The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-06
rhs Farm.rs, BAs.

~. QuGd in Detroit Free eEess.l
81 am n farmers son. snd am not satisfied
with my Surroundings
This paragraph, or y portion OF t. is c'r-
tsiu IN Ese fnTlnN in fca- out Of every dye
letters received from the e91utTy. and t5 ,. =
matter which should re investigated. oar
Statesmen and isurosiis.s aad paii4ntneJ.
pists are contfo uslly praising sgrIeultars rs
a vocation. snd the idea taar tina farmsr Il
independent sud happy prevails n avery
story OF rural life.
Whist has die. atis;ied farmers sons? Why
is IL that 60 many Of them Taat 60 lsgVs the
farm soF any work which viii bring them
Evfng2 In most cases the trouble will be
found with the farmer inGtsad OF the son.
10 is d curious position ia which an old.
fashioned farmer and his san are placed.
The Old msu = contsnt with some improve
meDis On The IDEAS OF fifty years agO. dc
ezn't why any ora should want anything
better than bare floors, Wiud.Or chairs al
cOWhIde b0Oss. de would a. SOON 20 %
meeting without Csliat as with one is
ray thef Likes the music OF organ. bus
II be buys organ ne wOnt test iIss 0aiiG
ing that addition 10 tue bAfa. de can't
really see how any one can sat dOwa aud get
interested in books and Why Henry aad
William should want real cldth' no!Isrs
sBd cuffs IS deep conundrum. When
o click comes he gets ready for bad and
can't ses how the boys and girls can ''abesr'
company to keep them up until ten. TIE
farm is conducted after the fashion OF a
quarter Of the last century. The house
may be painted once in i've years, but the
chances sre that 1t IS allowed To go ten.
The harns have needed repairs Tor years
psst bat it's cheaper 10 lOae ton Of hay
bv the leaks than 10 buy new shingles. The
fences are rotting down, but next winter.wilt
be good time 70 split keils. There are half
- 90 Zsn psDEs Ct gloss needed ABOUT the
hou,s, but II the brosen lights were renewed
81 tfr~tsf ef,asf H.
craT wagon has been "aeouT 9ora out" lO-
the last I'VE years. and that's ths exGDss for
not having il painted. The HARNESSES viii
hardly no tOgEther, Oas they mcss sasWzr
for another wear The boys are held %
serve their time" like 50 msDy slaves or
eonvic's. and the sm9uUt of casa fndiag is
way mo IheIr DGcEsss yearly W0li4 0Oi
keep booth ack in stock tn d. h1siusss
ls the picture OVesdr&wn? [ can All >
Der cent me strength OF oach assertiea,
ard Then not excssd tins truth.
ana p0E what's the m9t.sr with flrmsrs'
boys2 They live in "a nev wOrld the father
Is clio one. No mstter how little school
log ihey have had, they are better educated
than be is. No matter il the father refuses
TO do more thaD subscribe 70 a weekly paper,
HE rOys are fairly posted on the daily nap
penings all over tia world. he wants Cd
farm after old idess-they after new ores.
He got along without knowing whether Eng-
land YES east or WEST IF fhe United States
without grammar, Orihogravhy or being able
20 more than write his lams-wiLhoat col
lars or cuffs or neckuts-g books or
papers OF amnsemsots, and he IA quite Ger.
lain that TIE boys can do the game.
Tie number vi farmers sons who are leaY-
ing home, either with half hearted consent,
or running away, is greater than you dream
OF. They fOck to the towns and cities u
learn trades; 70 sccsDt of mental positions;
TO take any work which will psy their way
and prevent the necessity OF returning to
farm work.
The farmer who realizes this must ask him.
self where the blame lies. and then ssek 8
remedy. Is there remedy? Let Us zee.
In the first place, farmers sons are over
worked. There is no doubt that the farmer
IS too, but that doesn't alter the case. When
you rout & boy Of fourteen, sixteen or
eighteen out CT bed st 4:30 or o'clock in
the morning and work him till or 80,
you are making a white elave of him You
not only peril his health, bat you dsform
his body. That's the Gauss OF so many sons
OF farmers being lop sho1idered, bow backed
or otherwise deformed, and the origiu csn
be traced 70 over exertiou while gro wing.
There ian't farm in this country on
which tbs hours of labor Couldn't bs sh 5rt-
ene6 10 ten hours without causing loss of
SO per year. IL ten hours is enough for a
diicn digger, it is all that a farmers son
should be called upon to endure. IL thets
lNO uOulS D5tWeeI - o CLOCK 6lU NAfX-
mesa on a summers evening the ooy can
take up book or paper, or put It TO good
use IN some other way. As il Is now he
knows he is expected TO slave from daylight
tf1i dark, and when night comes he is weary
IN body and aggravated in spirit
And the remedy is not altogether in short
eniDg the hours of work. The boys must
/ have things to interest and amuse them.
They want books magazines aud newspapers.
If there is chance to fix up bowling. sl!sy
let the boys go ahead and make one. Toe
gxme OF bowls is q healthy exercise, and fur
nishss plenty of sport. IF one OF the bows
has n taste for music help him on with it.
Let him have a. fiddle. accordion, organ or
whatever instrument he feels he cao bring
music out OF. Both boys and girls sho aid be
encouraged to sing. To this end they should
S be encouraged 10 get up singing classes.
which might meet round from house to
house. young people social club to meet
in this manner, would prove very interest.
ing
The farm can be made plsasanter than the
work shop-the farm house as full of Gnu
fort and happiness as auy house in the city.
When this takes place the farmers sou will
not be the young man he is. He will be ioV.
isl, content aud enthusiastic. BE will bs
able to appear well in any socistY. to csu
verse with any one on the topics OF the day,
and he will have some future outside of ths
day IN and day out toll which Is cro0king his
spine and thickening up his brains.