St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-08-23
A Word to Young Men.

~tuCuNCE.
A Word to Young Men.
One night last winter I had the
pleasure Of riding on the cars for some
distance by the side of your correspond
ent j. e., of the Western Reserve, and
he gave me some experience which ]
want to repeat to the young men. He
said, as near rs | can remember !:
"When was married did not drink,
and made up my mind | would not
smoke. but would spend each year the
amount of money the cigars would have
cost, in good books = agricultural.
scientific, and perhaps some novels by
the best authors. l figured that one
good cigar day, with what | should
give away, would cost $40 year; and
| have faithfully spent that sum for
books every year since. l now have
quite library of useful books, one of
the largest in our vicinity, and every
year am adding to it. My wife and |
read those books, and spend our even
ings talking about Whist we have read,
instead of gos>iping about our neigh
bors. 1t was one of the best moves
ever made"
Our friend is now not only better
farmer, but writer, an editor and a
lecturer. Don't you think he was wise
to go without the cigars
Not long since heard young man
say. looking at the cigar which he was
smoking: "A fire at one end of it and
fool at the other" He was joking. l
presume, but was it not truea [ have
not word to say to the older men: but.
Young men, with your own way to
make in the world. cannot you learn a
lesson from this actual experience OF
one young farmer Drinking you will
avoid, of course. You can smoke and
be considered respectable, perhaps. but
every time you do it want you to re-
member that for the sake of foolish
and useless habit you are burning up a
library or farm.
Not long since, at junction where
we had to wait, two women came
through the car where was, cleaning
up the floors. The floor in my seat was
flooded with filthy tobacco spittle. and
Yfelt ashamed when got up to let one
of these women clean out my pew.
told her that, although appearances
were against me, l had no hand in
| making that disgusting mess. and
wished the one who made it had to
clean it up. Last month l attended a
meeting at an attractive grange hall.
As the place was crowded. number
of men, mostly quite young. occupied
the dining-room adjoining. After the
meeting, | wish you could nave seen
the filthy puddles OF tobacco juice on
that nice white floor, that farmers sons
and Young farmers and other young
men had left there for their mothers
| and sisters and wives and sweethearts
to wade through and clean up. How
can any tidy young lady marry tobac-
| co-spitter? Iwould ten times sooner
live and die an old maid!
They all do it." you say. No, they
don't; and less of them would do it, il
you would put your foot down that no
drinking, splitting young man should
ever wait on you. l have heard MIR.
Chamberlain tell of seeing, some years
ago, a German girl sitting on box in
grocery smoking pipe, and with a
mug of beer by her side II wasn't
married then," he said. land I didn't
want to be. would sooner have mar.
ried rail fence than that girl." 1t is a
poor rule that won't work both ways.
Young men. let me urge you to droT
these useless, expensive. disgusting
habits, If you have already got into
them; if YOU haven't do keep out; and
make q good use of the money YOU
will save Let the city boys, who think
it is smart, spit over everything, ant
get at the fool end of a cigar, ant
dwarf their intellects by the use of to
bacco while they are young, if they
must, but don't you pattern after them
If YOU take my advice you can bt
worth more money, you will feel more
manly, and every one will think NOR,
of you. l know of young man il
Ohio who not long ago applied for .
very desirable position. In his appli
cation. he said, Il do not drink, smok,
or chew" That settled the matter
Ask any honest middle-aged man wht
uses tobacco-your father, if you wisl
If he would advise you to use it, ant
he will tell you. as do, don't do it; yol
can do better-T B. Terry, in Countr.
| Gentleman.