The Washington herald., 1907-12-29

would he be the personal friend or 5D,DJ
boys who play marbles in the streets and
baseball in the vacant lost.
Boys all over the country-all over the
world. in fact-know him and love him.
He is one OF them. He has done more
Ter boys than any other individual in
Pennsylvania. and he is now engaged in
work which will make him an immortal
in the juvenile Hall OF Fame.
II you do not know him, you should
make the acquaintance OF Prof Edwin
J. Houston, scientist. inventor, teacher,
preacher. author. patent expert, and
boy" He excels IN every one Of his
attainments and in none more than in
being a thorough boy.
Back Of every boys organization in
Philadelphia is Or. Houston. They know
him in every church. in every boys club,
in every school at Girard College, the
House Of Refuge. and wherever else a
group of boys is brought together. For
twenty-five years ne has been the MAIN
spring OF the Young Mems Christian As
sociation in Philadelphia. He organized
and is the dominating influence in the
Boys Brotherhood He was a potent
factor in the Boys Brigade. the National
Swimming Association, and the Phila-
delphia Association Workers with Boys.
Writes Thrilling stories.
He has given not only his time which
Is worth many dollars day to him, but
he has gone down into his pocket and
given literally of the bOuntiful income
which his brains and his effort have
brought him TO make life easier and
pleasanter and more hopeful for the boys
Of Philadelphia.
Now he is throwing away opportunities
Tor making money and is devOting a large
portion Of his time TO writing books for
boys. He knows that every boy likes
good story, a thriller. He is turning out
thrillers at the rate of several each year,
and every one of them carries a fund Of
useful information to the thousands Of
boys who read il.
4 believe in being respectfully yellow"
IS Prof. HOustOn's theory. Il do not
mean by that books which contain un-
healthy sensationalism. but things which
might happen and probably will happen
TO the boy who reads them. ! believe in
letting him know what some other fellow
did under certain circumstances. then he
viii know what 10 do when the same
circumstances befall him.
Il can by this method make any class
Of boys become thoroughly in love with
natural science. Make it like detective
story. That's what science is"
And Prof. Houston ought 20 know.
He knows science and he knows boys.
His opinion on either is that OF an ex-
pert. OF boys he says:
IF you get hold Of boy in the proper
way you can do almost anything with
him. 1 don't believe in looking upon a
boz as a necessary evil. for he is as nice
a little animal as you can find. A great
deal Of what passes for wickedness in
boys is really the necessity which nature
has implanted within them 10 blow off
! call it a physiological explosion.
Likes Lively Youngsters.
This blowing Off is natures method Of
getting lid of surplus energy. and does
not indicate that boy is fun of the
devil as some persons say.
Give me a boy who is full Of life and
energy I wouldn't give that for your
wiShy-washy sugar-candy boys who sit in
a corner and look pretty" And the pro-
feSsor's fingers snapped like i nTeCUacker.
You must treat a boy as though he
We're somebody. Make him feel that he
amounts 10 something. Don't bring him
up on left-overs. ! was one of the first
70 advocate this method to the Young
Mems Christian Association houses
throughout the country.
1T was the general custom a few years
ago 10 let the boys into the gymnasium,
for instance. when the men didn't want
#; 20 permit them to enter the reading
room only at hours when their elders
were certain not to be there. I preached
against such treatment pretty much all
over the country, and now the boy has
aLa to-. i 1 r. -
boys. They don't relish left-overs any
more than their elders"
1t was his pleading for the boy which
made Prof Houston we'll acquainted
with the boys of other cities Even
abroad he runs into them. He is no more
surprised at the Hello, Professor" in
Paris or Berlin than he is al Broad and
Chestnut
Prof. Houston was born July g. 1874.
at Alexandra, Va, his mothers home
His father was q bank teller in Ph;ladel-
phia, coming from Lancaster 10 this city
When an infant Edwin was brought to
the home in this city and has lived here
ever since.
He first became interested in boys work
when he was a boy himself attending the
Sunday school of the Church of the Ma
tivity Eleventh and Mount Vernon
streets He was then sixteen years old
Teaches Sunday school.
Later. when he was between seventeen
and eighteen years old. he taught a sun
day school class at the Church of the
Saviour, Thirty-ninth and Chestnut
streets While engaged in this work he
did a great deal OF work among the boys
in the mill district. near what is now
Angora.
in 1860 he was admitted as student TO
the Central High School. from which he
was graduated in 1864. For time he
taught in a private school in Chestnut
street. and then he went TO the Central
High School as professor Of civil engineer
ing. He was almost Immediately given
the chair OF natural philosophy and
physical geography, which he has held
for twentyeight years, being still the
professor emeritus in that branch.
Occasionally DR.. Houston attends the
chapel exercises at the Central High
School When he appears upon the plat
form the boys figuratively raise the
roof" Such cheering and applause are
never heard except when DR. Houston
comes 10 chapel. He has fathered high
school athletics and hss been one Of the
prime movers in the effort TO obtain an
athletic field for the high school students.
Prof Houston always regarded his
work at school as play work During his
active labOrs at the Central High School
he taught many boys who later became
famous men. One OF his students was
Elihu Thomson. whom Prof Houston
declares to be the greatest living cleo
trician. After young Thomson left school
he and Prof. Houston. pupil and teacher.
invented the Thomson-Houston electric
system, upon which the sun never sets,
for il is used in every country on the