FATHERS, MOTHERS, AND CHILDREN 3 



never seen. We know this is done. Perhaps, however, we 

 hardly appreciate the tremendous power of the laws which 

 tie the generations together. 



Take, for example, the record of the family of Jonathan 

 Edwards. He himself was born in 1703. He was noted for 

 his strength of character, for his mental power, and for his 

 fearless loyalty to duty. 



Such was the character stamp which he had when he began 

 to be an ancestor. As to whether or not his own character 

 made any difference with the character of his descendants, 

 nothing but facts will show, and here are some of them. 1 In 

 1900, of the descendants of Jonathan Edwards, 1 394 had been 

 located, and the occupations of many were ascertained. The 

 following facts are quoted. 



College presidents 13 



College professors 65 



Doctors 60 



Clergymen, missionaries, etc. . . 100 



Officers in the army and navy 75 



Eminent authors and writers 60 



Lawyers over 100 



Judges 30 



Holders of public offices, one being Vice President of 



the United States 80 



United States senators 3 



Managers of railroads, banks, insurance companies, etc. 1 5 



College graduates 295 



Several were governors and holders of important state 



offices. 



The claim is also made that " almost if not every depart- 

 ment of social progress and of public weal has felt 

 the impulse of this healthy and long-lived family." 



1 Taken from Mr. Winship's account of the descendants of Jonathan 

 Edwards. 



