The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07
CITY BOYS CHANCE IN LIFE
DECLARED TO BE AS GOOD As
THAT or COUNTRY LADS.
Replies From Men Whose work 10 Among
Boys IN the City % . Plea % Give the
Chndrcn % the Poor . snow hyABend.
ing hem Into inc Country % Grow Up.

Boys IN the City % o pea % Give the
Chldfcn % the o . snow byfend-
Ing fhem n n Country 10 crew Up.
Il don't think. I know that he has,
This was the answer given By the prin-
cipal Of the Rivington street public school.
which has on its rolls more than 1000 boys.
to . mn who put 20 him the following
question:
do you think q poor city boy has an
equal chance with q poor boy born and
brought up In tho country to achieve social.
political or professional g~reatnessf"
The question was prompted by q pub
hshed opinion to the effect that The city
boys chances Of climbing tho ladder OF
greatness were very slim, indeed. Men
lfks Lincoln, Grant and others, IL wal pointed
out, were country born and bred. HAndi-
capped by poverty at the start, these men
overcame all obstacles by q perseverance,
and grit born largely Of their early whole
some environment. "
"Givs the boys q chance the writer Of
the opinion pleaded. Send them to the
away from tho temptations and drawbacks
Of city Efs.'
TESTIMONY ~ TEE p SCHOOLS.
The Rivington street school principal did
not seem impressed when these suggestions
we're repeated to him. He said:
Il have been identified with this school
atty years, during which. time I have met
only relatively poor boys-boys born Of
parents who had 20 work hard to clothe and
feed themselves and their family and who
lived In tenements. I could name at least
one hundred OF these boys who are now at
the top round Of the ladder Of sucoess-as
the world counts SUCCESS.
And what I have observed in this school
is precisely the experience OF other princi-
pals Of public sohSols situated in the poorer
districts Of this city. / am not blowing
about this school as II il were unique.
'Examplesf
sWell let me 60 bach to the graduating
Olass Of 1Soe-that's far enough, isn't it2
Ono OF the poorest Of the boys in that
class Ia now q paymaster In the United
States Navy and one Of the most CON-
petent men in the service.
Hugh Kelly-he wouldn't mind having
his name printed in this connection. for
he always calls himself a product Of the
public schoole-who stands high in com
mercial circles, was another graduate. A
third has built and is in charge Of a church
on Staten Island; a fourth is now a Registrar
and successful lawyer Of this city.
Arnold Cohen, an executive ofioer OF
the State Bank; the principal Of a large
public school and the assistant principal
Of another ~populous public school were
graduated here.
"A graduate Of this school in the class
Of 1850 retired the other day worth more
than 81 900, 900.
Several men who left West Point with
high honos got their elementary train
ing here, and one Of my graduates, l am
proud to say, now commands a big battle
ship. That comes pretty close to attaining
greatness. doesn't itr
-Given the opportunity, that mans
name may be added 90 history's hero list.
Many a boy and man has struggled to a point
where he would achieve greatness were
the crises to arrive. but il never does ar
rive. Gen. Grants fame and Admiral
Dewey's fame would probably never have
BEEN sung had they not been on the spot
when q leader was needed and they met the
need.
BOYS THINK.
sIn my opinion the poor boy with any
talent at all, or with the elements Of leader
ship in his makeup, will develop faster and
have an sven better chance OF making some
thing Of himself in the city than in the
country. The country boy, IL is true, re-
fleets more, and a a general thing shows
q disposition TO apply himself more closely
at the start, and he will beat the city boy
perhaps in the first years OF the elementary
course, but later the city boy generally
FORCES ahead.
"A country boy OF about Is, named Iper,
who entered this school many years ago
comes into my mind. He was Flooding,
quiet, careful in all he did. The other boys
were inclined to make fun Of him, and they
resented that he always came out ahead
in mathematics.
"One day l gave his class an example,
relating 10 a bill Of provisions, one item Of
which was fortY-one hams weighing 0es
pounds at 1919 cents q pound. When l
called for the answer Iper,s disa greed with
all the others.
whats the matter, Up err l asked, and
the rest Of the class smiled In glee.
For once we've got Iper.' they thought,
taking their cue from my tone.
Look here, IpOr,' I. continued, from
your answer 1 see that you multiplied O6s
by leH, whereas the other boys multiplied
that amount first by Il. What was your
reasonT
well, sir he answered, 4 thought one
ham couldn't possibly weigh 0ds pounds.'
.'Ah, you thought, I returned in a pleased
tone, and then the other boys began TO hang
their heads. They saw the p~oint-saw that
Iper alone had given the correct answ er.
Because Of fewer distractions, I suppose;
the country boy In his earlisr years rejects
the more. but put him and the city boy In
competition later and l believe the latter
has immensely the az advantage.
n BASKETBALL PRooP.>
AT one time l was inclined to give atten-
ton to the argument Of superior health
and strength for the country boy, but I
lave changed my mind. or the two I think
the city boy has the greater power Of en-
duranoe.
1T was the record achieved by the basket
ball team Of this school at the st. Louis ex-
which helped me 10 this conclusion.
The boys on that team live right here in
the neighborhood, the home OF every n
NJ them 10 in . popuIous tenement house.
What IL more. they have always lived like
that.
We'll, a. most schoolboys kno%. that