiet as can be all day.”
“Went to wharves to see them take out fish.”
“Ran away to go swimming and nutting.”
“Ran to go to the circus.”
“Ran to go to the ball games.”
“Ran to go fishing.”
“No fun in school.”
“Ran to go to theatre.”
In short, the boy is a natural vagabond. He wants above all things
excitement, experience, and adventure. He is not lazy, but he will do
anything sooner than work steadily at desk or bench.
_The Theatre_
Such adventure as the boy cannot get at first-hand by running away from
home, he gets at second-hand by way of the theatre. Boys have a raging
passion for entertainments, and the stage gives them an opportunity
to get much of life condensed into a deglutible form. Boys will do
anything to get into the theatre,--pick over the dump, work hard, be
good for a whole week,--all from a desire to learn something more about
the world and to have a new experience.
Not many of us adults fully realize the power of the theatre in the
lives of children in our cities and larger towns. According to a study
made at Worcester, Massachusetts, of children between ten years of age
and fourteen, it appears that one quarter never attend the theatre at
all, another quarter go at least as often as once a month, while no
less than half of all the children examined go habitually once a week
or more frequently. There is no reason for supposing that Worcester is
in any respect exceptional in this regard.
Let us note the reports of the boys themselves:--
“Go to shows two or three times a week; liked tragedies; get up shows
and let fellows from our district come in.”
“Go once or twice a week to the theatre; go to Bowdoin Square and Grand
Opera; like love plays best.”
“Go to shows once a week; Bowdoin Square, Grand Opera, Lyceum and
Howard; like funny plays best. Father gives me money to go.”
“Go to shows about every night; stay around and they would let us in
late; hook our way in sometimes; jump over the banister when man’s back
was turned. Like to see men get shot; like to see trains come on the
stage.”
“Like tragedy best, where there was a hero in it. In the ‘Devil’s
Island,’ the hero was a fellow in the English army. One fellow was
maltreated and sentenced to Devil’s Island, but finally came out the
victor.”
“Like war plays. Liked the acting where there was fighting and singing.
Ran away from school to pick coal to make some money to go to theatre.”
“I like murders and plays that have villains in them. Got passes from
fellows who go out after the first act.”
“Saturday night go to theatre; like tragic plays best, where the hero
kills the villain.”
“Go to shows Saturday afternoons; like all kinds. I like war shows and
heroes and all like that.”
“We had the best time going to theatres; like comical plays; like to
see Irishmen and fighting.”
“Like plays with fighting in them best.”
“Like hero plays.”
“Like excitement and Indian plays best.”
* * * * *
There were eleven different reports in regard to plays which boys
liked. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is mentioned in five of them. Others,
mentioned once or twice, are Great White Diamond, Queen of the White
Slaves, Steeple Chase, Railroad Jack, White Eagle, Devil’s Island,
Peggy from Paris, Girls from England, Under Southern Skies, Arnold the
Traitor, Wedded in the Streets, Shaumus O’Brien, Limited Mail, The
Power of the Cross, Paul Revere’s Ride, New York Day by Day, American
Gentleman, Heart of Maryland, Why Women Sin, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage
Patch, Across the Rockies, Younger Brothers, Night before Christmas,
Monte Cristo, Midnight in Chinatown, Rip Van Winkle, James Brothers in
Missouri, Eight Bells, Across the Pacific, Way down East, McFadden’s
Flats, The Blue and the Gray, Winchester.
The significant thing about these reports is the catholicity of the
boys’ taste. When there is no bad and demoralizing play to be seen,
they are entirely willing to attend a wholesome and elevating one.
_Fighting_
A very common and annoying form of activity of gang boys is fighting.
The struggle for existence has, until very recent times, tended to
select the men of a tribe who were the best fighters. So the boys come
naturally by the fighting instinct. All grown-up persons feel that
fighting should not be allowed in their presence, and at the same
time, that it would have been far better for the boys if they had not
appeared on the scene at that critical moment. Boys will fight to
maintain personal rights, to defend their honor, to settle disputes, to
defend the camp ground. The very slightest offense will arouse their
combative instinct. In fact, they enjoy fighting so much that if they
have no proper reason for a fight, they will guy or throw stones at
another gang to furnish them a sufficient cause for battle. One gang
went so far as to arrange yearly a battle for the seventeenth of June.
