Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-03-10

the farmers Institute at Wa-Keeney, FeDfuaxy
1883
In one of his conversations A. Bron-
son Alcott said that children reared
In the country were, naturally, much the
superior OF their city cousins in mental
vigor and activity. When we see these
active minds dwarfed by the lack OF OPP
portunities to develop them, we feel hike
blaming some one very severely. The
The struggle for competence and the
hard work inseparable from farm life too
often leave but scanty time for mem
tai culture. If the individual does not
entertain strong inclination to self i'm
provement, he will not improve what time
he could command. So many families
sink into mere machines for making and
saving money. that after they have accu-
INFLATED enough to warrant their enjoy
ing the remainder of their lives, they still
continue "the treadmill of their exist
ence," until broken-down and diseased
body forbids further work, and renders
pleasure impossible. They may refer
with pride to their money in the bank, or
invested in lucrative lines of business,
but the listener will despise the man who
has filed his pockets at the expense of
his own and his children's brains.
One of the most pitiable of such exam
pies that I am acquainted with is that of
Kansas farmer worth thousands and
and thousands of dollars, who, from sheer
ignorance, could not tell, when question
ed on the witness stand, in what year the
Centennial occurred. Such examples are
too numerous not to have been noticed by
every one.
Since the great mass of our population
dwells on farms, there is the greatest
need of culture in these homes. The cit
les are being built up by people who
think that farm life is the very synonym
of grossness, and who have fled to the
the city to escape from it. believe it is
John Stuart Mill who advocated the fol-
lowing plan as one calculated to counter
act the coarseness in the life of the aver
age farmer: In the fall the country peo-
] pie should move into villages where they
could have their schools, churches, lect-
ures and every means of culture avail
able. In the spring, 60 back agein to
their farms. When this is out of the
question, as it is in many cases, some 9th
er means must be used. If the mother
and father are cultivated people, there
will be found the current literature of
the day, as we'll as many books. When
books are so cheap nearly every family
can have some. Even when the parents
do not provide them, some generous
neighbor will give or loan the children
books and papers.
The gloomiest prospect for a boy is
when his father decides to make farmer
of him, thinks that ga farmer don't
need much larnin.'' If the boy has
enough gumption to decide otherwise,
it is all right, but if not, he deserves pity.
Garfield says that boy was never lost
who was worth the saving, but it is a
hard thing to say.
Owing to the limited school advantages
here in the West, many children reared
on these great ranches grow up with
very slight idea of any thing except
herding cattle. If their parents are more
intelligent, they deserve condemnation in
the warmest terms for forcing their chill
dren into an inferior social position, and
into habits and mannerisms that they will
never outgrow. Most of our greatest
men and women have come from the
farm, and they love to refer to the prac-
teal and pleasant experiences of their
childhood. Robert Ingersoll says that
there is nothing in bank of daisies to
make man brutal, but his finer nature
ought to get the ascendency from such
surrounding. Most women on farm are
slaves to their families and housework,
and it is the exception to find one who
makes leisure for self culture. She slaves
her life away, and when her children's
minds are growing they do not find the
companionship in their mothers society
that they ought to find, and so do not
reverence her as they ought to do. If
she could guide them in the paths of
knowledge, and help them to grasp the
truths of nature, they would never grow
away from her. Her legacy of love of
truth and refinement would be of infinite
ly more value to them than heavy bank
account, with an uncultiyated brain. In
my wanderings I met one lady who is SO:
remarkable that she ought to be more
widely known. She and her husband
live on large farm, but, as the gentle
man is a religious fanatic, his wife mana
ges the business. She directs the hired
men and manages the large farm house.
doing all the work herself She had a
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