St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-10-09
COUNTRY BOY GETS TO
The FRONT IN LIES
STRIFE.
INV Observation-Disclosures

t
In literature, art, science. the law,
medicine, finance and the larger bus
mess activities Of the country the
farmer boy has far o~utstrpped the
~toWn-bred boy. Even in The money
made high society" Of the North and
East the farmer boy leads the most
exclusive set and his farm-bred wife
holds her head as high as the daugh
ter Of a hundred earls.p Once III a
while a big railroad has q president
who was born in the city of wealthy
parents. Occasionally the head OF 4
great trust happens 10 Be- ! nan
whose father was rich. There are i
few great lawyers and judges who
we're borR.in town. But most De our
leaders we're born in the country and
IN comparative obscuritF.
But It is claimed that the city boy
is beginning to come % The front. tt
is alleged that the poor farmer boy
is not having it all Bis own way IN
recent years. The neWsboy and the
bootblack are coming to the front.
The son of wealthy city parents re-
mains il his traditional mediocrisy,
but the D Of the city mechanic, The
son Of the poor clerk and the son Of
nobody id particular is making his
way. While Dr.. SpiIlman Of she
United States Department Of Agricul
ture claims that 70 per cent of the
leaders in every phase Of activity
came from The farm, q Boston Stats
tician calls the publication Who's
Who TO the stand to prove that a
larger percentage Of city boys than
country boys get to the front.
Discussing this point the New
York World says:
The contention for the superiority
Of the lustis spirit is 3 very old one
so old that one Is tempted to class
it among superstitiona. When TX
Marvel was conducting anonymously
in the 'Lorgnette' his town satires
Of 1850 In New York be voiced the
idea thus:
Dress, equipages, perfumery and
the opera will always have native
city teachers; but the pulpit, ex-
change, journalism and the bar are
drawing its recruits from The sons
Of hard. country study. and of old
fashioned, rigid, ~aeadamiesl education,
whose energy, spirit and influence
viii one day make the hot-house
progency Of the town culver Ii their
shoes.
SHOW X Marvel an influential
journalist, lawyer, preacher, doctor Or
merchant, and be would Show you
one who knew little on nothing of the
fashionable life Of the town until his
mental and moral character was ali
ready formed On the town and
fashion side be would point to law /.
yer rich IN political intrigue, q doctor !
distinguished BY nostrans q p~oetsater
fatiguing the language with his pow
erty, d mercahnt who is rich b sue J
cessive BANKRUPTCIES or defalcations.t !
No modern claimant for country
has surpassed this indictment !
1850. Experience and DE-. Adams :
Who's Who statistics show that the :
Marvel counts are not sustained By
percentages Of success Id proportion J
city and rural populations. Pres :
lent Finley Of the College Of the city :
IF New York calls attention 10 the :
important fact Of the recent upspring :
Of an urban body sound and strong !
d its own gifts and resources. The :
of the Juvenile Court Records :
inds in a list Of q thousand success
I'LL Americons 300 who started 81 :
farmers boys. while Of former news
boys and messenger boys there are !
l00.a )
The truth IS that the best farm :
,lood in recent years has been staying
n the farm, where the average Of
chances for brains and energy is lar !
ger than the average chances in the !
,ity. There IS d good competency J
.or the man of average ability On the 5
arm today, but the struggle ii the )
.ity is growing harder and harder
very year. There are 3 few big :
,lunls for men and genius, but the :
.versge man can do better On the :
than be 4 in lthe metropolis. $