Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-06-26

The Reformed Farmer.
The reform of the farmer is prelimi
nary 10 any Improvement in the farm
A man makes his own environments
IL Il in the man, and not the place; al
ways, that success or failure consists
just rs in n moral sense "a change
OF heart is necessary to reform mar
character. so il Is in regard 70 a mans
conduct of his farm-tke farmer must
be reformed before the farm can be i'm
proved Il is useless to talk OF beauty
Of form or color 10 blind man OF tc
preach OF cleanliness II a man who Is
instinctivcly and practically unclean, oil
Of neatness and order to \ careless man
or of regularity and promptness to one
wh1 is eOnstiiutiOnally averse TO exer.
ton either of body or mind There are
men who are utterly incapable of the
sense Of gratitude. who are meanly dis
honest. who are so incapable of 4 sense
OF shame as 10 steal the products of
mans work, whether il be of his hands
or brain. so long as they are in no feaf
of punishment, and what can change
these vicious habits excepting n tOtal
Encouragement of the mans moral na-
ture? Ii IS precisely the same in regarc
70 mans work on the farm What
startling contrasts may be found il
near neighbors, Here. for instance, We
see a farmer surrounded by every evi
dence of thrift. with the best kind o.
stock. the most improved implements.
neat farm buildings. substantial fences.
al the labor-Saying conTeniences il
barns. stables and household; flowers
and shrubs adorn aud make attractive
the homestead; the fields are in good
order: the crops are forward and pro
life. and. withal. the farmer has plenty
of leisure and is able to devote il tc
making himself and his family com fort-
able and happy, ard TO securing every
enjoyment in life.
Across the lane one nav see an in.
stance OF the very opposite Of all this.
and a weary farmer struggling with his |
work. which enfolds and grips him in |
close and crushing embrace like that |
of the serpent coiled about LAGOON and |
MS sons. rs told in the old fable. He |
is slave, driven by his work, which |
goes all arliss, because il is his master:
and when a man is mastered by his |
work he has a hard. relentless task
master and n cruel tyrant over him. |
Such cases are to be seen on every
hsnd and Oy every one who uses his |
eyes What are the reasons? They /
are not IN the farm naturally. Indeed. |
at times we NAV see naturally rich land /
with a very poor owner. and a poor
farm naturally with a rich own
er. just as we see the stony i
farms OF some countries oc-
cupied by thrifty. happy farmers. en-
loying abundance of good things be-
Cause they ara industrious. and the
richest, sunniest plains. where every
prospect pleaSes and only man is vile,h
by the most wretched ok hu-
nan beings. who seem to enjoy their
misery 80 long as they can lie in the
and no one shade il from
hem IL is in the man and not the
place every time
Now. the first thing necessary to n
Is to know that such a pro-
'ess Is Indispensable. some reader
nay feel hurt that we seem TO intimate
hat his misfortunes are due to his own
ault- But we beg him b believe that
ms Is precisely the truth of the case.
What such a man calls bad luck, that
oliOwS him up so closely and peste-s
i'm every day, IS simply the result of
rs own ineiiiciencr or carelessness or
lilatOry and nglcciful habits. We
sve to plead guilty Of such mistakes
{ times. and we have suffered from q,
hem. but have learned wisdom from
hem and hope TO have reformed. But |
has taken many wears. and there are
cry few farmers who can learn all the
sssOns that are required for their thor |
ugh schooling and O. enable them TO :
raduate in this school of experience in I
IS than a score of years. The sooner {
ne begins 10 learn. however, and the I
lore apt he is to learn. the sooner he
i'll reach the desired end. 1
A few rules OF conduct thOughtfully
lade and consistently kept will do
Onders in this reformation. For in
iaEce. let \ careless farmer determine
, think twice before he acts once: to /
nish everything he undertakes in a !
borough manner before he leaves it: :
} do one thing only N n time: TO be- }
in his work in good season: to keep ,
D unprO table things. stock. tools or \
'u1-NAlIn hhuAu u luCl1ucl-Ou Ms / I
Irm; to be willing To learn. and TO
now the ins and outs of everything
.lating To his work, BY reading and n
udy and observation. and by the ex- c
nDle Of his most successful neighbOrs.
hich he shoald not be above prOiifing
r In addition to these. he might \
determine 10 think Of small
ings. as always to shut a gate or put
, bars or close 4 door after he goes
rough; TO keep his wagons creased,
5 machines oiled and his tools sharp: Is
have = place for everything and keep Il
in its place; TO have n time n
T doing all daily tasks and to do each d
ie in its time; to be goOd-natured and e
nj TO his stock and feed them liber- Ia
". and. as be trains them TO be do Ii
le. to train himself also at the sans "
re- There are many more things to Il
done. but these should not be left u
ldOne. and a farmer who habitually h
'es any one of these viii keep the ot
hole law. because tO reform in one fa
int is equivalent 10 a complete re- ii
-mation. And. rs the man reforms. "
e farm will BE- a complete index and tr
cord of every step in the moral re- it
neration Of the OwRer.-HeHry SteIc- W
I, IN " T. Times. a
n