Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-21
AGRICULTURAL LIFE

cradle to City Excitement.
There is an element of largeness and
liberty about country life. which is
we'll calculated to develop individuality
and Independence of character; so
that a man accustomed to it feels an
uncomfortable sense Of closeness and
repression in the city. There is also
material independence connected with
farm life, which men in other situa-
tions can seldom enjoy; and material
independence is in most cases q neces-
sary foundation for independence OF
thought and action. If the farmer
does not get rich, he at least does not
fail. as a large majority of those who
enter on business careers do. and he
knows that no one can disturb him in
possession of what he has.
Again, the farmer is free from the
burden of wearying. harassing ankle
ties which has driven many a city
man to his grave, especially If his
sons stay on the farm with him in
stead of leaving him to depend on such
strangers he can pick up for help.
Then there is an element of heroism in
country life, which the knight of the
yard-stick seldom has an opportunity
to develop. Heroism in man is always
associated with physical achievement
of some kind. In summers heat and
winters cold, in the labors of forest
and field, in the competition of manly
sports, in the mastery of beasts, in
buffeting with Nature in her sterner
moods. there is opportunity for real,
heroic achievement, such as commands
the approval of men and the admira-
ton of women, and tends to make a
man satisfied with himself. Nature
often opposes a stout. but kindly re-
sistance in order that her children may
grow strong and heroic in the encoun-
ter; and the element thus developed is
of high value as factor of genuine
manhood. But it must be remembered
that many and many a time it is edu-
cation, mental culture and elevation
that make the difference between hero
ism and drudgery. To one man his
occupation is irksome, and has only g.
sordid Significance; to another the
same occupation is apleasure in itself,
and the opportunity of noble develop
ment. It is the spirit in which a man
takes up his walk that makes the diff
ference. and this spirit is largely a
matter of education, culture and
breadth of mental vision.
The fear is sometimes expressed
that education would take the farmers
son away from the farm, This in my
opinion is groundless fear. I admit
that once the tendency and object of
education was to take boys away from
the farm and to fit them for profess
sional life. But we have already
passed that stage. The idea now is
and should be, to educate the man;
and education is valuable wherever
true manhood is honored. Especially
should the American agriculturist be
an educated man. His position in life
requires it. He is not a tenant at the
mercy of landlord. He lives in in
dependence and comfort on his own
domain. and is rearing and educating
a family. Every atom of education he
can obtain will come into play. It is
better that the labors of the field
should be enlivened by discussions on
history and science, than that the con-
versation should be mere idle, I'M
elevatiug gossip as is so often the case;
and the farmers home should be a
center of culture, where literature and
art should be familiar topics.-Prof.
D. G. Porter. in Rural New Yorker.