The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-25
Farming vs.. Other Callings.

To g young man just starting in life
for himself tue choice of calling to be
pursued is the one important question
fer him to settle, and it sometimes
proves an exceedingly difficult one to
settle, and not infrequently he has tried
and had some experience in several diff
ferent call ngs before finding that to
which he is best adapted. Things are
not stereotyped in this country, do not
run in ruts as they do in the count les
of the old world. 1t is so easy a matter
to change from one calling or bus ness
to another that some men are all their
lives changing. but they generally Illus
trate the proverb that "a rolling stone
gathers no NOES. 1t is certainly a
great point gained by any young man
if he can early in life find out what he
wants to do and then set himself per-
sistently to do NO it. But our purpose
n this article is briefly to consider the
relative chances TOR success in life in
farming as compared with other call
ings. As between farming and work
ing for d salary in merchan Using, man.
ufactures, IA lroadng, telegraphing. or
any of the q eat interests which employ
armies of men there can be no question.
The employe is lidely-almost certain,
to remain an employe all his life, and
that at salary which barely a ords a
living. without the possibility of accu-
mulating a competence for old age. The
professions-law, medicine and the
ministry-are all overcrowded. large
percentage of the graduates after lit
tie time drop into other call ngs. A
few reach eminence aud success, but
the great mass are only mediocre in
either attachments or success.
Trade, like lottery, as prizes for
few, but blanks for the many. Over
fail sooner or later Modern methods
of conducting business MAKE it more
and more difficult for the man of mod
crate means to achieve sue ess in trade.
the small fish are so ner or later swal
lowed by the large ones. Farming does
not offer such b illiant prizes as those
which are gained by the few fortunate
ones in trade; but it does offer rea-
sonable certainty of a fl r measu of
success when pursued intelligently and
persistently. Few farmers are obliged
to apply to the bankrupt court in COM
parison with those engaged in other
callings.
Not all farmers get rich, though the
number of tho who become wealthy is
by no means small. But the great mass
of them gain property, become indie
pendent in a moderate way surround
themselves and families with all the
needed com orts of life, give their chill
dren a fair education, live fir e from the
perplexities and worries which con-
stantly beset the man of business and
constitute, as class, the very bed rock
OF our prosperity as 4 country.
Farming is. at the present day, about
the only calling in which man of
small or moderate means can start and
grow into an Independent business of
his own. The false idea which has at
some times prevailed. that farm ng as a
calling is lower down in the scale than
other occupations is largely done away.
and now the man who owns land, rails
crops or live stock is regarded, as he
ALWAYS should have been. as the peer of
any other man. Land ownersh p is be-
in this country. as it ALWAYS
has been in Europe. boon to be sought
after, AMI the owner of a good arm
need envy no other man living.-fayra-
erS ReraeaO.