The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-04-26
STICK TO THE FARM.


An Open Letter TO a Farmers Boy.
My DEAR JAMEs:-You ask me for
some advice as to your future work in
life. You say that you are dissatisfied
with the prospect Of being hard-work-
ing farmer all your days. butat the same
time YOU do not consider yourself a
genius, and do not expect to become
Stewart or Vanderbilt, or to acquire
vast fortune by speculation. You ex-
pect to work for your living; but you
think there may be some pursuit which
would be equally remuneratiye and not
so laborious and monotonous as the
farmers. You ask if it would not be
better for YOU to become u ''lirst-class g
mechanic than to be a farmer.
This is an important question, not
alone to you, but to many other boys
who take a serious view of life; whose
common sense gives them a fairly cor
rect estimate of their own powers and
capabilities, and who wish to learn a
business for which they are adapted,
which will give them fair wages, rea-
sonabe amount of leisure, and a re-
spectacle position in life.
Now, it is a curious fact that workers
in almost every branch of industry take
a gloomy view of their own business,
think almost everybody else is better off
than they are, and generally try to dis
courage others from entering their vo-
cation. The farmer and mechanic are
about equally ready.to say; 'sOur bust
ness is going to the dogs. If were a
young man | should learn something
else. Sometimes they do this from the
selfish desire to keep down the supply
OF workers in their own line, in order
that the demand for them may be great
er; sometimes from the habit of Judging
other occupations by the standard OF
their most successful men.
But the fact remains, in spite of this
almost universal disparagement Of their
own pursuits among workingmen, that
some occupations are more, some less,
desirable than others; and shall try to
give few reasons for thinking that a
farmer boy, unless he has decided
bent for mechanical pursuits, such as
VIII quickly take him into that 'upper
story where there is always plenty of
room and recompense, had better
stick to the farm. y
FIRST, the farmer has the priceless
boon of independence. He is his own
employer. He comes and goes when
ne pleases, not when another man
pleases' lie is responsible to no one
put hlmself He is captain on his own
snip, NO matter if he only has pota-
70 patch from which to get his living, he
Is master Of that potato patch; his rule
there is none to dispute in his workshop.
nrnCnnlftNr Il L.
llrilt ana enterprise, notupon the pros
lRerlty and liberality Of an employer.
ne asks no man what he shall do or
now ne shall do it, except as a matter
u auVlce. He ''cares no more for Lord
2atnes Douglas than Lord James Doug
las cares for him. He lisa man among
men, sovereign in his own domain. The
man who owns and eultivates his little
piece OF ground can snap his fingers at
Mr' Lofty, and sit on his fence with his
RanuS IN his pockets when the Great
;nosui goes by; tor he is getting his liv-
~ AT lirst hand, and need ask no fa-
.ois oi anyone. The average mechanic,
~ tne other hand, is little more than a
,iireu serf while he remains mechanic:
ny surrenders his individual liberty to
ms employer for his wages. and works
through another mans brains; he is an
"Ilomaton manipulated by the golden
Mlres OF capital. He learns to gauge
luz Iis Work by. what is required of him, not
~ me standard of intelligent and CON
oo.i ooientlons service. Unless he is an ex-
JJsPllohai case, his self-respect is un-
,'iill wItlnined by the temptation to loaf
mi'lie the " bossn is not looking, and to
SrK MorK indtstriously under his eve. He
lIeeomes ls a school-boy instead Of a man:
IA; I,ins 2 look furtively and fearfully at
,h ,l,s employer, and brides his manhood
Iinlough NV the necessity of pleasing him OF
gssihg his work. The mechanic Is a
Sfaporulnate Sar IN his department.; the
tasiner ha,1 is chief officer in his; and it is
nse.er nse 70 be captain of canal-boat and
sao1 p1eserve your independence. than to be
SLecona-mate on the Great Eastern and
uase no mind of your own.
secondly, the farmer has health: or
ba tae means Of getting it free Of cost il
sr ~ uoes not possess it. His business as.
maes rnes MN, in larger measure than all
aosl sa any other, natures grand CON
Thfs ITgrvefs Of health-air and exercise.
n rnese are better tonics than any which
INTO peoples stomachs. City pa.
HSnlS get them after pavino for = doc.