66 BIRDS AND POETS 



of two rival towns on opposite sides of the Ohio 

 Kiver became so belligerent that the authorities had 

 to interfere. Whenever an Ohio boy was caught on 

 the West Virginia side of the river, he was unmer- 

 cifully beaten; and when a West Virginia boy was 

 discovered on the Ohio side, he was pounced upon 

 in the same manner. One day a vast number of 

 boys, about one hundred and fifty on a side, met by 

 appointment upon the ice and engaged in a pitched 

 battle. Every conceivable missile was used, in- 

 cluding pistols. The battle, says the local paper, 

 raged with fury for about two hours. One boy re- 

 ceived a wound behind the ear, from the effects of 

 which he died the next morning. More recently 

 the boys of a large manufacturing town of New Jer- 

 sey were divided into two hostile clans that came 

 into frequent collision. One Saturday both sides 

 mustered their forces, and a regular fight ensued, 

 one boy here also losing his life from the encounter. 



Every village and settlement is at times the scene 

 of these youthful collisions. Wlien a new boy ap- 

 pears in the village, or at the country school, how 

 the other boys crowd around him and take his meas- 

 ure, or pick at him and insult him to try his mettle ! 



I knew a boy, twelve or thirteen years old, who 

 was sent to help a drover with some cattle as far as 

 a certain village ten miles from his home. After 

 the place was reached, and while the boy was eating 

 his cracker and candies, he strolled about the village, 

 and fell in with some other boys playing upon a 

 bridge. In a short time a large number of children 



