Connecticut western news., 1885-05-13
THE FARMERS BOY.
CITY PHILOSOPHER M. QUAD HAS A
 "BIG TAI.K' WITH HIM,
And Tells Him that He Is OverworIkcd
 and Treated Very Badly.

Acu WILL ulN ouIIOuuOAuBs.
 This paragraph or a portion of it is certain to be found in four out of every five letters received from the country, and it is a matter which should be in- vestigated. Our statesmen and journal ists and philanthropists are continually praising agriculture as a vocation, and the idea that the farmer is independent and happy prevails in every story of rural life.
 What has dissatisfied farmers sons ? Why is it that so many of them want to leave the farm for any work which will bring them living? In most cases the trouble will be found with the farmer instead of his son.
 It 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 cowhide boots. He would as soon go to meeting without collar as with one. He tray ther likes" the music of an organ, but if hs buys an organ he won't feel like building that addition to the barn. He can't really see now any one can sit down and get interested in books, and why Henry and William should want ''real cloth" collars and cuffs is a 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 keep them up until 10. The farm is conducted after the fashion of a quarter of the last century. The house may be painted once in five years, but the chances are that it Is allowed to go ten. The barns have needed repairs for years past, but it's cheaper to lose a 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 renewed they might be smashed again. The democrat wagon has been "about worn oGt" for the last five years, and that's the excuse 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 it's way into their pockets yearly would not keep bootblack in stock to do business.
 Is the picture overdrawn? l 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 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. No matter if the father refuses to do more than subscribe to a 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 know ing whether England was east or west of the United States-without grammar, orthography or being able to more than write his name-without collars or cuffs or without books or papers or amasements, and he is quite certain that the boys can do the same.
 | The number of farmers sons who are leaving home, either with half-hearted consent, or running away, is greater than you dream of. They flock to the towns and cities to learn trades; to &C., cept of menial positions; to take any work which will pay their way and pre- vent the necessity of returning to farm work.
 The farmer who realizes this must ask himself where the blame lies, and then seek remedy. Is there remedy 2 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 boy of IA, 16, or Is out of bed at 4:30 or o'clock in the morning, and work him till or half past you are making white slave of him. You not only peril his health, but ] you u6lOIn ulS DONJs Ahds bho S1NASO of so many sons of farmers being .lop- shouldered, bow-backed or otherwise de- formed, 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 a loss of $25 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 6 o'clock and darkness on a summers evening the boy can take up book or paper, or put it to good use in some other way. As it is now, he knows he is expected 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, magazines 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 fur nishes plenty of sport. If one of the boys has taste for music help him on with it. Let him have a fiddle, accor- dion, organ, or whatever instrument he feels he can bring music out of. Both boys and girls should be encouraged to sing. To this end they should be en- couraged to get up singing classes, which might meet around from house to house. A young peoples social club, to meet in the same manner, would prove very in- teresting.
 | The farm ran Ina rnada rleasantar Eban