Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-05-01
Short Talks to Beys.
By II. Quad.

By ii. Quad.
Ny SON, drop that penny mover or
flash paper and let's have a little
chat.
Yes. Indian and detective stories
are thrilling, but don't 60 too fast'
The chances are that you will never
see 8 live Indian outside of a circus
or a street parade. and as for killing
'em-d0n't-
No doubt you could strap a BOWIE
Knife and revolver around your
waist. and take a loaf of bread under
n arm and the pamphlet life OF
Buffalo Bill under the other, u go
West and slay Indians by the cord'
but don't think of it. /
As for detective stories, go II
talk with q real detective or q couh-
ty sheriff. Ask 'em about "Old
Sleuth's" DISCUSSES and exploits and
magic luck and then listen carefully
while they tell you what q fool you
are making of yourself by grlndihs
the end of your nose against pages OF
such trashy fiction. We want you to
read. but for the lands sake look
about for something different !!
There are good boy-books, your
father takes the daily papers, and II
YOU should read a page or two OF
history now and then you wouldn't
waste your time.
That crowd of London publishers
who are flooding the country with
fiash-papers and penny novels are
YOUR worst enemies. No matter to
them whether you grow up a respect
able man or q murderer so long as
they get your money. Their stories
are the basest lies, too silly even for
a boy 10 years old to believe.
Now, then, look about you and see
how many men in our stores and fac
tories and offices and upon the
streets are getting gray and wrinkled
and old. Twenty years from now
not one in ten of us whom you see in
business to-day will be able to put
our shoulders to the wheel. Even q
decade will retire tens of thousands.
What then Why, my son, this is a
world which knows no stop. This is
q life which knows no rest until old
age compels it.
When the men of to-day are laid
up in dry-dock the boys of to-day
will be the fresh set of hands called
on deck to work the ship. They will
be the merchants, farmers, manufac-
turers and professional men of the
future. You win have to bear the
burdens and anxieties of keeping
this country on the track Of peace
and prosperity, and your voices will
sound from the halls of Congress
and your pens write words to burn
in the memory of future generations
Come, now, begin right. DON'T
get it into your head that an Indian.
killer is about four pegs above g
State Senator. Don't imagine that q
detective wouldn't trade places with
lawyer very quickly if he had his
say about it. Don't you believe that
an ~embezzler, burglar or murderer il
a hero, and that men admire him,
Drop your novels and flash papers as
a starter. The boy who feeds OF
such trash gets false impressions OF
the world, and is more certain te
bring up in prison than in respecta'
BILE employment. If you have a pis'
toll fling it aside. The man who car
ries one about the streets is a COW
ard, and men mark him as such. i
you have a bowie-knife on hand turn
it over to your mother for a meat OIL
bread knife. If you have a sand-clut
lying around loose shy it into the
ditch before anybody finds out how
empty your head has been. THAI
pair of brass-knuckles can be tossed
into the river; sold Sleuth" snd
"Buffalo Bill" will make a good bon
fire, and then you are ready to begir
Lie and ask yourself what trade OIL
profession shall be yours when don,
in the school.