Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-07-31
FARMING.
LET EVERY MAN HOE is OWN ROW
THE KIND or TALK THAT RUINED Mr..
STICKNEY.
Letter to the Home Farm. /

Letter TO the Home fRrnll
have been reading some articles in
The Home Farm of April 20, and May
"a, by Hon. ID. II. Thing of Mount
Vernon, and 20. II. l." whom | take
to be Mr.. Leavitt Of Turner. 1t seems
that Mr.. Thing and Mr.. Leavit have
come to the conclusion that farming does
not pay, either in dollars and cents, in
responsibility, in care and comfort, or in
any other desirable good.
Permit.me to say that it was just such
talk as Messrs. Thing and Leavitt are
making that ruined me | do not
mean in any theological or ethical sense,
but made my life one Of never ending
effort to accomplish something which l
could never reach, when | ought to have
been and might have been a successful
and independent farmer. Instead Of be-
ing half Of my life bsrque tossed upon
the boiling waves Of circumstances, and
the other half struggling TO reach the top
Of some hin which, when there, was not
worth the stopping for one hour, | might
have been the lord Of nv hundred acres,
upon which | would have greeted friends
with heartfelt welcome, and hidden a
scornful and bitter defiance to enemies.
do not wish to Ob;rude upon the pub
lie my personal history, except to Illus
trate point. I ought TO have been a
farmer. was educated for that occu-
patton. hired with, and worked seven
years during my minority, for one Of the
best farmers in ChesterviIle, from 1916
to 1928. He and his family were work
ers. Many were the mornings in July
and August that he and l were at the
hoeing and moving in the grey Of the
morning, and his girls at their churning.
| thought then sometimes il was rather
hard to work from FIVE in the morning
until eight in the evening; but many IS
the time, during these many years, |
have seen boys doing nothing, or worse
than nothing, and raising the devil, this
is fgurative), at an early age. that l
have thanked God from the depth of my
heart that had the employer had |
learned there in that home the lessons Of
industry, order, Puctuality, early rising,
attention 10 work and business, skill and
intelligence in eulSyating the earth, and
in the care and management Of domestic
animals, TO love and enjoy a good and
pleasant home. loved green fields and
waving grain, fruit trees in blossom and
bearing, the garden, the field and the
forest, the hum Of bees and the quiet and
repose of the Sabbath at home upon the
farm away from the tumult Of town, and
better than all I loved to go with other
young members Of the family to the
house Of God.
Now ought to have been & farmer,
and should have been had | not been
continually hearing this talk about how
hard farmers have to work, how poor
they are, how few privileges they have
compared with others, how farmer can
never rise in the world, he is farmer
and can never be anything else, how peo-
pie of other occupations live without
work, wear good clothes, have plenty Of
money, fare sumptously every day, and
have al that heart can wish or soul de-
sire. Il was this kind Of talk, just such
as Mr.. d. H. Thing and Mr.. o. H.
Leavitt are now talking, which led me
when I left ny early friends home, 70
quit all idea Of making farming a voes-
ton and 70 try something else. doubt
not there are and have been thousands
of boys who have had their heads turned
by the same kind Of talk, have abandon
ed the occupation in which they were ed
ucated, and have foated Micawber like
upon the sea Of mercy, hoping for some
thing 10 turn 40 which never did.
I was the victim Of another misfortune
appertsining largely to yankee boys and
men, which this same kind Of talk helps
to develop. could build houses, teach
school, row boat, pull and haul the Ian
yards and halyards upon ships deck,
preach, and edit country paper, one
thing about as well as the other, and
hence as a matter of necessity was en-
inent at nothing, but could do indifer-
emily well great many things I do
not whine or complain over my want of
success in life, but say that the exper-
fence of long life has indicated to me
that ought TO have been farmer, that
with the same energy, industry and skill
which have applied to other pursuits,
l should have been successful spOn a
farm.
do not think that any man is in the
line of his duty, who is dissuading young
men from making farming a business for
life. The most ancient occupation in
the world, the most important one which,