The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-07
WHY The BOYS ARE
WORSE THAN GIRLS
Chicago Man Says It's Because
the Boy Is Made an
.-.~.~-- Outcast.
journal Special Service.

journal Special Service.
Chicago, March 7.-tt'Why are boys
worse than girls in the city7 Why are
they the pests of the schoolteacher, the
chronic truants, the Ishmaelites Of the
streets, the raw material Of criminality,
when their sisters grow up in thoroly
respectable manner7 Because modern
conditions do not give them fair
chance; because they are rank outsid
ers' to everyone; because no one has
much use for them
There questions were asked and these
answers given by Charles G. Krauskopf,
principal Of the Emmett school, secretary
of the Illinois Society for Child Study
and former examiner at the parental
school, in an address delivered before
the Twentieth Century club of May
wood last night. -: .>
Mr.. Krauskopf described the average
citybred boys bitter struggle in the
harsh, selfish whirl of metropolis in
a manner that recalled Dickens pa
thetic pictures of child life. -
No Place for a Boy.
"There is in the present day city
life,' he said, "absolutely no place in
the economic community for the man.
child between 4 and IA years old. There
is no place or condition where he be-
social body. Nobody really needs him
or wants him. His mother may ask
him to run a few errands, but there is
rarely any attempt to require of him
the performance of regular daily duties.
He has nothing to do, and is forced to
play or loaf; is doomed to an aimless,
useless life.
Ellis fathers place of business is
usually far from home, frequently be-
q Fnnnno h r. Cd
tance1 over the doors. Even if the boy
can visit his father and see him at
work, the differentiation of labor is 50
great that the purpose Of the father g
task is often incomprehensible to the
child,
Back to His Troubles.
After few minutes the novelty of
watching the wheels 90 round wears
away and his naturally active mind and
body carry him to where he will again
be kicked off the neighbors' lawn, or
dered from vacant lots or streets be-
cause of his noise, until finally, an out
cast and wanderer on the face of the
earth, in self-defense, he forms band
cretly his rightful share of Innocent
pleasure, and then, by an always easy
road, he usually passes to more cues
tionable occupation for his unoccupied
time
"With the girl it is somewhat diff
ferent. Even in a modern apartment
house overstocked with servants, there
are certain household duties that may
be required of her. Her traditional
games are more closely associated with
the home and can be played better in
| doors. The mothers life is centered
in the house and is not associated with
other life in so complicated a way as
the father's.
Girl Has Place at Home.
1.-THE girl sees, hears and takes a
part IN the housekeeping plans. She is
truly at home. while the boy may be a
stranger under his fathers roof, having
| no necessary connection with the insti.
tuition Of home. Thus the girl may have
an opportunity to learn to work, while
the boy is usually forced to play.
Another reason is in the difference
in the personal attitude Of adults, par
ticularly men. toward boys and girls
The janitor of a fiat building feels free
literally to kick boys off the lawn
| Think Of the indifference of a passer
by to the abuse of boy in comparison
with his indignation if the victim be s
girl. Does not all this tend to make
the boy more antagonistic and more
unsocial than the girl9'