The Bossier banner., 1885-02-26
e,sunfrr ReYs and fitr I'ars.


a correspondent wants to know why
ft is that the proportion of country boys
In the United States who succeed in life
is much greater than that of city boys,
who seem to have many advantages
over their rural brothers.
There is no way of determining
whether the statement made by our cor
respondent is well founded, though it
undoubtedly accords with the prevailing
impression. There are abundant rea
sons. however, why the successful mer
who were country-bred should even in
cities outnumber the successful mer
who were of city birth. 1.-The country"
as distinguished from the city popula
ticn, even now embraces considerably
more than the majority of the people
in the United States, but the differences
in favor of the country was relatively
much greater as the territory was more
sparsely settled. Great cities are of re.
cent growth in the United States.
Thirty years ago there were but nine
cities in the Union with o population OF
80, 600 or upward each. In 1860 there were
but sixteen. In 1880 there were thirty.
five. The men who were boys in 1856
are comparatively young yet, and the
cities which have since arisen to magni.
tude necessarily drew largely upon the
country for the blood and energy which
have made them what they are. While
it Is, therefore, true that a majority ot
our successful men were country boys,
it is not necessarily true that the pro-
portion is any larger, although this may
be the case.
Respecting the intimation Of our cor.
respondent that city boys have an ad.
vantage over country boys, we think
that If q balance were struck it would be
found to be largely in favor of the
country boy. He may not have the
polish of the city youth, nor be as well
versed in the ways of the bustling city
but he has characteristics which abun-
dainty make up for these deficiencies.
He is taught, for example, almost from
his infancy the lesson of self-help. HE
skill and ingenuity are taxed in q null
titude of ways That quality which
New England people SO happily call
fndoctrinated with habits of thrift and
industry. II one thinks for q moment
of the variety of farm work, he will also
be prepared to concede that the coun-
try boy, awkward though he may seem
in comparison with his city cousin, has
many and varied accomplishments, He
is early familiar with the care and man
agement of horses and cattle, learns
much of tools and how to use them, lie
often compelled unaided to face and
overcome difficulties and emergencies,
and this breeds within him a sturdy,
resolute spirit. When he attains man.
hood, his fortune is assured if he re-
mains in the country; while if, srnitten
with the city fever, he tries his fortunes
there, he has at least a good, solid foun.
dation upon which to build.
With city boys there is altogether too
much hot-house life. Many OF them are
dwarfed and stunted from their birth.
They are coddled and indulged. Too
many of them are brought up with false
notions of what is honorable and man.
II. Their parents are fastidious, with
out being sensible, In the choice of oc-
cupations for them. and they are in con.
sequence handicapped through life.
They have, perhaps, a greater variety
OF pleasures than country boys; but
there are many manly exercises from
which, from numerous causes, most oi
them are debarred. Thus every coun.
try boy, almost as q matter of course,
learns to swim. hunt and break horse;
while the larger the city is the fewer
relatively the number of boys who can
do any or all of these things. These
may seem insignificant accomplish
ments, yet each involves physical and
mental training which can not fail to be
beneficial in after life.
Country boys also possess a marked
advantage over city boys in the lack ol
the temptations which surround the lat
ter. There is infinitely less danger Of
their attaining young manhood with
their mental and moral powers under
mined. and with wrong or feeble inn
pulses. Living as they do. too, so much
in the open air, they gain a physical
health and vigor of constitution which
are not only inestimable blessings in
themselves, but admirably fit them fol
be battle of life.
On the whole, therefore, whether
sountry boys do or do not succeed N
life better than city boys, there is no
reason why the former should repine o,
be discalAtented with their lot.-Detroil
Free Press.