Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-15
RAilRoAps AND rAR,a, n.

RAILROADS. AND FAnla,No.
49, 1sapssas = Wnssa 49, 49,
1uaA Ana.
Unlike - they may appear q mt
view. railroad Management and farm.
Ing are In some respects alike IT,
former b moro distinct bold and Oh.
vioua. end requires heavy expenditure.
IT. teachings. therefore, may Won q.
tend into some departments Of farm
Management and prove all the more
instructive Its defects and draw.
backs present their instruction.
Tho question il often asked why 90
cidents on railways are 30 much more
frequent than formerly. and why hu-
man life has Of late years been more
abundantlY sacrificed than many
years ago There arc three reasons:
The first and greatest Is that they have
rapidly increased in length and bush
ness The present lao. 600 miles give
six thousand times greater length
than in 1880. and even - late Is 1870
there was only about one-fortieth ~
much Is at the present time. There
are now ton thousand trains running
every day. and among tho great multi
tude which pass safely over them year
in and year out the scattered acct.
dents arc published in all the papers.
The second reason of tho many dis
asters is natural decay. A large part
Of the railways some years ago were
new and strong and never gave out;
at the present time the bridges and
other structures are beginning to rot.
often unseen till . destructive acct.
dent occurs The third reason is .
gradually increasing carelessness in
men who have > certain service to
perform . thousand times . year.
Nothing happens for some years. and
they naturally become inattentiva
All these influences are continually
working In tho creation Of disaster.
and they will continue to operate %
long as human imperfection contin-
ues to EXIST
Various points of similarity exist in
farm management but on . much
smaller scale individually. 1t is not
accompanied with the same occa-
sional destruction of human life. but
its victims in a smaller way are much
moro numerous 1t is liable to
grc It pecuniary losses under neglect
and to numerous discomforts from
inattention. The farm. which is once
put in good order. with fine buildings
and excellent fences. will fall into de-
cay unless watched and keptin repair;
perennial weeds will make destructive
progress il allowed to run; fertility
will gradually pass to sterility under
carelessness; as with the neglected
railway, continued disasters of many
kinds will follow. Constant care and
vigilance will be required to accom-
plish success
The farmer who keeps even in prog
ress with the many Improvements In
farm machinery will accomplish more
than by adhering to old and awkward
tools. avoiding At the same time tho
loss for useless expenditure. He must
save in his outlays for new and I'M
tried thingA and he must save by the
economy of raising heavy crops He
must have machinery enough to do
work cheaply. and to do it in the best
manner. He will discard the old
square-tooth. three cornered harrow
for the newer. spring-tooth and disc
He will prefer twine- binding reaper
to tho old sickle aid cradle He
may prefer to secure his corn fodder
while fresh and uninjured in silo to
allowing it to rot by storms In tho
open field; he may choose the various
advantages Of horsepower appliances;
or windmills for pumping. or barb
wire fencing. and shcltering buildings
for his domestic animals II the farm
or who Is not wide awake to avail him
self Of substantial and wise improve.
ments, will keep . record Of all his de-
lays and disasters from old or worm
out tools and machines. or from unre.
paired buildings or from defect
i've fences or from the neg.
lect of spreading weeds and
estimate tho loss. he will doubt
less discover . greater aggregate than
he expected; and the whole loss thus
sustained by the five million farmers
of the United States would doubtless
exceed tho pecuniary loss sustained
BY all the railways
The leading and guiding principle.
therefore, which he should lay down
TOR constant action. should be con.
tinued vigilance and continued inn
provement There was much truth in
tho remark Of wise philosopher. that
We have greater enjoyment while
actively engaged IN making improves
ments. than in setting down whom they
arc completed and looking 1t whatwe
have done Young farmers should
bear this in mind. and acting upon It
will soon make vigilance and energy .
continued habit in which there will b
more happiness than in idle pastimea
One great reason why some men sue