The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07

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many years held close oompAnionship with
many. Of the poorest boys Of New York.
He knows, too, . lot about the poor country
bow
This man when aslod whetbsr his advice
would be, Bring up your boy In the country
II you would have him attain to the best in
him. shook his head.
-Times have changed he began, 'sinco
Abraham Lincoln studied by the firelighr.
The problems then agitating the different
countries were mostly national problems.
which are now practically settled.
'Ths problems now confronting this
country arc associated rather with large
cities. For example, TO foster The growth
Of moral purity, to .keep the streets clean.
to house properly the poor m similar
questions Of assimilation n adjustment
are among tbose staring this community In
tho lace. In these days w work along
egoistio rather than altTuistic lines.
Tho oonspicuously great man In not so
much needed a. the erninently useful man,
abb 20 GrappIe with and solve some Of che
problems mentioned. The man who could
do this would b entitled 70 b called great
In my opinion and ] also believe that such
men are moro likely TO Be products OF the
city than Of the country.
"A lares city Offers peculiar advanta ges
TO ambitious youth. There are certain
educational infusnces and ideals In a city
Line New York which tho country lacks and
for which the country has nothing to give
In exchange.
rkMu0BANTs' SONS coAuNo 0RSAT MIN.
Although there are some who disagree
with me, I am inclined 70 believe that tho
boy who will be most useful 10 this country
In the future is the offspring Of immigrants
from eastern Europs-a people, for the most
part. who have . veneration for the Ten
Commandments and the old fashioned
virtues.
The immigrant boy Is more dynamic.
more growing. His curiosity 10 aroused:
he doesn't take things for granted; he pos
sesses himself Of facts. Literally thro wn
into or upon the streets. there are city boys
who study and learn and seize opportunities
. country boy would not even see.
Il am tremendously optimistic OF course
about the poor New York boy. There ia
many a Lincoln TN New York just waiting
his opportunity, 1 am sure, and every
where, sven among the poorest, I see ele-
ments OF true greatness.
ALREADY one OF our boys, gro n TO man.
hood, is the director OF social work in a
large Western city. Another who began
life as a newsboy and supported himself
while attending high school islnow taking
q scientific course at a foreign university;
. third also a newsboy, Is now junior part
ner In q large manufacturing concern
And I could multiply such examples many
times.
"In the old days ones duty to the indi-
vidual was the preached code; now 1t Is ones
duty to the community, and It Is my belief
that 1t is the city boy who oan easiest DO
trained 70 shoulder this respo visibility
WORK IN THE CITY.
AtAvenueA and Tenth street h the Boys
Club with a membership Of mo re than 1000.
which includes 100 lads between the ages
Of II and 10, the particular period when a
boy Is apt TO give indications OF what he
means to become. These boys are all poor.
Some have q home; others board in a lodging
house.
Poor country boys ave this advantage
the clubs leader remarked, when asked for
an opinion on the city boys chance OF at
tanning greatness. They are not often sent
10 work under II or wen at that age.
"A certain degree Of schooling is necessary
to the best success IN any direction, and
frequently the New York boy, II he aims
at q fair education, must attend night school
or night classes. Hundreds OF those I
know do this.
"A large percentage have pluck enough
TO take up some particular branch Of techni-
cal or academic work after working hours
and 1 notice that such boys are always
bound TO arrive somewhere.
PATHS TO SUCCESS.
Another thing. The boy who staya
in the country till he is approaching NAM
hood seldom becomes ~improvident when
he strikes the city. He shows no dispose
ton to throw away money even when he
gets hold Of some.
'Then I have heard it urged that the
country boy has a better chance at health
than the city boy living In q poor quarter Of
the city. But I doubt that. For one thing
the city boy is apt to have the betterfood.
observing people are fond Of pointing
out hat the country boy who comes to
succeeds. And 20 he does. But for what
reasonf Because il is generally the picked
boys, the brightest boys, who leave tbs
COunJTy lOT SLc Cltys
Similarly the New York boy with ambi%
ton enough 70 start for q distant country
IN search Of g fortune generally sacceeda
In a measure. But Of the hundreds OF pooJ
boys who make their struggle here ono
isn't apt to hear much unless occasionally
when some monumental stroke Of fortune
comes their way.
in a large city pull has far less TO do
with a Buys success than in the country.
l am amazed, in fact, at the impartiality
shown by business men, by bankers and
~fnanciers, when engaging a boy. His
social status is seldom or never considered.
The only inquiries have TO do with his
reputation and schooling and generalltness
for the place.
TO Illustrate: / have been back from
my vacation less than two days, and already
I have had three applications by phone
from as many banks for a boy at a monthly
wage Of SIS and lunch: six requests from
merchants for a boy; five demands OF tho
same sort from the heads Of factories.
"Let me add that a boy with Abraham
Lincoln's grit will be all the. better for q
City training"