The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-04-01
The Disadvantages Of CITY Rows.

Some months ego. II ". Washington
GLADDEN., Of Springfield, Mass, beleiv-
ing that il he could find out how the
active and prominent men Of his own
city spent their boyhocd, it would help
to solve the problem Of what is the best
training for boys, prepared the follow.
ing circular, which was sent to the one
hundred men who could fairly be taid
to stand at tho heal Of the financial.
commercial, professional and educa-
tional interest OF the city.
MY dear sir: 1 desire to find out, for
the benefit Of IL e boys, how the leading
men Of this city spent their boyhood.
Will you be kind enough to tell me.
1. Whether your home during the
first fifteen years OF your life was on o
farm, in a village, or in a city, ard,
q. Whether you we're accustomed,
during shy part of that period, to en-.
gage in any kind OF work when you were
not in schoclP
Il should be glad OF course. to have
you go into particulars as fully as you
are disposed to do; but l do not wish to
tax J our patience, and l shall be greatly
obliged for a simple answer to theset 10
questions
No less than eighty eight OF the busy
gentlemen who received this circular
vera kind enough to answer the ques.
tions, -som Of them briefly, most of
them quits fully, and it turned out tba.
few had been brought up like most of
the boys who crowd the ball GROUNDS
and fill the streets of our cities in these
later days. Here is a brief summary OF
the returns.
OF these eighty-eight men, twelve
spent the first fifteen years Of their life
in the city, twelve in villages, and sixty.
four were farmers boys.
But of the TIVE nty. four who lived in
villages and cities, six were practical
farmers boys for they lived in small
villages, or on the outskirts OF the cities,
and had the same kind OF work to do
that farmers boys have. One of these
village boys tai:
Il learned to hoe, dig and NOV; in
in fact, l was obliged to work, whether
1 liked it or nc. In winter / wen. to
school, and worked nights and mornings
for my board
Another said: Il used to work away
from home tome Gu q farm in summer
and fall. In winter, when going to
school, we three boys used to work up
the wood for winter use.'
Further others told substanii lily t1e
same story. AS these were about the
same as farmers boys, we may add them
to tina! list, 20 that seventy out Of eighty
eight, almost four-ffths OF oil these
men,-had the training of farm life.
Now how was it with the eighteen
city and village boys on the listH Did
they have an easy time o. itP FIVE Of
them did, as they testify, five OF them
had no work in particular to do, but one
Of the five says that be strdied law when
out of school, and that was not exactly
play. The rest of the eighteen were
poor boys-1ot paupers, by any means,
but children of the humber classes,
many of them in narrow and needy
circumstances-and though they lived
in cities or villages, they we're acCustom-
ed from their earliest years to hard
work.
Was generally employed says one,
during the summer months, and in
vacations, in doing any kind OF work
that offered
Four of the city boys were newsboys,
One OF them say S: THE last year l was
connected with the press, l earned one
hundred dollars before breakfast
Another: Il have paid my own way
since eight years of age, without any
assistance except my boarl from my
eighth to my eleventh year.
OF all these eighty eight Toys five
only had nothing particular to do.
While these boys were growing and
working, a great many other sons OF
merchants and lawyers we're growing il
Springfield, going to school and anus
ing themselves, as boys of their class
are apt to do. Where are III ~ Only
Eve of this class are heard from among
the eighty eight solid men of that city.
Some Of them, perhaps are prosperous
men in other cities, but the number
cannot be large, fer in Springfield only
five men ont Of lightweight came from
this class. Ninety-four and o half per
cent. were either farmers boys or poor
and hard working town hoyF.
The European nations demonstrate
~ - Il