The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-06-06
An Open Letter to a Farmer 9
Boy.

You ask me for some advice rs to
your future work in life. You say that
you are dssatisiic', with the prospect Of
being Woodworking farmer all your
days, bu; ut the same time you do not
consider yourself a genius, and do not
expect to become Il Scwart ora Wander.
bilt, or 10 acquire II vast fortune by
speculation. You expect to work for
your living but you think there may
be some pursuit when would be equally
rcmuncralivc and not 50 laborious and
monytopous Us the farmers. You ask
if it would not be better for you to be.
come Il "iirst-claSs mechanic than to
be n farmer.
This is IN important question, not
alone TO you, but to many other boys
who take II serious view Of life; whose
common sense gives them II fairly cor.
rect estimate OF their own powers and
capabilities, and who wish TO learn II
business for which they are adapted,
which will give them fair wages, n rcas,
enable amount Of leisure, and Il respect
able position in life.
Now, it is II serious 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 voca-
ton. The farmer aud mechanic are
about equally ready to say, "OIr bust.
ness is going to the dogs. III were Il
young man | should learn something
else Sometimes they do so from sci.
fish desire to keep down the supply of
workers in their own line, in order that
the demand for them may be greater !;
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 worklngmcn, that
some occupations are more, some less,
desirable than others; and | shall try to
give you Il few reasons for thinking that
u farmers boy, unless he has II very de-
cidcd bent for mechanical pursuits, such |
us will quickly take him into that sup.
per story" where there is always plenty
of room and recompcnsc, had better
"stick to the farm.
First, the farmer has the priceless
boon Of independence. He is his own
employer. He comes and goes when he
plcascs, not when another man pleases.
He is responsible to 10 one but himself,
lie iG captain on his own ship No mat.
ter if he only has potato patch, his
rule there is none to dispute in his
workshop. His prosperity depends up.
on his own thrift and enterprise, not up.
ON the prosperity aud hbemlity of an
employer lie asks no han what he
shall do or how he shall do it, except as
II matter of advice. He "cares no more
for Lord Lord James Douglass than
Lord James Douglass cares for him. "
lie is man among men, n sovereign of
his own domain. The man who owns
md cultivates his little piece of ground
can snap his fingers at Mr.. Lofty, and
sit on his fence with his hands in his
pockets when the great Mogul goes by
Tor he is getting his own living at first
hand and need ask no iavors of any one
The average mechanic, on the other
hand. is little more than o hrel scrf
while he remains o mechanic; he sur
renders his individual liberty to his EN-.
pioyer Tor his wages, and works through
another mans brains; he is an automo.
ton manipulated by the wires of CAPITA,
lie learns to guage his work by whit is
required Of intelligent n conscientious
service, Unless he is an exceptional
rase. his selfrospect is undermined by
ihd temptation of loaf" while the
boss" is not looking, and to work in.
under his eye. Hcbecomcs
school-boy instead Of man; learns
o look furiively and fcarfully at his EN-
'loyer, and brides his manhood through
be necessity Of pleasing him or losing
is work. The mechanic is \ subordi.