The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-11-02
Stick to Agriculture.

| Within the past few years nearly all
the sons and daughters of our farmers
as soon as they are of sufficient age tC
live out, leave the old homestead and
go to the cities or large villages to seek
what they consider lighter or more re-
munerative employment than working
on the farm. They are quite certain to
find employment in some of our large
manufacturing establishments, and for
the time being receive higher wages
than they could make by farming. But
they do not reflect that the expenses OF
living in large places are much heavier
than in the farming towns, and but very
few are enabled to lay by their earn.
ings, and at the end of year of close
confinement in unventilated manufact-
cries find themselves no better Off in
this worlds goods than at its COM
mencement, and perhaps have to leave
with broken constitutions and impaired
health, which they mi ght have escaped
if they had continued in the free,
healthy atmosphere of their country
homes.
One or two dollars day seems a
large compensation to boys and girls,
but when they reflect that "a or So a
week has to be paid for board and lodg-
ing, such as they would hardly be will
ing to put up with at home, or $40 to
SIS month for small tenement, with
perhaps half dozen other tenants in
the same building, with many other in
conveniences and expenses not realized
by those residing in the country, they
will find that their savings at the end Of
year are rather small.
A farmer past the meridian of llte
who has family of boys and girls in
one of these establishments, remarkeda
few days since that when he was q
young man and hired out for $40 q
month on farm he could lay up S75 or
more every year, while at the present
time his girls and boys were receiving
$50 or more monthly and found it hard
work to pay their bills. Now, some
farmers boys and girls may ask why
this is so. Let them try city life for
year and they will learn themselves.
Not only is the expense of living much
heavier in large places than 1t is in the
country, but the inducement to spend
money is much greater. They will find
that to keep up good standing with
their comrades they will have to dress
more extensively, visit all places OF
amusement, balls, parties, etc, and
that their horse hire and excursion bills
will make big hole in their savings.
To farmer who thinks himself anG
family are working hard on a farm for
a living, thirty to fifty dollars month
seems large compensation for his
children to receive in a manufacturing
establishment; and so it would be il
they had no more inducements to spend
their earnings than they have in farm
ing community, but they will find when
they have located themselves in a city
or large village, that when they are
among Romans they must do as Ro-
mans do, and if they do not live up to
the extravagant style of their compan.
ions, and spend their money freely, will
soon be tabooed as mean, stingy, coun-
raised people.
Perhaps some young girls who leave
the old homestead in the country to
seek employment in cities, where yonng
men are more numerous, may think |
their chances for matrimonial alliance
hlt cuudHCCo, Dut aS iIOSh
from school, and have had but slight |
experience in housekeeping, and are nc
more fitted for housewives than their |
husbands are for supporting them, they
will be very likely, within year or
two, to find their names in the court re.
ports as among the divorced, when they |
will find it happy refuge to get back |
10 the old farm in the country.
The above may seem fancy sketch |
10 young people, and look on the |
lark side of the picture; netertheless'it
IS one too often realized by those seek
ing a city life.
i there are not farming lands enough
n Maine to afford alarms for our young
farmers. they would be much moN
likely to lay up a competency for Old |
sge BY going Soeth or Wen than they
would BY making slaves of the91elvs;
~ lehaHnG fo9 fprpdfetions IN oh,
a9a Pades:AMaine E3rnier.