Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-18

groups which were surrounded by hume
rous delighted spectators, horse fanciers
and others. But these did not attract
all the attention, as many other splendid
specimens of horse flesh, from the friskY
colt to the sedate old brood mare and the
high spirited stallion, shared the honors
of the hour. The enclosure within the
trotting course was well filled with the
representatives of the stables, and own
ers, judges and visitors were busy look
ing up the ''points" of the various ami
mails in the collection. All the while
the track was in use by some class or
other, the owners exercising and display
ing the qualities of the beasts there, while
the spectators in the grand stand and
without the railing looked on with admi-
ration and evident satisfaction. Among
those who seemed particularly interested
in this exhibition were Rev. w. II. FL.
Murray, Ex-Goy. Stewart, Gen. H. II.
Baxter, Hon. T. W. Park, Hon. Henry
| G.-Root, Col. E. s. Stowell, Darwin Ri
der, Col. NJ. A. Colburn, Henry S. New
ell, Col. N. T. Sprague, and others from
all parts of the State. ,...
The horse parade brought the hour up
to noon, when there was q general ad-
| ieurnment for dinner, after which fol-
lowed, at two o'clock, the address of
Rev w. H. FL. Murray, Of which we
/ give q correct and full report.
! THE ADDRESS.
Shortly after 2 O'Clock the decidedly
unclerical figure of the Rev. w. II. II.
Murray was seen making its way tow
and the grand stand, habited in Scotch
! business suit and covered by a rather
suffering white felt hat The audience
in waiting numbered not less than $500
4 persons fair proportion being ladies',
and more attentive audience has rare
I " been seen herewith of course some
exceptions, as for example the young
man Just west of the middle half way
up who could not refrain from express
ing his devotion in willing ear then and
1 there. Add to him the woman stand
ing Just at the foot of the speaker on his
right (she had a muffin receipt on her
mind) and you have the sum total of
annoyances, always excepting the cry
ing baby which was typical of several
in this case. Mr. President Root intro
duced the speaker in a few well chosen
words and the latter addressed his aud
ience by neat apology for his neCes-
sary embarrassment at meeting new IA
ces in a manner not entirely satisfactory
to himself He asked the favor of the
. close attention of his hearers and viii
doubt as to his ability to make himself
entirely heard he proceeded to express
his satisfaction at being allowed to meet
his own class, those barn and bred upor
a farm. In full concord with those
who think that agriculture if rightly
followed is to the mind and heart The
most satisfactory pursuit, the speaker
announced as his subject ''Agriculturt
and why Young Men have deserted it,
ank spoke as follows:
, LtyG7jes and Gentlemen
1t cannot be denied that agriculture
y
: England has not held and is not nov
: holding its own as against other calling
: and pursuits. Even in this audience ART
hundreds of men who deserted the in
e dustry that their fathers followed anC
1 directed their efforts in other directions
. And while this would naturally be th'
;, case to a certain extent, still 1t must b
admitted that it has been true in 81
/ MANY instances as to almost form rule
e so much so that it is said that the agri
s cultural interests are passing out of tn
! hands of the native into those of an i'm
, ported population. The subject chal
> ienges investigation, and the question
! which ClamOTs for an answer is, wv h,
: is agriculture deserted of our yOun!
2 men p
One reason why the youth of New
England have deserted agriculture t
learn other trades and follow other pro
fessions, is because agriculture did no
, pay.
! that this is the prime reason, for in you'll
: especially purely monetary considera
. tions seldom sway the judgment or shap
t the inclinations, and the boys of Nep
/ England-and speak as one of them
I are not mercenary beyond the averag
;, of human kind. We who are now i
middle age are not conscious that W
G were especially sordid or base in our de
/ sires when Young. The pleasures whicl
: come to the heart from freedom an
q health. from home associations and th
companionship of kindred, were as rea
and dearly loved by us as they might b
to any class of people The lust for gol
e was not in our hearts as the ruling me
S tive of life. Our fathers were not mis-
: ers, nor was MammOn our god. w
were not unreasonable in our desires fo
9 wealth. and if we have gained wealth
= has come almost as surprise to us-th
t result of the favorable condition of tn
v age and country in which we live, rath
: er than because of deliberate purpos
and overweening desire. The youn
5 men of New England left the farms o
e which they were born and which i
n early life they helped to till, not becaus
n they would not yield them vast wealth
q but because they would not yield ther
that reasonable amount OF wealth whIc
> every man needs for his own develop
y ment and the support of those VIII
f would in the course of nature look
them for needed provision. 1t was nc
because farming did not not mea
V riches, but because farming meant pOy
g erty that our young men in so many il
Y stances have refused to be farmers
e Looking upon poverty as curse, as
{ has always been and is to-day the worl
= over, that form of industry which mad
;, it inevitable became, naturally and righ
IS fully, hateful to them. Their rebellio
$ was not against the soil, but against I'll
J. narrow and painful condition of lii
: which under its then method of cult
= vation was inseparably connected wit
e, it. This, as l feel and understand it,
d the true analysis and proper statemel
n of the case.
,r Another reason of this desertion,
II the part of our young men, of agricu
~ .tnral pursuits is to be found in the fa
that agriculture as conducted in the pa
e. has not supplied them with either Il
ar intellectual opportunity or stimuli
Id which they craved, and craved too Wi
- reason. 1855 =