New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-06-03
twenty per cent. to the strength of
each assertion and then not exceed the

twenty per cent. to the strength of
each assertion and then not exceed the
truth.
And now what is the matter with
farmers boys? 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. Nc matter if the father refuses to
do more than subscribe to weekly
paper, his boys are fairly posted on
the daily happenings all over the
world. He wants to farm after old
ideas-they after new ones. He got
along without knowing whether Eng
land was east or west of the United
States-without grammar, orthogra-
ply or being able to more than write
his without collars or cuffs or
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 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
alter the case. When you rout a boy
of ID, 16 or Is out of bed at 4:30 or 5
o'clock in the morning, and work him
till z 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 being lop-shouldered,
bow-backed or otherwise deformed,
and the origin can be traced to over
exertion while growing.
There isn't farm in this country on
which the hours OF labor couldn't be
shortened to ten hours without causing
loss of $50 per year. If ten hours IS
enough for a ditch digger it is all that
farmers son should be called upon
to endure. If there are two hours be-
tween 6 o'clock and darkness on
summers evening the boy can take up
book or paper, or put it to good use
in some other way. AS 1t is now, he
knows he is expected to slave from
daylight till dark, and when night
comes he is weary in body and aggra-
waited 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, mag
azines and newspapers. If there's a
chance to fix up bowling alley let
the boys go ahead and make one. The
game of bowls is a healthy exercise,
and furnishes plenty of sport. If one
of the boys has taste for music help
him on with it. Let him have fiddle,
accordion, organ, or whatever instru-
ment he feels he can bring music out
Of. Both boys and girls should be en-
couraged to sing. To this end they
should be encouraged to get up sing
ing classes, which might meet around
from house to house. A young PEG,
pies social club, to meet in the same
manner, would prove very interesting.
The farm can be made pleasantel
than the workshop farmhouse
as full of comfort and happiness as
any home in the city. When this
takes place the farmers son will no
be the young man he is. He will bt
joyial, content, and enthusiastic HI
will be able to appear we'll in any so
ciety, to converse with any one on tn,
topics of the day, and he will hav.
some future outside of the day in ant
day out toll which is crooking hi
spine and thickening up his brains.-
N. QuaG, IN Detroit Free Press.