In forty-six gangs (78 per cent) we find records of fighting of four
different kinds:--
1. Personal fighting.
2. Group fighting inside of gangs.
3. Fighting between gangs.
4. Fighting between groups of gangs.
_Personal Fights_
“Fight if any one swore about my mother.” “One fellow thinks he can
lick the other fellows. They think he can’t, so they start a scrap.”
“Have fights among ourselves. Put two fellows together for a fight.”
“A fellow wouldn’t share up, so we fought him.” “Fight about calling
names.”
Every boy has his code of honor. There are certain names which a boy
will not allow himself to be called without a fight. Boys are very
sensitive about names which cause disgrace to their mothers. I am not
so sure but that every boy should have a code of honor which may not be
disregarded in his presence.
_Group fighting inside of gangs_
“Used to make forts in fields and have fights between ourselves.” “Had
fights among ourselves over out and not out” [in baseball]. “Fight
among ourselves over ball games.”
There are six records of these internal group fights. In winter boys
make forts and choose sides to fight over the capturing of these forts.
These fights are usually good-natured but very hotly contested. In the
many different disputes which must naturally arise in the group games,
the side which is being imposed upon must stand for its rights and
fight for them if necessary.
_Fights between gangs_
“Fought with another gang to see which was strongest. Fought with
clubs.” “Our gang from our school fought a gang from another school.
Fought with sticks and stones. Chase fellows in streets. Split fellows’
heads open.” “Fought with High Street and Water Street gang if they
touched one of our gang. Fought with fists.” “Had a regular battle with
Sewall Street gang. Made a fort on a hill. Sewall Street gang tried to
take fort on us. We pelted them with snow balls. They took it once at
seven o’clock while we were eating breakfast. We drove them out over a
fence.”
Gang fights are very common. The following explanations were given for
them: “For the fun of it.” “For the possession of a certain street.”
“For the possession of a fort.” “The other gang squealed on them over
tearing down a shanty.” “Touched one of our fellows.” “Plagued my
brother.” “Picked up a fight by throwing stones.” “Arranged for a
fight on the seventeenth of June.”
A fight between gangs is often a desperate and sometimes a dangerous
affair. It is a fight to a finish; and it calls for the highest kind
of courage, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. A small boy often has to
fight a large boy on the opposite side, and to hold his undivided
attention while the fortunes of war are being settled on another part
of the field of battle. In a single-handed fight a boy will acknowledge
personal defeat; but in a gang fight, never until the whole gang is
worsted. After a group victory, the boys enjoy talking it over, and the
little heroes receive high praise from their larger comrades.
_A Fight between Federations of Gangs_
“C---- gang fought with E---- gang. Everybody thought the E---- fellows
were picking on the little fellows too much. We had it all arranged
right, but there was a traitor in our gang. He told the E----s. We met
in the middle of the ice on M---- River. Fought with clubs, sticks, and
stones. There were about four hundred of our boys and about the same
number on their side. We licked. One of our fellows got knocked out.
Half of us got it on the arms. The ice broke in on the river and a lot
of our fellows pulled the other fellows out. We did not like to see
them drown. One little fellow on the other side got drowned. In close
quarters where we could not use our clubs, we used our fists.”
This story reads like a fairy tale, but it is not. The battle was
fought to protect the small boys of C----, as noble a principle in the
boys as “Taxation without Representation” was to our fathers.
There is a great difference of opinion in regard to the pedagogical
value of fighting. Many trainers of boys think that a fight is bad
and should be universally condemned. But there appears to be no road
to self-respect and social independence except for the youth to fight
for his rights. The boy who refuses to fight, and runs away when he
is being imposed upon, feels himself a coward. He loses respect for
himself and the respect of his playmates. Non-resistance is, without
dispute, an ideal for mature manhood, but there is grave danger of
forcing standards of grown-up people on youths. More of interest in
regard to boys’ fighting will appear in a later study of the boy
leader.