Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-10-04
RICH MEMS SONS.
REMARKABLE FACTS AS TO THE
PROBABILITIES OF SUCCESS.

Circuit of EOrtune-Dry Rot in Our Sys-
tenn of Things-Lack of Correct Train
ing.
Hon. j. H. Walker, of Worcester has
published some remarkable facts as to
the probabilities of success in q New
England manufacturing town. He states
that in 1910 there were thirty persons
engaged in the eight leading manufacture
ing industries in that city. of whom
twenty-eight began as journyemen; that
fourteen failed, and that of the rest four
teen retired or died with property; while
of the sons of the thirty only three now
have any property or died having any. In
1850 there were seventy-five persons en-
gagged in substantially the same industries,
of whom sixty-eight began as journeymen.
Of these forty-one failed and thirty re-
tired or died with property, though only
six Of the sons of the seventy-fve now
have any property or died leaving any.
In 1860 there were 107 persons engaged
in these industries, of whom 101 were
journeymen. OF these forty three failed,
and out of the 107 only eight now have
property or died leaving any, In 1878
there were 176 engaged in the ten leading
manufacturing interests, of whom 162
began as journeymen. Out of these only
fifteen were the SONS of manufacturers.
1t is yet too early to know what their
sons will amount to. These statistics are
the fruit of Mr.. Walkers personal knowl-
edge of individuals and their history. They
indicate what is probably true of other
cities where industrial pursuits take the
lead
The statement is correct enough, per-
haps, to generalize upon, or at least to
demand an explanation. Men look to
their sons to succeed them in business.
There is no sign more common today than
the one which indicates that the sons of
a famous man are still carrying on the
business or industry which he established.
1t keeps the firm name in honor, and is a
source of family pride. There is in the
mind of every self made man a certain
consciousness of family that is not to be
put aside. If he does not belong to an
aristocracy by birth, he likes to feel that
by his own industry and exertion he has
raised his name above the mass of names,
and that he is sure in the next two or
three generations to have good family
standing in the community. Half the
comfort of living with many people is the
fact that some of their ancestors were
.
statistics can be depended upon, very few
except the traditional old lines in New
England have any chance of building up
the family name, or of preserving their
integrity beyond one generation. He
presents the sons of our wealthiest manu-
facturers in a very humiliating light.
There is saying in the United States
that it takes three generations to make
the circuit of the fortunes of life. 1t is
first industrious and successful father,
then rich son, then poor devil. Mr.
Walkers facts bear out this statement.
Where property is not entailed, where
the risks are taken which all business
men are obliged to take, where so much
depends as depends here upon the amount
Of personal will each one is able to put
into business whose conditions are con-
stantly changing, there is no certainty
that a manufacturing industry can be
transferred from father to son, or that |
any mercantile house can maintain itself |
under its founders sons, unless they are
trained as severely as he was trained to |
follow today the same, and yet not the |
same, conditions of success which he fol- |
lowed in order to gain the advantage of |
others in the race Of life. The difficulty |
is easily explained by the usual proverb |
about rich mems sons, but one is not will |
ing to admit that this almost universal |
failure of these sons to hold their own in
life is due to idle habits and fast living
There is something fundamentally
rotten in American society when such a
story as is here outlined can be told of a
as respectable, Industrious
and high minded as Worcester is known
to be. Why should not the powers of ac-
QUESTION which are possessed by the pa
rent be transferred to the son? Where is
your principle of heredity? You look
into the home conditions of our great men
to find how far the parents were respon-
slble for communicating the spark of
genius, and why must we find the gerera-
ton OF manufacturers sons turning out
so badly that there is nothing good to be
said for them? 1t is contrary to the law
of succession to sanction this state of
things. 1t is familiar principle that the
of the city grind human energy
out OF men and use up their vital force,
30 that the country constantly replenishes
'he town, but what are we coming to as an
commonwealth if there is to be
10 succession of property in leading fam
lies, if the only outcome of our civiliza-
ion is to elevate one of the honest DOOR
nen of today to a position where his grand
ION is almost sure to turn out a poor
levi? This is a plain question, and if
here is such dry rot in our system of
hings that the bottom is constantly fall
ng out of what we call good society, what
re we coming to as democratic people?
+ it is but three generations from Door
nan to poor devil in the city of Worces-
er, what will it be in Springfield or
Dwell or Fall River. and what are the
clons of rich families in Boston coming to2
10 be serious, there is something fun
amentally wrong in the education which
uccessful manufacturers give their sons.
t is too often the case that the son be-
ms, not where his father began, in the
nipple and honest training of a country
ome, but in a luxury which his success
ul father is fond of Haunting in the eyes
t his fellow men. The son does not earn
he dollar that he spends; he does not I
now how to work, because he is not /
ompelled to earn his own living; he has ,
ew or none of the plain virtues which are :
be precious possession of poor boys who ,
rive cows to pasture, or sell newspapers, :
r do chares for such loose change as they :
an earn in this way. The virtue is taken !
ut of such youth at the start. His ,
ather thinks that he will not have him !
limb the ladder as he did, and does not e
equire him to do anything that is hard. +
he discipline over his morals is apt to q
0 as lenient as that which is exercised :
yer his studies or his habits of useful. +
ess. The result is that the devil takes :
large of the youth and makes him his
aild forever.-Boston Herald.