Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 131, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 June 1915 — Chicago Boys Discover Easy Clean-Up Week Money [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Chicago Boys Discover Easy Clean-Up Week Money

CHICAGO. —A great double-barreled mystery was solved in North Chicago the other day when a traitor revealed a scheme carried out by enrterprising small boys of that suburb. For several days the garbage dumps had been disappearing gradually and

strange odors had permeated houses where small boys live. The residents sought in vain for explanations of these two strange conditions, which they did not connect until the truth became known. Incidentally the explanation caused much chagrin to members of the Woman’s Library club. Recently, at a meeting of the club it was decided to have a “clean-up” week. A reward of two cents a bag

was offered to all the boys in town who would gather up rubbish from the streets and alleys. The youngsters promptly held a meeting of their own and formally accepted the offer. Then they went into secret session and made a “gentleman’s agreement” just like grown-up commercial “pirates.” After that they went to work. The streets and alleys showed no effect of their Industry, but the garbage piles began to shrink rapidly. “We thought it was easier to shovel trash into the bags at the dump than to go around picking up little pieces,” one lad confessed. “It would take a whole day to fill half a dozen bags. This way we could get a dozen bags of rubbish in a few hours;,and the club members would never know the difference. Our cellar is piled full of bags now.” The family made a hasty investigation. They verified the confession. They also discovered the source of the strange odors. So. Mrs. F. E. De Yoe, president of the club, has issued a warning, “for the benefit of dishonest boys," that ‘a fine of five cents will be levied for every bag of rubbish dishonestly collected. Efforts of the boys to discover the identity of the traitor who “snitched” were vain.