The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-11-11


It has been said that the pleasure Of
farming, whrs It II followed frun >
love Of the oaospatioa, IL greater and
Of more lasting benefit than that Of any
other profession. No doubt It IL labor
ious business, Jet it is healthful and
the results are sure If Glow. Doubtless
there are trials and tribulations through
which farmer is compelled to Pcs,
but so also, and much more abundant
are they in every other walk Of life.
Would that I might contrast metropoli-
tan existence with . few Of the advan-
tagee attending farmer . life, and 80
direct attention of young men who are
toiling YEARLY after bare subsistence
in the city, and especially in the farm
er's sons against the fallacious dream Of
the city ways are mot the ways Of the
home Of their childhood. The peace
and plenty that surrounded their youth
full days at the old farm are turned to
turmoil, confusion, want and tempts-
ton. The steady occupation which re-
quired the simble outlay Of thought
and the merest exhibition of strength of
arm are changed to racking of brain,
tireless physical active, and bufittings.
such rs none bnt men of iron nerves
and indomitable will can Withstand.
The supplemented. honest friendship
found in rural homes, in the city too
often is make-believe and q lure. The
young man who deserts country home
for the mirage he sees in the far-of
town, exchanges pure gold for dross'
Not of the thousands who have
left the farm for a prospectively sue
cessful career in the metropolis has
ever reached the goal for which he
aimed. The tread-mill existence of the
average young man in the city is hor-
ror compared with the varying duties
Of the brisk young farmer as he pur-
sues his independent vocation.
1t is perhaps true, in many cases, that
the young man who seeks the city does
so not altogether from his own choice.
Too often the father looks upon grown
up sons as boys still, and arrogantly
demand from them the obedience and
ways Of children. The son, who has
received modern education, desires
Improvements upon the farm with
which manual labor may be saved; or
perchance he may wish to change the
plan of rotation in crops, SO long car
ried on, to one of stock-raising, or some
other specially; and the father, stub
born for his own way, declars that no
ncw-fanglc notions shall be introduced
while he is able to control; and thus q
breach is made in that unanimity which
shOld prevail, and widens until a sepa-
ration is thought advisable. Then the
young man looks about for something
to which he may turn his hand, and the
chances are that instead Of migrating
westward, where land can be had from
the Government almost for the asking,
where his experience and information
would quickly build up to himself q
home and a competence, he turns his
eye upon the city. He possibly has
read accounts where fortunes have been
made of-hand through some strange
freak of the wheel; his imagination and
hope become stirred up in his own be-
half, and he straightway submits HIM
self to the tide that swallows up the
thousand as they come.
He enters the great mart without
friends to advise or recommend, and
wanders up and down its thoroughfares
seeking emdloyment, bewildermemt
upon every feature dazed at the hurry
ing crowd and the incessant rush of
vehicles. If he finds work it it perhaps
something mental and transit0ry, at
which his self.respcct rcvOlts, and more
than likely leads to associations which
have a certain tendency to low scale
of morals if not of actual crime. At
This point, if he is of reflective mind,
he begins to weigh the advantages he
has left with the disadvantages he has
in hand, and returns, if not to his old
home, to rural employments wife which
he has been conversant all his life. But
if still feeling the sting Of the cold
mans" harsh words and injudiciOus
treatment. he possibly may cling to the
precOncieved idea that the city is the
place for young men out of employ
ment, and struggle on until forced into
the direst distress and poverty. Such
instances are numerous, and if the truth
Of experience could be impressed upon
the attention Of those who are cOntem-
plating life in the city. many sad fail
ures might be avoided.