The Dolores star., 1903-12-11
GIVE THE BOYS A CHANCE.


The Question = often asked why
are country boys 20 anxious to leave
the f1n aeI 70 10 the city To seek
II ,ii rtu.e, r'
.no se..sOi. i, obvious. Many OF our
country hpys a. w. much a,"-eC
either directly OF rcctly. by their
parrots who love them Hnd think they
are doing all they can for their child
ren.
some fathers use IT, % boys Just as
they do their team "f horses-speed
them 80 they will have something to
brag about to their neghbor They
hold up the good traits in their boys
before their neighbor and tell him how
smart and what good worker. they are
when the boys are absent, but never
says a good word about them when
they are present.
Then there are 50 many things to do
ON the ranch that the boys must work
early and late and very little time Is
allowed them for play. First they
must work to pay OFT the mortgage,
then when that is payed off they must
work TO lay by money to start them In
business when they become men.
: 1t is seldom that the boys are con-
suited with in the planning of the days
work After the morning chores are
done, it is John, you 90 and plow, and
George, you go and fix the fence.p The
boys go TO their respective tasks with
out saying word but they are think
ing yolumns. How much better they
would feel and how much easier the
work would seem to them if they had
had chance to help plan it. 1t would
make no difference whether their ideas
were followed or not, they would feel
that they We're something more than
machines.
When the fall term of school opens
there Is so much work to do that the
boys can't attend for several weeks and
when they do start they are behind in
their studies. They have to get up at
half past five in the morning and worl;
until school time and sometimes past,
and get TO school late which annoys
the teacher and does not make her feel
kindly towards them. When they get
home in the evening the chores are &c
be done and they must work until dark
they are tired and hungry by this time
and after eating hearty supper they
are supposed TO get their lessons. o.
course, they cannot study. The great
est mind in the world could not accom-
plish anything under such conditions
They 90 10 school the next day anC
fail in their recitatinns, the teacher
ipbraids them, the other scholars
laugh at them and, in plain English
they feel like fools. They would rathe
work at the meanest kind Of labo
than to go to school. They learn t.
dislike books and papers. Many grea
mind goes undeveloped and unheard o
simply bccarse il was possessed by 4
hoy whose father never stopped L
think that there were greater things il
the world than work and money.
Start your boys to school the frs
day Of the term, Give them plenty o
time to study and just enough work t.
absorb the extra energy. Give them
little time to study Saturday morn
ing and all of the afternoon to play
Let your boys know that you arr
proud of them. Take them with yO,
to town and introduce them to you
banker, and merchant and other busi
ness men you meet Take them int
the printing office and say "Mr. Editor
. shake hands with MY sons, John an'
George, aren't they fine looking younl
men," The next issue of the pape
will contain an item stating that MI
Blank and his sons, John and George
were in town. If the boys are not il
the habit of reading the paper shoy
them the item and see how they vii
become interested at once.
Give the boys chance. Let then
know s.at tli2y are free Anierical
citizens .t::d not slaves. Advise tlti
in all things but, unless absolute
necessary, command lem in nothing
A pound of kind advise will accom-
plish more than ton of stern con
uands.