Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-10-02
something for the Boys.

The. boys of Georgia can do great
things for themselves and Che old
State, if they are ambitious, indus
trious and full of pluck. There are
many boys in the South who, by hard
work, have earned an honest liveli-
hood; but we fear there are many
others who are idle, shiftless and de-
moralized. There are many boys
who are now the support and comfort
OF their parents; there are many 9TH
ers who are nothing but clogs and
encumbrances to the author Of their
being. It is a shame that there should
be a single healthy youth in Georgia
or the South who is not actively en-
gagged in some employment which
brings profit withitto body or mind;
Now and then our. exchanges record
some bright. examples Of what a boy
can do who is not afraid or ashamed
to labor. Only the other day, when
many planters, in distant common
wealth, were complaining that there
was no profit in agriculture, it was
demonstrated that quite number OF
boys had, by persistent personal ef-
fort, made not only living but con:
side7able sum above it. We are con-
fdent that much of the trouble among
farmers arises from the fact that they
love TO be a bosses" but are disinclin-
ed to 60 into the fields themselves
and Indifferent about their children
doing so.
Now. we want the boys to listen to
a true account of what three of their
number have accomplished.
A widowed lady, living not many
miles from Augusta, has three sons,
aged respectively, 10. Il and l2years.
All of them attend school at the
Richmond Academy, and are atten-
Give to their scholastic duties. Every
Saturday of last year, by ploughing
and hoeing, with no outside aid, they
cultivated portion ofthe land around
their mothers home. The first boy
attended to two acres. the second one
acre, and the third a half acre in cot
ton.. The eldest boy made two bags
of cotton, weighing 467 pounds each.
The second boy made one bale, weigh
ing 460 pounds. Theyoungest made
$50 pounds of lint cotton. During
last winter they broke two small
steers, and, with the assistance OF a
horse, used in attending school. they
hauled from the adjacent woods an
abundance of leaves and litter. This
material, with. 400 lbs. per acre Of
-Dickson's compound, they applied to
thepoorland they had the use of. The
present crop of the eldest boy is three
and half acres of cotton. The two
younger boys have the same acreage
as last year. The probabilities are
that the eldest boy will make three
and half bales; the second boy one
500 pound bale !; and the youngest
lad $50 pounds of lint cotton.
Meanwhile, they have been punctu-
al in their attendance at school, ex-
cept for period during the summer,
when the younger boys we're attack
ed with measles. AT the time of
their sickness they hired a hand to
do their hoeing. Outside of this in
evitable help all ofthe labor has been
done by themselves. During vaca-
ton they have been busy picking out
their crop, and on Saturdays they
complete the gathering.
These boys undertook this plant
ing scheme of their own free will,
and carried it out with Judgment and
dexterity, while other boys were idling
They arenot obliged to work, but
they are industrious, naturally, and
have had q teaching under the blue
skies and in the open air quite US use
full as that acquired in the Academy
rooms. They have made the poor
sandy globe to bloom. They have
contributed largely, if not wholly, to
pay for their education, and they have
garnered up habits of thrift, energy
and true manhood which will make
them Independent, healthy and hon
o:able.
How many boys are there who
could go and do likewise if they
would only try? How much better
would it be or Georgia and the South
j. ahe numbe :ed such boys by thou
sands. They are deserving of praise,
and we shall be glad to record any
no,,,,1o of uo,1thfn1 vioor and