The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-11
Y;,e a,atter of Environment.


Now. as to the environment which viii
most help US to live long and live well.
Last week a hint was given Of the science
OF birth-pre-nataI influence. Granting that
the race Of the future VIII regard 81! the
details necessary TO the bringing forth OF
well born children. what viii it do with
them after they are born? The matter OF
the best environment for youth IS one that
has puzzled generations. Concerning it Dr.
George I. Shrady had much that is inter
esting TO say the other day.
The mere place OF hirth,' he remarked,
.'is noc OF great importance, I tancy-tle
manner Of birth is much more likely 20 in
fluence succeeding life. Give a child 5000
b.rth-physical ana meHtai-and he's well
started. Give him 30od home influences ana
his chances are a. once bcttered hundred
fold But that isn't all lie ShoL@N nave
good Surroundings. y chile properly porn
and having careful ana well inteHuoned
,,3rents would almost certainly be unplea&-
ar:Iv affected if he lived his youth IL Tie
7erlemerts i}a4 air would hurt him phySl-
c;tliv; bad companions would hufL MN
mentally ana morally. City lie III general
is. in my opinion, rot so good for children
as country life. am speaking now OF
course OF the children of people who are
nos rich: the milIi0Haire'S son may De as
well surrounded in one place as in the other,
IN either case he is less Iikeiy TO pe wen
eaIiipped to Eight future battles as ne would
he if horn of pa.ents of equal Intelligence
hut not n0faIPy rich. Nest Of ou, iinpor-
faut men have come from the country, ana
very few OF our Important men nave beeh
surrounded by extraordinary wealth. III
childhood. Our really great men nave DeeI
country BOYS and poor boys, too. This is
+5-Ifa Of every one born il q community OF
much size and Raleigh, y. G.. "neh IL
gave johnson to the world, was lar from
being a large city. Every one CT the preSi-
dents since and including Lincoln, was a
10. E.T1e ~
they were almost 5aolWooGsmen. Jore-
over thew ali felt povcrty's pinch IN cl,lld-
mood and lad to work herd ana earn fh2r
own way. Those are great Things ior poyS-
working hard and taking care OF thelH-
selves And taking care OF ones Self III the
country is taking care Of one sell III eaItil-
est.
II Teaches SeIf-ReIiar;ce.
..4 nov constantly meets emergencies in
tho country If he's at work ne has 10
scheme and plan to exc out his tools ana
materials If he's at play he mas oItei 10
in3provise his toys 1t makes nm ingenious
ana makes him self-reiiant me oll@lhality
which has led to many a Grea invention Oh
surgical operation has had its beginning III
the originality forced By the boys neces-
SHY for mendina n harness or fixing a pioW
on some backwoods farm; the logic OF many
a great legal argument has beeh the remote
outerowth of the boys pulling over the
,,robIorls of crops and rural eXiscncies. In
the CITY the boy does not encounter these
emergencies. and SO does not feaclIE ls1rn
to meet and conquer these OF alter me. All
our great soldiers almost without eXcep-
ton, were country bred. In my acqIlalht-
ance there are not q dozen successful men
whose boyhOod was city spent.
Greatness has almost invariably bech tne
o;,tgrowth of country breeding, polsned n
after years by city life. There IS no place
better to begin in than the country. Just as
there is no place better to end in than the
civ.
"And physically the country is, Of course
superior to the city. The death rate is al
ways lower in rural districts than it is in
towns. Il stands to reason that the pure