Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-02-26


"Arthur," a farmers boy in New lamp
shire, writes to the Ner England Farmers
very sensible letter. showing how farmers
may make farmlife pleasant 10 the children.
and thus prevent the dssertion Of the coun
try for the city, 90 generally complained Of
nova days. arthur" writes
MIR. Editor | have been reading for
some time past the Articles in different jour
nails in relation to young men leaving tho
farm for the city.
"Boys have complained Of hard work and
poor pay want Of society, and Of the fact
hat ;hs city chaps we're getting all the
best and pycttiest Of their lady friends to
leave the country u grace their city resi>
dcnces. Men have complained Of their
boys taking no interest in the work, Of their
wanting to spend their evening way from
home. and continually wishing there vas 10
such thing ~ work.
"Wsll, who wonders ., oil this Y don't.
Perhaps | am prejudiced in shis matter, be
ing only boy my self, yet having lived a
part Of my life with my eyes open, and bs
ing willing 10 see thing or two, have
noticed this: where you sec . home looking
pleasant, house neatly painted, the road out
side kept free frem brush, the wall or fence
in perfect or der, iruit trees and vines in
| profusion, good stables and stock, and the
house room, not excepting the sitting room
aud parlor, open at least once week, there
you will find con,entmcnt in the form of
boys and girls. Boys who, when visited by
| their city cousins. are not ashamed TO visit
every nook and corner Of their premises.
from cellar 70 attic, field, garden and pas>
turc. for fear OF their Of their friends seeing
something out Of order; and when their
| cousins shall have gone are not wishing
that they, too, lived IN the city, that they
might do 80 and so, aud look so and SO
For, Didn't they Lave rs good a pony 10
ride no cousin FRED? Didn't their SISTERS
appear Just as free and smart and intelligent
rs their cousins? They have no idea of
leaving the farm, or II they have, it is soon
dispelled by hearing Katie or Nellie plays
ing and sin ging one OF their fsvorite songs;
or by going 10 the book or paper shelf aud
finding that tho article IN which they are
so interested is yet unfinished.
"Pcrhaps Il Is wholly out Of place for the
"a give advice to old farmers. But il advice
is good, what matters it where il comes
from
III your sons are disconnected look your
premises all over DO they see the inside
| Of your parlor twice in the year, except
when you have company! II not, ask ,hen
| to invite \ few friends 70 spend the event, q
with them, and let them learn the use Of IT,
DO YOU take anything but political paper ?
and doesn't that come IN your name i.ut
instead OF one, take tw "a more, and let
D 81.
ren Let each one have has OF hrr papei or
magazine. Did you say You couldn, afford
it How much VIII they all cost? bets
see One agricultural weekly, say 50 30 !.
one monthly. 81 - "Our Young Folks, y
= and keep your political paper, ii You
choose. which Is perhaps SO in all S. PER
year, sixty seven cents pr MOI h, or a
trlic over two cents per day. Exsusa me,
SIR but don't you chew. or smoke, r. drink
that amouutf'
"liavc your sons All article upon the farm
which they can call their own, except the
hoes and shovels which YOU have worn
down too ANAL for your own use! Ii not.
then get them new tools OF sizes according
to their capacity, and require them to be
cleaned every time they are used, under
the penalt Of going back to the old tools
Let Tom have . col, Billy . pa Of
steers, and Sammy little flock Of sheep :;
or lee them choose. ~ their inclina,ions
NAV direct Let thea, have something to
call their own, that they will be proud to
own. Are any of them unsteady inclined ?
Buy them AN ACCORDION or a flute. and do
not fret and sco!d every time you hear them
practising. Give them . piece Of land 10
cultivate in their names, and allow them 10
work IL in regular work hours, and not com
pei them to do 30 in their lawful play time
Present them With books which will have q
tendency TO raise the farmers calling in
their estimation. Purchase few tools With
which they can make their ewn sleds or re-
pair broken implement
As ! am seated ct my desk, I have be-
fore me books suited 10 all tastes-biogra.
phies, histories, philosopher, volumes Of
poems. agricultural works, etc. Alta table
near by find six or seven different weekly
papers, . daily. and three monthly maga-
zines. You ask, DO you find time to read
them I'll shrosehr No, l do not; but |
DO find time to reed the bsfarticles in each,
and that b al l care to read In my shop
! can find tools enough to make almost any
wooden implement 10 DO found on .
farm p"