Little Visits with Great Americans, Vol. 2 (of 2): Or Success, Ideals and How to Attain Them
History
Little Visits with Great Americans, Vol. 2 (of 2): Or Success, Ideals and How to Attain Them
Success; United States -- Biography; United States -- History -- 19th century -- Biography
William R. George was born at West Dryden, New York, June 4, 1866.
He was educated in the common schools. His parents came to New York
city in 1880, where he later engaged in business. Becoming interested
in poor boys and girls, he, during the seasons of 1890 to 1894, took
two hundred of them to the country for from two weeks to a month to
spend a portion of their school vacations with him. Impressed with
the large number of children endeavoring to live by charity, he
conceived, in 1894, the plan of requiring payment in labor for every
favor the youngsters received, and, in addition, instituted a system
of self-government. This was the beginning of a junior republic, which
was put into practical operation in 1895 and has continued successfully
ever since. He was married November 14, 1896, to Esther B. George, of
New York. To Mr. George belongs the credit of inaugurating a novel and
praiseworthy method of fostering good citizenship.
CHARLES HENRY PARKHURST.
The Rev. Dr. Charles Henry Parkhurst was born in Framingham,
Massachusetts, April 17, 1842. His father worked on a farm in summer
and taught school in winter. Until sixteen years of age Charles was a
pupil of the Clinton (Mass.) grammar school. The two years following
he acted as clerk in a dry goods store. At the age of eighteen he
began to prepare for college at Lancaster academy. At the end of the
course there, he went to Amherst, from whence he graduated in 1866.
The following year he became principal of the Amherst high school,
remaining there until 1870, when he visited Germany. On his return he
became professor of Greek and Latin in Williston seminary, holding
that position for two years, during which period he married a Miss
Bodman, a pupil of his while a teacher at Amherst. Accompanied by
his wife, he next made a trip to Europe to study at Halle, Leipzig,
and Bonn. Again in this country he received a call to the pastorate
of the First Congregational church in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he
soon gained a reputation as an original and forceful pulpit orator.
On March 9, 1880, he became pastor of the Madison Square Presbyterian
church, New York city, the call being the outcome of his work at Lenox.
He immediately began to take a lively interest in city and national
politics, and one of his sermons attracted the attention of Dr. Howard
Crosby, president of the society for the prevention of crime, in which
society Dr. Parkhurst was invited to become a director. A few months
later Dr. Crosby died and Dr. Parkhurst was chosen as his successor.
Dr. Parkhurst has done more for reform in New York city than any other
single individual. His courageous course in connection with the Lexow
investigation of certain phases of life in New York will not be readily
forgotten.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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