The Boys of To-day.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 366, 19 October 1889, Page 2

The Boys of To-day.

DUNEDIN BOYS STRIKE IN FAVOR OF IGNORANCE.

(from oub own correspondent.)

Dunedin, last night. For some days past the older boya of some city schools nave been conferring on the question of going out on strike against the home lessons, About 50 of the older pupils of George Street School were absent yesterday mornlag. They mustered on the hill above tho school, waving banners made of handkerchiefs, and afterwards marched in procession, but on the whole they behaved themselves very well. The revolt lasted until dinner time, when it collapsed- Notice having been scut to most of the parents, many of the strikers had rather a lively time of it. One or two of the other schools had pupils absent, but the attempt was on the whole a failure. The affair was evidently more of a boyish lark than anything else.

Hitherto the American "small boy,” who every Fourth of July deliberately courts the bubble reputation at the oaunon's mouth, by converting odd bits of gas piping into toy ordnance, tho explosion of which leads to the air being darkened by the fragments of small boys’ fingers and toes, has been esteemed the most reckless of mischievous urchins. Hia dare-devilry has, however, been surpassed by the almost inconceivable foolhardiness of four lads, averaging nine years of age, who have been convicted at Lancaster of obstructing a train at Preston, It appears that these urchins, while trespassing on the line between L'noaetor and Morecambe, determined “ to have a lark ’’ by stopping a train. One of tho young gamins coolly lay down on the track between the rails, remarking that if the train did not stop, but went over him, he would not be hurt. In this assumption the boy was technically correct ; but how many adults—act being railway employes—would be daring enough to. try the experiment? The other lads sat on one of the rails. As it happened, the engine-driver stopped ths train within a yard of the young desperadoes. They were destined, however, to be ultimately corrected, three of them being ordered to be birched by a police-sergeant.—Exchange.