The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-01-01
TOWN AND COUNTRY BOYS.


is his best equipment for the serious
struggle of life. This sounds para
doxical, but it is true. 1t is just as
true as the opposite proposition, that
the greatest hindrance a city boy has
to contend with are the opportunities
which beset him when young and pur-
sue him till he begins the real bust
ness of life-a business which each
individual must carry on for himself.
For the CITY boy everything is made
as easy as possible. Even pleasure
becomes to him an old story before
he is out of his teens.
The conditions surrounding the
country boy are as different as posi-
BILE. There is a great deal OF regular
work that every country boy must do,
and this regularity of employment,
mostly out of doors, inculcates indus
trious habits, while it contributes to a
physical development which in after
years is just as valuable as any ath-
letic training that can be had. He
cannot run as fast, perhaps, as those
trained by system; he may not be
able to Jump as high or Solar, or eX-
eel in any of the sports upon which
we bestow so much time and from
which we get so much pleasure, but
his development enables him to buckle
down to hard work in which hours are
consumed and from which very little
or no immediate pleasure is extracted.
His strength may be something like
that of the cart horse, but the cart
horse is to be preferred when a long
and steady pull is required. The thor
oughbred race horse has fine flight
for speed and canterS with delight
full lightness and grace along the park
bride paths, but the heavy work is
the work most in demand and for
that we want the draft animals every
time.
Enthusiasm is the spur to endeavor,
and at the same time it is the SAVIOR
of life. The country boy whose am
bition has taken him to town comes
filled with enthusiasm. Even the little
things are novelties to him, and as he
accomplishes this and that he feels
that he is doing something not only
interesting but valuable. His simple
tastes have not been spoiled by null
tiplicity of qualifications, and so he is
glad of everything good that comes his
way. He does what is before him be-
cause it is his duty, while the other
is too apt cynically to question the
value of doing anything and ask,
"What is the use?"
Of the men who have achieved great
prominence and high influence in our
affairs of state the country boys are
at least twenty to one over the city
lads Nowadays, indeed, our cynical
city lads look upon men who take an
active interest in public affairs as
rather low fellows and quite beneath
their association and notice. But the
country boys are at the top in other
lines of endeavor In finance, they are
preeminent and the great bank pres1-
dents today in the great cities nearly
all learned to read and cipher in the
country schools where birch and ferule
had not succumbed to the civilizing in
fluences of scientific pedagogy. Our
great railways were in the main built
by them, and today the administrators
of these great companies are in great
measure from farms and country vii
lagos, from places where work began
in early infancy, and a sense of duty
developed while still the lisp of child
hood fingered.
Some city boys, however, are of such
sturdy stuff, and endowed with such
natural gifts, that they succeed by
reason of their inherent superiority.
Others succeed abundantly because
they have used their opportunities
we'll and in social life have pursued
the same course which enables SO
many country boys to seize fame and
fortune. The more honor to their hav-
ing survived their too great opportun-
tiles. But the country boy when he