Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-23
COUNTRY BOYS.
HOW THEY MAY BE KEPT OUT OF THE
WAYS OF sINFULNEss.
A Plea for the Farmers Sons-They are
Handicapped by Lack of
Proper Opportunities.

Much is being said and written about the
growing evils of intemperance and gam.
bling among our young men. The church
people and the prohibitionisis are very
enthusiastic in their work, and think they
are doing much good; and, while l would
not underrate their influence for good, 1
hardly think they are pursuing just the
right course to draw young men from the
saloons. By the way, will say am
writing more particularly of young men
who live in and near the country villages.
For those who live in the cities ample pro-
vision is made for their pleasure and com
fort, but in the little village there are no
Libraries, no readiDg-rooms, no place but
the saloon. do not believe our young
men are naturally bso; they only
want amusement and companienship, and
they naturally gravitate towards the sa-
loon, because they ind company.
To prove that the majority of them only
visit saloons for the lack of something
better to do, let an entertainment be given
at one OF the country school houses and it
will be packed until there is not standing
IOOIu. III Iue ulSl pldCei tuluk II tue
pruhibitionists would come down from the
radical position they have taken, be little
more conservative and meet the high
license people half way, it would 60 great
way toward settling the temperance ques-
ton. For with high license, half OF more
of the country saloons woud be closed.
Another thing the temperance people
can CO, if they are really in earnest in their
work is This: The Good Templars employ
lecturer at considerable salary, and
suppose other temperance societies do the
same. If that money could be expended
in establishing free watering places along
the country roads, it would do more good
than all the temperance lectures delivered
in a year. A man driving along a country
road with q pair of horses-or perhaps
more, if be has a heavy load-stops in
front of saloon to water his team. He
knows that the water is there for the benefit
OF travellers, and that they are expected to
pay for it, and the only way to do so is to
90 in and buy glass of beer, or perhaps
something stronger. In all probability,
the man does not care for it, and would be
Just as well satisfied with drink of water,
perhaps. But he feels he owes something
to the man who has put the watering
trough there and keeps it filed. know of
one saloon at least, that has been out and
injured by being too near free watering
place. And if the church people wish 10
benefit the rising generation-those of the
country places, l mean-they can easily do
so.
am we'll aware that my ideas will not
accord with those of orthodox views, but
honestly think that, after school-house,
the next most necessary public building
would be a readingroom and library. If
the different societies that are building
churches throughout the country would
use that money to build halls which could
be used as libraries, reading-rooms and for
lectures and small sum charged to pay
for fuel and lights through the winter
months, and ptentifully supplied with
books and papers, or even papers alone,
there are plenty OF generous public-s spirited
men who would contribute to their sup
port. Games should be provided, also
dominoes, checkers, and even cards-all
harmless in themselves. 1t is the sur
roundings that make card playing an evil.
Newspapers are great educators, and if
country boys could have some place to go
where they could read not only their own
home papers, but those from other States
as well, it would enlarge their views of
life considerably. The country boys are
not lacking in intelligence but as rule
they have not the same opportunities for
information that are enjoyed by their city
brothers. The majority of them get no
education beyond that furnished by the
district school. On stormy days, when
nothing can be done on the farm but the
regular routine of chores, and when the
winter evenings are long, they will congre-
gate at the nearest saloons out of sheer
lonesomeness.
I suppose my Christian friends will hold
up their hands in holy horror, but l am
perfectly sincere in my belief that one good
reading room, properly conducted and
plentifuliy supplied with just the leading
papers and a few OF the magazines, and
some one to talk TO the boys occasionally
on their duties as future cit Zsrs, would do
more good than two or three churches.
And l have that much faith in the country
boys to believe they would much rather
pay small sum monthly toward keeping
up good rea6ing-room than sink it in the
till of the saloon man.
l would ike, right here, to say few
words to the parents Not farmers, I
believe, take a psper-pot often more than
one, and generally that is a weekly. IT
spoken to on the subject they will, as
rule, plead poverty. Well, papers and
magazines do cost money, but l know Of
nothing that will return so large rate of
interest on the money invested as plenty of
papers, not only for the boys, but for the
wives and daughters rs well. Neither
must the little ones be forgotten. II papers
and magazines are always lying around
where they can be picked up at odd mo-
menis boys and girls will fail into the
habit of reading whenever they have an
opportunity. l think It was no less per
son than Daniel Webster who said, Show
me man who tskes plenty of papers and
you may be sure be will have a family of
bright boys and girls" That was said
long time ago. but the rule holds good yet.
E.P.D.