Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-11-20
For the CouRIRR.
The Boys and What Became Of

For the CouRIRR.
The Boys and What Became Of
Them.
A few days since the writer had &C.
casion to make the acquaintance of
one Of your Ottumwa business men,
at his store. l supposed myself to be
an entire stranger to him. He watt
ed upon me with promptness and
courtesy, and when / was about to
leave inquired If remembered lit
tie Swede girl, who almost 20 years
ago had lived in my family-his wife.
And did l remember Of him and his
brother saving wood for me about
the same time? This was to me a
most pleasing incident. A boy, q
wood sawyer, of foreign birth and
speech, rising in . few years to the
position of . successful merchant, in
his three story brick business house,
is man entitled to profound respect.
This incident caused me to think
with unusual interest of the Ottumwa
boys of few years since-thOse who
were the school-boys and errand boys,
the skaters and the yelpers Of fifteen
to Is years ago. Some of them have
gone west, and some In other direc-
tons; and some, too, have gone over
the broad river, which we cross but
once. But there still remains large
number of the boys. An old citizen
will see q score of them any day, on
Main street. If I am in search Of
drugs, or dry goods, or clothing, or
jewelry, or square meal, or legal
advice, am sure to meet with some
of "the boys" Who is this driving
by me on Main street, one Of your
heavy men, financially and corporal
ly, one of your foremost manutactu-
rers? Oh, yes, I know him, farmer
boy, whose father, in plain garb and
laboriously, and with tho respect of
all who knew him, pursued his bust
ness two or three miles south Of Of
tumwa. The same family furnishes
one ofyour prominent hardware men
who has no occasion to disown his pa.
rcntage. The clothier's clerk, the
shoemaker's boy, the carpenters son,
the tinner's apprentice, the day-labor.
er's boys-these find on Main street
among those whose regulations are
public property.
What familiar name is this I see on
various R. r. announcements, direct.
ing what trainmen and conductors
and shippers and the public are to dc
and expect? Oh, yes, the hotel boy,
who came to Ottumwa with his pa.
rent % years since, and who grew to
manhood familiar with the work and
the vigils incident to life in . stage
Office and hotel. The Superintend.
ent of the c. B. & @. will not have his
head turned by our encomiums, moi
will he regard it as discredit for III
to say that it was not inherited wealth
or patronage that placed him in hit
high position.
II there are some of the boys who
are found where we would scarcely
have looked for them, there are q
nj mber of others to be found just
where we would naturally expect
The con succeeding the father in the
same calling, or perhaps q partner
with him, inheriting the fathers
diligence and skill and probity, al
we'll ss his wealth.
This mental review of the boys Of
former days, many of whom were my
own pupils, intensifies my conviction
that . boys future depends upon him
self. Schooling will not make mar
of him. All the wealth that fond pa
rents can lavish upon their sons viii
not make men of them. Poverty, o.
{ at least the absence of wealth, il
more likely to stimulate youth t,
self reliance and to develope plucl
: than q more favored condition in life
A boy must have grit in him if h
would make man. He who aims q
nothing usually hitsit. j. M. NJ.
BATAVIA, Nov, IA. 1878.