THE BROTHERS.

A number of years ago, three boys (brothers), the oldest perhaps
seventeen, applied at the Newsboys' Lodging-house of this city for
shelter. It was soon suspected that the eldest was a thief, employing
the younger as assistants in his nefarious business. The younger lads
finally confessed the fact, and the older brother left them to be taken
care of in the Lodging-house. After a sufficient period of training, the
two brothers were sent to a farmer in Illinois. They were faithful and
hard-working, and soon began to earn money. When the war broke out they
enlisted, and served with credit. At the close they passed through New
York, and visited the superintendent while returning to their village,
having already purchased a farm with their wages and bounty-money. They
are now well-to-do, respectable farmers.

This "prevention" for the two lads cost just thirty dollars, for their
expenses in the Lodging-house were mainly paid by themselves.

The older brother went through a career of thieving and burglary. We
have not an accurate catalogue of his various offenses, but he
undoubtedly made away with property--wasted or destroyed it--to the
amount of two thousand dollars. [We recall three lads who, in one night,
broke into a house in Bond Street, and destroyed or made away with
property to the value of one thousand three hundred dollars.] He was
finally arrested and tried for burglary. It would be safe to estimate
the expenses of the trial and arrest at one hundred dollars. He was
sentenced to five years in Sing Sing. Allowing the expenses of
maintenance there to be what they are on Blackwell's Island, that is,
about twelve dollars and fifty cents per month, he cost the State while
there some seven hundred and fifty dollars, not reckoning the interest
on capital and buildings; so that we have here, in one instance, the
very low estimate of two thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars as the
expense to the community of one street-boy unreclaimed. Had the
Lodging-house taken hold of him five years earlier, he could have been
saved at a cost of fifteen dollars.

His brothers have added to the wealth of the community and defended the
life of the nation, and are still honest producers. He has already cost
the State at least two thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars, besides
much immorality and bad example, and he has only begun a career of
damage and loss to the city.