Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-20
HE HAS EDUCATED MANY GIRLS.
George W. Childs Says He Practices Sci.
dshness, Not Generality.

George W. Childs Says He Practices Sci.
hshness, Not Generosity.
Girls, as a rule, respond more quickly to
the destinations of study than do boys. and
have always felt that they deserved as
many chances.
So far as my personal experiences are
concerned, gratitude has been the rule in
almost every case where have sought by
the means within my power to make it pos
slble for girls to acquire practical training.
Ihave up to this time educated, or rather
been the means Of educating, between three
or four hundred girls, and in every case l
have been rewarded by their gratitude,
their aptitude, their general excellence in
behavior, and their more than general sue
cess in their chosen careers. The girls in
whom l have been especially interested and
who always feel have first claims upon
me are the daughters of journalists-the
men and women of my own profession are
always nearest my heart. After them come
the daughters Of clergymen. As rule the
children OF newspaper men are quick and
ready to grasp opportunities, and it las
therefore been with particular pleasure that
have afforded them opportunities to help
themselves.
These girls have come from almost every
state in she Union. They have been brought
to my notice through their friends, through
my friends and through strangers. One
young girl came all the way from a small
town in Norway to my office in Philadel-
phia.
OF these girls. strange to say, not one has
entered the newspaper profession. There
have been several lawyers and doctors,
many teachers, artists, bookkeepers, ac-
countants, cashiers and secretaries, trained
nurses and elocutionists, and several as
pirants for the lyric and dramatic stage.
The teachers have without exception
been successful; so have the graduates of
Jaw and medicine aId Of the nurses train
ing school. The girls who had ambitions
for public careers have met with only ordi-
| nary success. Probably those trained for
elocutionists have made the most money.
The girls Of musical and artistic capa-
| bilitles have been given every advantage
possible in the way of home and foreign
training. Several of them have been edu-
Gated in Paris, several in Berlin and others
in Vienna. In the selection OF schools and
| teachers there has been no general rule
sometimes l have selected both at other
times the girls or their friends have made
| the choice. In all cases only the best Of
either have been employed. For one young
girl who seemed especially endowed with a
voice Nine. Christine Nilsson was request
cd to select the teacher. The salaries re-
ceived by these girls have averaged from
$500 to several thousand dollars year; one
received as high as 5000.
All the girls have become self support
ing; most of them have married, and all q
think l am safe in saying this have made
good wives. All of them have deferred to
my request that the men of their choice
| should be honest and well able to take care
of them, and so far as ! know not one of
them has found husband who has pre-
sumed upon his wife's ability to earn
money to expect her to contribute to his
support.
1t is not generosity that has made me
helpful in this respect to girls. 1t is in part
selfshness. want to see where my money
goes. want to know that it is circulat-
ing-that it is doing good. sometimes
feel that the only money have is that
which have given away. The rest is Just
waiting. The money that have spent upon
other people has been that which l have
most enjoyed. Many rich men have done
rs much; many have done more. think
Mr.. Drexel has done the noblest work of
all by founding his School OF Industrial
Art.-George w. Childs in Ladies' Home
Journal