Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-09-19

An Is-sn, Itcnd before the west Bi,cr
s.rnngc, Towushcnd. b, q. ~. snow.
The other day J saw boo The phuuix this
question. "Nhy is % that nearly hall of the
farm houses we pas, have For Sale or
TO Let. stamped on corner somewhere
and % set me thinking more than / have
ever Thought before ON this question which
n being discussed more or less by every
class of people all over our broad land to-
day
asked myself. "Why is it " and as
looked over our own town ] could see the
reason Our Young men at the age of
twenty one. or even younger, leave the
farm where they were born. and without
one backward look of regret begin at the
very bottom of some business of which they
know little aud perhaps nothing They
ought Co bee skilled laborcrs on the farm at
that age capable of earning the very high
est price. But, instead of keeping ON with
the business which they have thoroughly
learned and IN which they could stand
high, they begin at the very lowest round
of the ladder IN some business already
crowded. leaving the old and honest occu-
patton of their forefathers TO foreigners.
And now comes another question Why
are the Young men leaving the farms No
two of them will give the same reason and
many Of their reasons are, TO say the least
vague. They act as if they had hunted for
good excuse and couldn't find it, and
when man hunts for an excuse it is evi-
dent the true reason isn't pleasant to give
But they need not hunt for a reason ,
1t Is self evident and no wonder they are
ashamed of it, Nine tenths of the young
men leave the farm because-they can't get
a living without good solid work. and the
young man of the present day has got
above work Tie is going to find some bus
mess, if he hunts till he dies and the prob
abilities are that he will. where he can get
a living, and a little more, without working
for it, and as soon as he admits it he has
sunk himself TO level with tramps, for
their aims are the same.
Is the reason for this pure good old fash
Toned laziness think not 1t is good
deal IN the way the young man is brought
up, and more from the state of society
our country is growing more and more
English. The chains our forefathers broke
IN the war of the Revolution were political
and social chains The political chains are
broken yet, while the Young men of this
generation are striving to weld the social
chains, striving TO get along somehow aud
make folks think they don't have to depend
upon muscular labor for living
can see hut very little honor in roam
ing over the world spending the money
one father earned 10y some laborious work
of brain or muscle, any fool can do that
but it Is the example of such men that many
of our Young farmers are following as far
as lies IN their power. 1t looks pitiful to
me to see young man studying another
dress and manners for the purpose of aping
n man inferior to himself in every respect.
Young men haven't got enough of that
self esteem that carried one man to the
highest place Vermont can give When
asked 10y one of his daughters 90 get suit
of clothes like a city visitor. he replied. 81
haven't got TO following another man
fashions yet if he wants us to be dressed
alike he d have to dress like me" 1t is
said self-praise goes but a little way, but
that self-esteem that puts a man square ON
his feet aud keeps him there, goes a long
way toward lifting him TO fame
When the young men see that the far
mers occupation is the most honorable ou
God wide earth, when they see, as the
the most far sighted politicians already see.
that the farmer is going To rule our land in
the good time coming, and when they sec
what the result of the course they are tax
ing will surely be, then, and not till then.
will our young men take up the ak. the
spade and the hoe, and 90 back to that oc
cupation which God blessed when He closed
the gates of Eden, agriculture Then.
and not till then will the hill farms Of old
New England he inhabited by men Of our
own nation who have come back to the
farm willing to work, able to work, and
prepared to work