The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-11-27
THE OLD WAY.

A correspondent of the Maine Farmer
thus narrates his early experience, which
is like that of so many Others in New
England that it can but interest some of
our readers:
"Well, will tell my experience, as the
young convert at a revival meeting calls
it. was born eighty-six years ago, in
Hallowell, of parents not by any means
wealthy But / was well born; that is,
my parentage was worthy and good, If
not rich. When two years old, my pa
rents removed to Chesterville, then
newly settled place, and my father be-
came one of the poor farmers; poor,
mean, in two senses. One, in being des-
titute of money, and the other, poor in
skill. He was not skilful farmer. He
used to work for others by the day, and
did his farming when he could. Of
course was born, as all others are, igno-
rant of farming and everything else, and
thought that fathers way of farming
was the right way, because | did not
know any better. In 1915, when eleven
years old, my father hired me to Mr..
Dearborn French of South Chesterville,
one of the most worthy men | ever saw,
who paid my father four dollars per
month for my work. With him lived
and worked for seven years, my wages
being increased until they were eight
dollars per month. Mr.. French was
good farmer for those days, yet his meth
ods were not calculated to make me fall
in love with the occupation of farmer.
| 1t was all work, work, from early morn
| till dewy eve. The farm machinery
was hoe, axe, shovel, scythe, hand
rake, pitch-fork, pooi plow and poor
harrow. Up in the gray of the morning,
to hoeing or moving, until seven, to
breakfast. When work drove, very short
mornings, and work or doing chores un-
til half-past eight or nine in the evening,
was not calculated to make boy love
farming for a livelihood. Accordingly
when twenty years of age, l escaped
from the farm, and went voyage to the
West Indies, and returned home without
any plan for life anyway. learned
the trade of a carpenter; worked at this
business in summers for twenty-five
years. In the meantime taught town
schools thirty terms, then preached
Iawhile, until learned that people think
more of dollars and politics than they do
of religion; then published local paper,
and wrote for papers thirty years. And
here | am an old man, ripe in years, at
least. lOI ll6 grave. hoNS
head against the mile-stones of life until
it is pretty mellow have always had
the means to pay for my living as l went
along; generally have had at least dol
lar in money; sometimes So, often $40;
frequently $40; at long intervals, $50,
and once / remember of having 81 200 in
one pile. In consequence Of one of the
fortunate events of life with which the
public have no particular interest, l have
enough to render my pathway to the
grave smooth and pleasant,if money will
: do it, for which trust ! am truly thank
full. But the desultory life have led for
: nearly seventy years is wholly and Ell
tirely in consequence of the vicious ideas
+, | imbibed when young, in regard to
farming and the life of farmer.
ought to have been farmer. | was
, made for that occupation, but did not
/ find it out until it was too late"