Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-06
A PRAIRIE BOYS STORY
Hint to Parents who Want to Teach
their SONS TO be industrious, and
who Have City Notions In
Their Heads - Labor
Means IndeDend-

We COPY from the New York Tribune, to
the editor of which paper it was addressed,
the following letter, which we commend to
mothers as well as fathers In the country who
contemplate sending their sons to cities to be-
come clerks at a pittance so small per week
as that they are tempted to become thieves
and defaulters, and dishonor themselves and
bring disgrace on them:
THE LETTER.
To the Editor of the Tribune
SIK-Late in the fall of 1873, while passing
through western Kansas, stopped at a small
station on the Kansas Pacific railroad, hired
a conveyance and started to call upon an old
friend, who l was told lived about ten miles
south. l drove on over the level prairies,
admiring the rich, fertile soil, the clear, run
ming streams and the many sleek, fat cattle
grazing on the rich prairie grass. and won
dered not that this land was called the
Golden Belt" of Kansas. Soon, however,
found that | was driving west instead of
south, and there were constantly SO many
roads that l was indeed puzzled to know
which to take. just then boy of about if
teen rode up on horseback; and bright,
handsome led he was. He informed me that
| was off the direct route, but that he would
ride across the prairie with me until l
reached the right road. l soon drew him
into q conversation In which | was much IN
terested. His experience In farming | know
will be interesting to other boys, perhaps
serviceable to their parents, so here is his
story: 1--WE all came here two years ago
last spring, and father Immediately entered a
claim under the homestead law for one hum
bred and sixty acres of land-and it's first
rate land, too, | can tell you; none better
anywhere about here. Well, father said that
he wanted to encourage me in being indus
L. Nj
from some men | know IN encouraging me.
Now, there Is Mr.. A, who lives on the quar-
ter.section adjoining ours, and ne has two
sons, John and Henry. John is little older
than |, and Henry year younger. Well,
the way he encourages his boys is by having
them up at daylight In the morning and
keeping them on a keen jump all day long.
He hardly allows them time to eat their
meals. Why, last summer they worked till
nine o'clock every evening, and didn't find
an hour all summer in which they could go
a-6shipg, or even IN swimming. Then 10
pay them, the old man gives them their board
and his own worn-out clothes, with OCCASION
ally pair of boots or something of the kind
thrown in. That is the way he teaches them
to be industrious. But fathers plan Is en-
tirely different. He gave me four acres of
land which he had broken (thls was two
years ago last spring., and l was to do Just
what pleased with 1t, and he would furnish
me seed or means to obtain seed; all that he
REQUIRED Of me was that | sheuld attend to
the garden, do the chores at the barn. snG
go to school IN the winter. The first year
planted corn, and from my four acres /
raised one hundred and twenty bushels,
which l sold for thirty cents bushel. The
next spring father let me have the use of his
team, and plowed my four acres and plant
ed one and half acres IN castor beans, one
half acre | put cut In strawberry plants, one
acre in sorghum, two rods in onions and the
remainder of the acre IN suphowers. Father
laughed when | told him my plans, but be
said it was my own land and | could DO as
liked with IT. | told him l wanted to expert
ment on different crops, 80 as to see which
was the most profitable. Well, my castor
beans were a good deal of trouble. had tc
watch them so closely not to lose them whor
they cracked open. Ii was necessary Il
pick them Immediately as fast as they ripen.
ed; but my little sister, seven years old, COuC
attend to them about as well as /, and shf
did this faithfully on my promising her S;
when | sold my crops II the fall. | raised
twenty-five bushels of beans off Of my one
and half acres, which l sold at 81 %
bushel, so after paying my sister So, | real
| lied $22 so. Father had raised considerable
sorghum, and he had all of the arrangement
| for pressing, boiling, etc. We worked TO
gether in preparing our sorghum, and haC
| shum molasses, which L sold for thirty-fv
cents gallon, thus making $22 from my scr
| Rhum crop. My sunhowers, which were thu
| laughing stock of so many, brought M
enough to pay me for my trouble. / hat
| planted and cultivated them very much as
| they we're corn. The foWers were splendid
many Of them measuring three feet six inche
in circumference, the stalks being from ten
| to twelve feet long and three inches in di
ameter. planted them principally for tn
| stalks, which | sold over at the next town 70
| fuel. l had ten cords off of that part of al
acre, and realized $l5 from the sale Of them
| gave the seeds TO father for bis poultry. H
| thinks they are better than corn. Those VIII
bought the stalks say that they burn readI
Last spring planted nothing but sorghum
and onions, as they had brought me the mos
| the year previous, and l have done bette
| than either year before. My onions wer
| the most profitable crop of all, as | made 81
| off of my two rods. So last fall | had, ate
| disposing Of my crops, 81 so in cash, nearl,
| double what | mad made the year before.
| spent 800 of this or my wardrobe, $40 a
| Christmas, bought three more calves at 81
a head, and had $I1 so left for sundries
| My onions didn't do quite as well as the yea
| before So this year | have made $500 on
| of my four acres. l can assure you l am be
| ginning to feel very much encouraged in be
ing industrious. | have just bought twent,
more calves | had to pay $l2 a head 70
| these, but they are beauties, | can tell you
| If they do we'll they ought certainly to b
worth in a year from now $3.50. l wa
| offered $50 to-day for my other lot. | hav
] no trouble In finding market for my pro
| duce, for what | cannot sell here | ship Oh
the railroad, and, as they carry at reasonable
rates, often prefer shipping, as get bette
| prices IN the larger towns. shipped nearl
all of my strawberries this year. l was fit
| teen years old last August, and am worth to
| day 1890. To be sure, my father ha
favored me in every way, furnishing M
with seod, feed for my stock, allowing
| me the use OF his team and farming nipple
ments, ETC., etc. But now can afford to b
more independent, and hope before long +
| help him, instead OF his helping me. Fathe
is making money, too. This is a fine whea
country, and he has put the most of his lane
into wheat. We have had fine seasons S
far for our crops, and next year we may hav
grasshoppers or drought or some draw baek
but we have enough ahead now to stand On
or two Improbable seasons, SO we don
worry. | intend to invest every year i
stock, as l have found it far more pro6tabl
than anything else. But don't you thin
that fathers method of encouraging one /
be industrious is better than Mr.. A So Nj
A. is Just as well able to do this fer his boy
as my father is to do it for me, only they ar
of different dispositions, you see. Now ther
is your road; you keep straight ahead ii
you come TO red barn, when you turn I
the left and two miles further on you reac
your friends house, white frame, with
porch In front. Good morning." goo
moral is conveyed ID this boys story; on
which | hope this letter may impress upo
the minds of a multitude of parents.
c. L. K.
| OsAwAToMIE, KANSAS, May 20, 1879.
| The Women.
| CLEVELAND, June 3.-The fifth biepnii