The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-02-24
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'The Disadvantages of City Boys"
Ist Nicholas for March,
Some months ago, Rev. Washington
GLADDEN., of Springfield, Mass. believ
ing that II he could find out how the ac-
tive and prominent men of his own city
spent their boyhood, it would help to
solve the problem Of what is the best
training for boys prepared the following
circular, which was sent to the one hun
dred men who could fairly be said to
stand at the head Of the financial, com
mercial professional and educational in
terests of the city:
"MY DEAR SIR: / desire to find out,
for the benefit of the boys, how the
leading men of this city spent their
boyhood. Will you be kind enough to
tell me-
Il. Whether your home during the
irst fifteen years of your life Was on q
farm, in village, or in city, and.
"2. Whether you were accustomed,
during any part Of that periodic engage
in any kind of work when you were not
in school?
81 should be glad, Of course, to have
you 60 into particulars as fully as you
are disposed to do, but do not wish to
tax your patience, and I shall be greately
obliged for simple answer to these two
questions.
No less than lightweight Of the busy
gentlemen who received this circular
were kind enough to answer the ques-
tions-son OF them briefly, most OF
them quite fully-and it turned out that
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 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 we're farmers boys.
But Of the twenty flour who lived in
villages and cities, six were practically
farmers boys, for they lived IN small
villages or on the outskirts OF cities, and
had the same kind of work to do that
farmers boys have. One Of these village
BOYS said:
~ learned to hoe, dig and NOW; in
fact, / was obliged to work, whether I
liked it or no. In winter l went to
school, and worked night and mornings
for my board.
Another said: 81 used to work away
from home some In tbe summer and fall.
In the winter when going to school, we
three boys used to work up the wood,
for winter use."
Four others told substantially the
same story. As these we're about the
same as farmers boys, we may add them
to that list, so that seventy out ofeighty.
eight-almost four-fifths of all these
men--had the training Of farm life.
Now how was it with the eighteen
city and village boys on the list! Did
they have an easy time of it2 Five of
them did, as they testify; five Of them
had no work in particular to do, but
one OF the Eve says that he studied
law when out of school, and that was
not exactly play. The rest Of the eigh-
teen were poor boys-not paupers, by
any means, but children Of the humber
classes, MANY of them in narrow and
needy circumstauees-an though they
lived in the cities or villages, they were
accustomed from their earliest years to
hard work.
WAS generally employed, says one,
"during the summer months, and in va
cations, in doing any kind Of work that
offered"
Four Of the city boys were newsboys.
One Of them says: "The last year was
connected with the. press, l earned one
hundred dollars before breakfast"
Another: 81 have paid my own way
since eight years Of age, without any as.
sistance except my board from my eighth
to my eleventh year."
OF all these eighty.eight boys, 6ve
only had nothing particular to do.
While,these hoys were growing and
working, q great many others,-sons Of
merchants and lawyers,-were growing
up 10 Springfield, going to school and
amusing themselves, a. boys OF their
class are apt to do. Where are they Z
Only Eve Of THE 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, for Springfield
only I've men out Of eighty-eight came
from this class. Ninety -four and half
per cent we're either farmers boys OF
poor and hard working town boys.
Mr.. GLADDEN. made bis report to the
public Of Springfield, in the form Of q
lecture. The mere announcement OF the
subject alone crowded the church, which is
= large ont, and the interest 10 the lecture
was so great that the Mayor and several
of the representative citizens requesteda q
repetition in the Music Hall. When
this came of, the hall was packed and
hundreds went away from the doors un.
able to gain entrance.