The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-18
the BOY PROBLEM

Ihe Boy Of this Country Ought to be
Given the Same Chance as Pedi-
greed Stock.
Secretary Whitaker spoke on THE
Boy Problem" before the convention
Of the Y.7M. G. A. Friday afternoon,
in which he presented the following
excellent thoughts Of what can be
done toward improving the boy along
with pedigreed stock. Mr.. Whitaker
spoke as follows:
In u recent stock and poultry
show In the city we heard a good
deal about line breeding. 1t takes
some generations to get a full blood
If you start with scrubs. But one thing
was greatly emphasized, and that
was keep improving your stock,
and pay special attention to the
male. Bring in new young blood
occasionally and always remember
it takes care to produce the best.
There has been some great spec
ialtzing done along the line both of
horse breeding and horse training
to produce trotters like Lou Dillon
that can go In 1893 and PAGERS like
Dan Patch that can go in 1866.
Ihe grade = our stock has been
greatly improved in the last twenty
years in this state. How about the
grade of boys? Has it improved as
rapidly? Or have we a good many
long horns and razor backs yet? Or
is there more money in cattle, hogs
and chickens and o sport in
race horses and dogs? And was that
not what we came to South Dakota
for, to make money and have a
good time?
How about the next generation?
Will they spend what we make. and
have a bigger time than we had?
Burbank has been making a spec
ialty of plant culture and he has
done some wonderful things. Not
only has he cross fortified and de-
veloped rare specimens but he has
taken ever that wild Arab of the
desert the cactus and Las cultivated
ut until 1t produces most delicious
fruit. He calls to the bad girl who
ran away from home and found all
the world against her. Then she
thrust out her prickers to every
one who came near her to protect
herself. Burbank says he has TAX
en- her back home and loved her un-
til she has left OF her prickers and
produces excellent fruit. Love and
care, he say, did it all. Did you
ever e prickers on a boy who had
no one to be his friend? Perhaps
you have u into them and can feel
their sting yet. Bees have to be
handled with gloves and so does the
~adOlescent boy. The man who tries
to handle bees without studying them
will have trouble. They often go off
In swarms, and to get them back
in the hive you need to know some
thing about their nature.
Our own states noted horticul-
turalist has taken the wild plum of
the western river bank, crossed it
with the tame plum and produced
q fruit of good flavor that bears
we'll on what used to be our fruit
less prairies. He has taken the wild
strawberry of western Canada, cross
ed 1t with the tame berry and has
poduced a good sized berry that will
live through a winter even If the
temperature reaches 40 below zero.
What great accomplishments
In the plant and dumb animal! Why
have we not gone on with the higher
species and specialized with the boy?
Can 1T be indifference to humanity?
You may give the answer.
Is a mans offspring of less value
than his COW, his hogs or his chick
ems? Is the one who bears your
name, inherits your property and
carries to the next generation what
you accomplished in your lifetime
of any more consequence than any
other animal you raise? These are
grave questions, men; think about
them. How is the advancement of
civilization 20 be carried forth? Da-
vid did not buila tt ? temple but pre-
pared Solomon to 20 it.
Why do we have the boy Prob
9lem?" We used to have the slavery
problem, the mol problem, the des-
perado problem, the slow transporta-
ton problem both on sea and land,
and many others that are not now
problems, and why? Men made
specialities of them and they are
largely solved. We arc glad to say
that In many places the Boy Prob
lem is receiving like treatment not
only through the Young Mems Chris
tian Association but through many
other agencies. and success is crown
AA6 Su0 ESAOIS. 1t AnCIC 40 uO hAAu VI
business that will run itself and sue
coed. I understand a young fellow
from the farm went to Brookings
College some years ago ana asked If
he might take a shorter course. The
reply from the President was, you
can grow a pumpkin in three months
but It takes years to grow an oak
A study Of the boy and what our
modern age of education and civiliza-
ton has done for him reveals some
interesting facts. There are not as
yet. except in q few large cities. any
institutions provided by the public
OF any supervision given to the most
prominent phases Of adolescent boy
life: his physical and social nature.
Atsthis period of life a boy is large
" animal. There are pastures pro-
vided for the colts and calves to run
and frisk in. but who ever heard OF
"a hoy pasture. Well. now just
this kind of a thing numbers of cities
T taking up: Public play grounds"
Which is Of most Importance in boy
life. education or character? Book