The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-01-19
VOLUME Al.
LETTER TO THE BOYS.

I have been much interested of late, in reading
the article for the encouragement of boys, in your
paper. My mind has been carried back to days OF
early hOyhood. verify believed this morning, tnat
| could look over my farm and see little OF the
prints Of the impressions that were tramped upon
my young mind, on reading YOUR paper even be-
fore was eight wears old. Well remember, up
on its arrival that it often bore to us the beautiful
,,roDOrtions of some plant or ANIMAL How my
ewes would gisten! How my young heart would
leap with Joy to think that might some day be-
come a man and be the of a nice farm, stock
cl with such plants and animals as used to see
pictured in your paper, | believe in the improve
ment of the soil and in the improvement of plants
and animals but of the most Importance is the i'm
provement of the mind, and to effect this desired
result we cannot commence too soon. And as an
encouragement to boys, put my hand to the pen,
which you will not need be told is much better
quaned with the plow.
While i tell the boys what | used to think, and
what 1 have done, wish to tell the men that l
claim no superiority over them, but as far as my
limited capital will permit, | wish to go hand in
hand with them in the improvement of our SOIL
plants and animals. The first land that had the
care of consisted of lot of six feet square in the
garden. The use of this was obtained after many
promises to my parents that would keep the
weeds out Well, | planted it to watermelons ;
they grew nicely, and many were the rich promises
made myself through their proceeds i'll the fall,
but going to the vines one morning i'll Septem-
Der. found them all gone: Some lovers OF melons
could wait no longer, and could not leave me one
taste of the fruits of my labors. My next effort to
earn something for myself was when l was ten
years Old. My task was to watch the cattle on the
commons, and while in this business l gathered
herd-grass enough and carried it home Gtbeing one
milel, that when threshed, and the seed sold,
amounted to the round sum of fifty cents.
Now boys, can remember how good that land
looked TO me then, how many times | wished L
man that l could own 1t, how would cut
down the bushes and fence it, and what nice stock
| would have. My greatest desire when boy
WAS 10 own sheep. Many were the ways tried to
no1l ,1nS
as we drove up our sheep at night, we found one
lamb missing. So back to the pasture we went,
and after much search we found the little thing, but
she could not stand on accout OF being chilled SO
took it in my arms and went to father and plead
with him if l could make it live that it should be
mine, after which he consented. Now for the re-
suit of my lamb. fed it, and rubbed it with straw
and rags, and warmed it and fed it again, and
asked mother if she thought it would live, and
how many she thought l would have when 4 man.
By this time it was growing dark, and could not
be allowed light to the barn; SO fed it and wrap
ped it up as warm as could and LETT it. l would
have been glad to have taken it to bed with me If
could have been permitted. But as have said,
had to leave it and go to bed but not to sleep much,
but to think and dream about my lamb. AS soon
as day broke, ran to the pen where my lamb was,
and few can describe my feelings when | saw him
stretched out stone dead
Now, as | have told you of my beginnings, with
my first land, my first crops and my first stock it
would be unjust not tell of what Providence has
burden of the farmers life. which is my calling. l
have told you that my first land was six feet square,
now live on one hundred and fifty acres, which is
called mine. And on the same land, where in 1S47
reaped eight quarts of herd grass seed, in 1867
harvested two hundred and three bushels of wheat
and in 1868 harvested over eleven hundred pounds
of clover seed. AS an evidence that nature will
prosper the hands of he diligent, tell you that
from where l now sit writing this, can look over
my pasture with one hundred and sixty sheep and
lambs, a specimen Of which was shown at the New
England Far last fall at Portland, and evil
dence Of their value, suffice it TO say that sold
pair of these sheep last fall for fftyone dollars.
Now, boys, for little advice. Remember that
time is more precious than money, and that knoWl-
edge is power. Never sit down without a book or
paper il your hands All the above, we know, is
common advice, but we want to say one word
about common habit which think is very wrong
This is the habit of boys, spending their money as
fast as they get it. The more candy and nuts you
eat, the more you will want and general thing
the more toys and playthings you will want.
Money spent for books well read and taken of,
is valuable Investment [Chares b. Gilman, OF
Bingham, in Maine Farmer