72 AMERICAN MEN OF LETTERS [72 



TABLE XIX 

 Early Economic Environment of American Literati 



iEconomic Status of Parents Number 



Poor 1 120 



Not poor 1 492 



Intermediate ^ 415 



Wealthy 1 77 



Unknown ^88 



Total 



1000 



the poor remain uneducated considerable innate ability may 

 remain undeveloped. Genius may be hidden in the hum- 

 blest environment.^ 



Another important factor is brought out by this same 

 table (Table XIX). It is well known to the student of his- 

 tory that before 185 1 a very large proportion of the popu- 

 lation of the entire country was poor, in the special sense 



1 The literati who answered a questionnaire sent out, reported 

 the economic status of parents as poor, intermediate, or wealthy. Of 

 course a personal interpretation of the words determined the answer. 

 It is probable, however, that the persons who repHed had in mind 

 somewhat similar criteria to those used in the more numerous cases 

 when the evidence was drawn from literary sources, for they reported 

 about the same proportion in each economic class as was found in the 

 case of the others who could not testify on their own behalf. 



In the cases in which data were drawn from literary material, par- 

 ents were called poor when it was obvious that during childhood and 

 youth the future Htterateur was not free from economic anxiety. 

 When it was quite plain that he was free from such anxiety his par- 

 ents were classed as intermediate, in the absence of definite reason for 

 calling them wealthy. The tests of wealth were varied. Usually a 

 definite statement of the wealth of parents was necessary to admit 

 one to the class, though occasionally such facts as the maintenance of 

 many servants or the possession of several estates was considered 

 adequate evidence. 



Inasmuch as the line of division between the classes intermediate 

 and wealthy was not clearly defined, the two groups were combined 

 for comparative purposes into one class, not poor, 



'C/. A. C. Pigou, Wealth and Welfare (London, 1912), ch. iv. 



