The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-20
Give the Rich Boy a Chance.

So Count Witte was not a. droshky
driver, after all, and some of the ro-
mances which have been woven around
his early life will have to be discarded.
AS a shining example of rise from
poverty and obscure origin to the head
ship of the great Russian nation IN
country where birth and blood are sup
posed to account for everything, Witte
will not do.
His sister, Sophie Witte, contributes
to the last Independent a statement
about this man of the hour, in which
she says that while 'no one should be
ashamed of his ancestry however hum-
bic it may have been, and in the case
of man who has attained the highest
honors in public life, humbleness Of
origin is even fattering, the truth is
dearer than all - .,.~. >---..-->-...---~ ...
She then goes on to say that Serge
Yulievich Witte belongs to the ancient
nobility. He has inherited the record
and the tendencies of a class of peo-
pie who have done great things for
Russia: His father, Yuly Fedorovich
.Witte, councillor Of state, was director
Of the imperial estates Of the Caucasus
ga descendant of the highest nobility
Of Courland, he was in spirit and in
faith true Russian who was greatly
esteemed and loved by all classes in the
Caucasus, where he is to this day re.
membered for his high qualities as an
administrator and as a sympathetic
man. His wife, Catherine, was daugh
ter of Privy Councillor Audrey Mix
hailovich Fadayev.'
Miss Witte then goes further back into
her ancestry and connects the count
with a line of distinguished men ant
women we'll known in the scientific
world as we'll as famous for their feats
statesmenship. 1t appears that Coun
Witte has enjoyed the benefits Of the
best teachers in Tifis, that he entered
the Novorossisk university at Odessa
and chose for himself the physico
mathematical faculty, displaying un
usual abilities in mathematics.
While it is true that with his educa
tion and his social position he coul(
have counted upon a successful caree
in official life, following his own incli
nation he connected himself with
steamship and railway company. It i
true that he achieved great success a
a railroad operator and it was his bust
ness capacity which attracted attention
to him and called him into the publ
service.
1t may seem too bad to spoil tn
romance Of his early origin, but perhap
too much emphasis is laid upon lowl
origin as "a handicap to success. AS
matter of fact, it is quite as likely t
be- an advantage in this age of tn
world when it is the people who d
things who count, even in Russia. In
deed, it's about time to stop the drift
of public sentiment which assumes S
often that the rich boy will not tur
out well and give that boy chance
The proba bilities are that his dad wa
a poor boy and made his way by exe1
else of will-power and the employment
of his best natural faculties. The tro,
BILE is the old man has deprived his bo
in most cases of the developing dri
and training which made him what b
is and hasn It given the lad chance
We're for a chance for the rich DO,
who often doesn t get it thru the hand
cap of nothing expected of him, to
much coddling and no chance to sho'
what he really could do if he tried
The weather shows that Medicine HI