Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-07-23
SHORT TALKS WITH Boys.


81 am farmers son and ana not
satisfied with my surroundings.
This paragraph or portion of it is
certain to be found in four out OF every
five letters received from the country,
and it is matter which should be in
vestigated. Our statesmen and Jour-
nalists and philanthropists are continu-
ally praising agriculture as vocation,
and the idea that the farmer is indie
pendent and happy prevails in every
story of rural life.
What has dissatisfied farmers sonsp
Why is it that SO many of them want
to leave the farm for any work that
Will bring them living? In most
cases the trouble will be found with
the farmer instead of his son.
1t is a curious position in which an
old-fashioned farmer and his son are
placed. The old man is content with
some improvements on the ideas of
fifty years ago. He can't see why any
one should want anything better than
bare floors. Windsor chairs and cow
hide boots. He would as soon 90 to
meeting without collar as with one
He ''rayther likes the music of an
organ, but if he buys an organ he won't
feel like building that addition to the
barn. He can't really see how any one
can sit down and get interested in
books, and why Henry and William
should want ''real CLOTH collars and
cults is deep conundrum. When 8
o'clock comes he gets ready for bed,
and he can't see how the boys and
girls can ''abear" company who keeps
them up until 10. The farm is con-
Quoted after the fashion of quarter of
the Last century. The house may be
painted once in five years, but the
chances are that it is allowed to 90
ten. The barns have needed repairs
for years past, but it is cheaper to lose
ton of hay by the leaks than to buy
new shingles. The fences are rotting
down, but next winter will be good
time to split rails. There are half
dozen panes of glass needed about the
house, but if the broken lights were re-
newed they might be smashed again.
The democrat wagon has been "about
worn OUT for the last five years, and
that's the reason for not having it
painted. The harnesses will hardly
hold together, but they must answer
for another year. The boys are held
to "serve their time" like so many
slaves or convicts, and the amount of
cash finding its way into their pockets
yearly would not keep bootblack in
stock to do business.
Is the picture oyerdrawnp can add
twenty per cent TO the strength of
each assertion and then not exceed the
truth.
And now what's the matter with
farmers boysp They live in a new
world-the father in an old one. No
matter how little schooling they have
had, they are better educated than he
is. No matter if the father refuses to
do more than subscribe to n weekly
paper, his boys are fairly posted on the
daily happenings all over tho world.
He wants to farm after old ideas
they after new ones. He got along
without knowing whether England was
east or west of the United States
without grammar, photography, or
being able to more than write his
name without collars or cuffs or neck
ties-without books or papers or
amusements, and he is quite certain
that the boys can do the same.
The number of farmers sons who
are leaving home, either with a half
hearted consent, or running away, is
greater than YOU dream Of They
flock to the towns and cities to learn
trades; to accept of mental positions;
to take any work which will pay their
way and prevent the necessity of re-
turning to farm work.
The farmer who realizes this must
ask himself where the blame lies, and
then seek remedy. Is there a rem
edy? Let us see.
In the first place farmers sons are
overworked. There is no doubt that
the farmer is, too, but that doesn't al
ter the case. When you rout boy of
IA. 10, or Is out of bed at 4:30 or 5
O'Clock in the morning. and work him
till or half-past, you are making a
white slave OF him. You not only
peril his health, but you deform his
body. That's the cause of so many
sons of farmers beng lop-shouldercd,
bow backed, or otherwise deformed,
and the origin can be traced to over
exertion while growing.
tsH III III llliS NOuIbll III
which the hours OF labor couldn't be
shortened to ten hours without causing
a loss of S25 per year. If ten hours is
enough for ditch-digger it is all that
a farmers son should be called upon to
endure. If there are two hours between
8 O'Clock and darkness on summers
evening the boy can take up book or
paper, or put it to good use i'll some
other way. As it is now, he knows he
is expected TO slave from daylight till
dark, and when night comes he is
weary in body and aggravated in
spirit.
And the remedy is not altogether in
shortening the hours of work. The
boys must have things to interest and
amuse them. They want books, maya
zines and newspapers. If there's
chance to fix up bowling alley let the
boys 60 ahead and make one. The
game of bowls is healthy exercise,
and furnishes plenty of sport. If one
of the boys has taste for music help
him on with it. Let him have fid
die, accordion, organ, or whatever in
strument he feels he can bring music
out of. Both boys and girls should be
encouraged to sing. To this end they
should be encouraged to get up singing
classes, which might meet around from
house to house. A young peoples So
cial club. TO meet in the same manner,
would prove very interesting.
The farm can be made pleasanter
than the work-shop-th farmhouse as
full Of comfort and happiness as any
home in the city. When this takes
place the farmers son will not be the
young man he is. He will be jovial.
content, and enthusiastic. He will be
able to appear well in any society, to
converse with any one on the topics of
the day, and he will have some future
outside of the day in and day out toll
which is crooking his spine and thick
ening up his brains. NJ Quad, IN De-
tr0i Free Press.