Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-12-27
TRAINING THE BOY
ONE SYSTEM THAT HAS HAD
GOOD RESULTS.
Younsster Was Put on His Honor al
an Early Age, and Father Is Sat-
lsfied the Method L.
Good.

My boy was really q pretty good
sort. Perhaps II he hadn't been he
would not have turned out well under
my system; but. then. II hc hadn't
been Il good sort l wouldn't have pro.
ceeded on that system. / watched
him carefully before | decided that II
would be wise to do as | did, says a
writer In the New York Press.
When he was about seven years old
l caught him In n lie. He was trying
to hide n trivial. childish ofrcnsc. and
l was more amused than shocked, but.
wishing to be sure OF my ground. |
told his mother he was lying. She
would not believe 1t at first. but. bo.
coming convinced she was for whip
ping him.
Leave him to me-" I said. I'VE will
have no more whipping. He Is old
enough o for different treatment"
Then | took him aside and talked to
him somewhat after the following
fashion:
You and | are going 10 have "A great
deal TO do with each other a. long ms
We both live, and Il Is best that we
understand each other from the start.
| want o 10 know positively that SO
long as you do right | am going to-
be your best friend on earth. aside
from your mother. II makes no dif.
ference what trouble you may get into.
shall always stand by you as long as
you remember what | nm now telling
you. But there are two things yop
must never forget. You mustn't ten
a lie, and you mustn't do anything
else that you dent think n gentleman
would do.
You know the difference now be.
tween a gentleman and another man.
and you will learn 1t more definitely
later on. hut the one important thing
now Is not Ia lie. II you lie to me
VIII be pretty sure to find Il ont,
and you Will have to get out OF your
trouble yourself tho best way you
can. | will not lit a finger TO help
you"
went over this grounG again and
again as carefully as I could. in Ian.
guagc fitted To his years. until he
thoroughly understood me. and | was
satisfied that he would not forget l.
And from that day. is years ago. until
now, ! have never added a syllable To
what | then Old him. | have never
caught him in a lie OT doing an I'm.
gcntlcmanly thing. He trusts me alb
s~Olutcly and comes TO mo often for
counsel, but all | do when IT touches
general principles Is tn rcitcratc those
TWO rules. ! have never even sug.
gcstcd religious training to him, he.
licYing that neither | nor anyone c!so
has the right To influence him I'm his
own choice. | hare never punished
him since he was ten. and then only
by keeping him In the house for some
trit!ng disobcdIcncc. | have never
since he was IL said: You must not"
! have never intcrfcrcd with any of
his plans. or denied him anything he
wanted that II was reasonably possible
to get for him.
Result: He IS Il clean. healthy
minded. young man, with faults, but
no serious ones that | can discover.
and he still lives with me. He cared
little for school and his education In
books. while II rs fair. IL not what I
would like 1t TO be. but on the other
hand he picks NJ practical. outside
knowledge with wonderful facility and
accuracy. being a natural mechanic
and business man.
When he was 81 I had dcspaircd OF
MS future. IIc had never given me
any trouble, but he seemed to amount
to nothing. He had not found, and |
J could not find for him. the right place.
lic wna barely earning his living. but
there seemed to be no prospect OF
more.
When he was 20. s,ill working for n
small salary, he seemed 20 wake up.
Tic and a chum started a small cOni.
mission business. working at II after
oiiiCc hours. In six months timo he
gave up his salary. Six months later
he bought out his partner. Within tho
next year he bought h's own plant and
Is now doing n fine business with sev.
On high-prlccd employees. In n few
years he will hc rich.
He Ia "A gentleman. lie dncA not lie
| am satisfied