Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-18
Prom tho Iowa Homestead.
Give the DOyS q Chance.

Tive the A4OyS y OAauCcs
We read with pleasure the com.
munication of our correspondent, II,
&. Rippy, Stick to the Farm, Boys,
aud hope it will be read by every
farmer boy into whose hands the
ZIomeste0d goes.
Our attention had been called to
this subject before reading the article
in question, by seeing the large
proportion OF farmers boys who are
enlisting i'm the regular army for
service on the western rontieragainst
the Indians; we refer to those enlist
ed at the recruiting Office in thiscity,
the greater part Of whom are report
ed as farmers" the most Of them
are those who have just arrived at
"man's estate" and also are COM
posed Of the lower class Of farmers,
by which we mean those who are in
Strengthened. circumstances and who
have been accustomed only to the
toughest side Of life-partly by rea-
son Of their poverty and partly be-
cause they have made little or no
endeavor ito raise themselves from
the lot In which their lives were cast.
While the influence which leads the
boys to quit the farm for the city or
army Is caused by visions Of an easier
and more profitable course through
life, the first cause, we think, has its
origin more Immediately at home on
the farm. Whena boy Is brought
up in such way as TO cause him to
look upon his home as the best spot
upon earth, and his parents as his
best friends, it makes but little differ
ence MS TO where his home may be,
or what his occupation. a pleasant
and happy homo Is all that is neces-
sary to keep the boys on the farm
and cause them to be contented, and
satisfied to make 1t their home
through life. How important then
that parents should use their utmost
endeavors to make their homes
pleasant and cheerful, and to do all
they can to make their boys feel con-
tented and not only satisfied to re-
main on the farm, but to feel that
any cause that should necessitate
their leaving 1t for some other bust
ness would tie a misfortune to them.
The great trouble Is that boys are
not properly appreciated; their abili-
ty to perform skilled labor is under
rated, and they are made to feel that
they are "only boys" and therefore
must be contentcd to do only such
work as requires little or no skill or
Judgment for it's performance. II is
made their duty to run on errands at
all times and on all occasions, and as
IL general thing, this must be done
after the days work in the field Is
done, or ut noon while the men rest
themselves and smoke their pipes
before returning to their work; they
must also 60 Off after the cows, as
often on foot as otherwise, and in this
country of unlimited pastures they
generally find 1t job Of no small
magnitude, especially in case Of wet,
nasty days, when the cattle get start
I'd before the storm and only bring
up when night overtakes them.
Another Job that falls to them IL
cleaning out the dirty pig-pens; for
this u rainy day is generally selected,
for the pen is then In nastier con-
dition than it would otherwise be,
ut least it is generally understood
among the boys who get such jobs
that that Is the reason for choosing a
rainy day; the farmers reason, II he
gives any, is that "there IL nothing
else for the boys to do, and besides
that tho rain will wash off the pen
after 1t has been raked out" But 1t
il not our intention to discuss at
length the subject Of cleaning out pig
pens, either in wet days or dry; we
only cite 1t because II came first in
our mind; had we to base ourdefence
OF the farmer boy on the one offense
of being made to clean out pig-pens
IN rainy days, we would feel that our
clse was poor one indeed; and
would be ready to throw 1t aside
stslikc ahot potato" Wedo not base
'os,r defence on their rights or on any
particular items, but on the general
principles" ON which they are treat
rd--because, in fact, they are treated
as "only boys" as concerns the kind
az work at which they are kept en-
ployed, and as they get all the infe-
rior Jobs, so do they get the poor and
worn out tools and implements to
work with; they must take the old
hs,ts md sovfhna mitch fnrkS a n n IN Y 40