Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-19
"wHAT NV hoV KNOWS
How City Boy ashowcd or Before
His Country Cousin.
In the April American Magazine

In the April American Magazine APP
pears an interesting article entitled
What My Boy Knows" 1t is writer
ny city father who. because of what
he has found ont about his sixteen
sSear-old son, has decided TO muye
away from the city and into the eoun-
try. Following is an extract which
gives some idea of how the city boy,
George, looks on his country cousin
Fred:
Il do not desire to convey the idea
that our boy was a wicked boy. He
wasn't lie was just the average type
ri hat We cGll the upper middle
t3ass 'heF. re WIS merely tuned to
lie ie9 naral tone of that city. Vice,
10 hi y, was rNt a monster of hideous
.a.t... He i.au seen il from childhood,
and, although he had not done 50. he
was arriving at the embracing stage.
He scoffed at the idea of visiting the
Lincoln Park Eco when his cousin pro-
posed it. declaring only rubes go
there He sneered at the proposal to
&c TO the University of Chicago, which
he calmly stated, was only a jew
and-jay school where no one went. All
the real folks go to Yale or Harvard
through the stock-yards. or the city
hall. or the art museum. He didn't
know where Armour Institute and
Hull House were.asIn fact, in one
week his country cousin knew more
about the city. its condition. its insti-
buttons, and government than mine
did. He read the papers. discussed
happenings, made inquiries about va
rious parts of the city. and one day
went unattended to the public library,
then TO the Crerar, u look up Some
HISTORICAL records. and being unable to
find them was directed TO the Histori-
cal Society. and came late TO dinner
full of enthusiasm. Thinking il a
good opportunity, 1 laughed and asked
George where the Historical Society
was. He did not know Nor did he
know where the Crerar was but said
the public library was that big build
ing near the Illinois Central terminal.
He never had been in il. nor seen its
fine decorations and marbles.
You two l said to the boys, show
me the truth about thing that has
puzzled ME for years. and that is why
there are SO few Chicago boys holding
Chicago jobs. In our office there are
seventy men, and do not think two
of them are natives. The evident rea-
son is that the Chicago boy knows SO
much less about his own city than the
country boy does that the country boy
gets the job
Il thought such examples, brought
to his attention at the moment when
the proof was self-evident, would
awaken him to the serious view of life
The process. however, was slow. and
most of the time it seemed as if we
were not making Roadway at all. It,
was discourage cling at times. and irritat-
ing. For example, one morning Fred
said: -
Let's go down to the Field Muse
ub to-day
law, what's the use?' protested
George. That won't get you anything.
Say, Dad. there's a bully matinee at
the Illinois to-day. take us to it,
Il took them. Leaving the theater
with the BOYS. / observed a fiabby-
faced, loose-lipped, young-old man,
overdressed, wearyAlooking, and worn
out at perhaps twenty-five, lettering
in the lobby. He was type--a type
of the cane-carrying, eigarette-smok-
ing, loose-moraled youth that is be-
coming more prevalent, and SO strong
was my disgust, / called the attention
of the boys to him as another object
lesson. tssss#z
IS That's product of idleness and
/ remarked. never think
ing but that both would be as disgust
ed with the sight of this semi-degen-
crate as I was. A boy who wastes
his time and money as he does soon
into that sort of travesty
on manhood
:. Him: exclaimed my son. oh. he
amt SO worse. That's -. His father
is president of the 80 - COMPANY.
They say he has an allowance of five
hundred dollars month, and his ia
Their gives him new car whenever
he wants one
" You know that creature? I de-
manded in establishment.
Yes, / met him once. Some of
the frat boys introduced him. He GER
tainly has a good time. and he's the
lest ferret in Chicago
!" Ferret asked. What's ferret2'
Gee, Dad, you're way behind the
times 4 ferret is chicken-snatcher.i
He's laying for some show crinoline
new, and he's the hramble that catch.
es them"