The sun., 1891-11-16
He Wants to Battle With the World.

10O "0ASO W OdVVkC WI tu0 NOrlus
A gentleman ot this city encloses to us
letter he has received from nephew In North
Carolina, and he asks US to answer it. being
himsef at . loss how to advise the young
man. This Is the letter:
"DsAl uSeis: II has been my intention tho past
yssF 70 leave homo the nrst Of the coming year aud
sssk some employment that will pay batter than farm
Ing; not that have fallen out with the old farm
sfsr has fed and clothed for twenty long years
but Simply because think there s d ohance for me
- Aaks more st sone other profession. Ihavo juss
satsfsd manhood, and Will have to battle with this
ssat wosa Tor myself Ny father says he Is Wiling
gys Ne su can mako part OF the farm. but Just
shlnk bow long IL would tsko me to pay Tor . very
mall farm at the present prices OF produce Besdss
we're 70 DO that feel a. II would be robbnv nve
shsr little mouths that not strong enough
out Tor themselves.
my plan s to enter tue Busnsss College At Lexing.
top Ky- and learn seiegraphy stenoSraphy typewrlt.
Ing. and possibiy bookkeeping. l think that after
have settled all my business shall have enough money
70 take ne through am not going to farm It II
~ suythins else to do. Any advice you give
suy suggestion you can make will DO highly appre.
csssd"
Probably the great majority OF young
men on farms feel in the samc way. They
would not farm it II they could get any
thing else to do: and that feeling has been
30 strong and so general among them for
many years past that the towns have In
creased In population in much greater
ratio than the country. and largely at the
expense OF the country. This growing
tendency Of tho people to concentrate In
crowded communities Is marked In England
also and on tho Continent OF Europe. It Is
= modern movement. and, with us. it ex-
plains political changes which many politi-
clans find incomprehensible The seat Of po-
liticaI power has been transferred from tho
country to tho town. with consequences
which frequently unsetto the calculations
Of partisan leaders.
Tho loneliness OF lifo on farm and the
few opportunities for ambition which the
occupation seems to offer arD wearing out
tho patience OF multitudcs Of young men
whose fathers have beon content with tho
lot. They feel that thoy are losing chances
OF advancement and wasting their energies
In making mere pittance. Nor Is this SEN
timent now growth. 1t is only moro gem
eral and pervaslve. The majority OF the
older men successful in tho business and
the professions Of the towns were
born on farms. and urban population
has long received Its most vigorous
recruits from the country. This process
has gons on for 30 many years and so un-
interruptedly that the whole character of
the farming population OF New England.
for instance. has been changed. Tho sons
OF farmers Of the old American stock have
been attracted to tho towns. and the farms
are passing into the hands OF tho foreign
born. after having been abandoned and
allowed TO run to waste In many instances
Craving for society. cagerness to get
broader field for enterprise. aversion TO the
hard work OF agriculture. and discomfort
with Its poor returns have induced the
young men TO try their chances In the
towns. Even II they are able TO make there
no moro than bare living. they refuse to
return TO farming, for which their repug-
nance 10 'unconquerable. They hate the
manual labor 1t imposes. and Its solitude
would be unbearable after they had become
accustomed to the society Of crowded
community.
At the South. however. this tendency of
the farmers TO the towns has not been pro-
nOunced. II has been displayed to slight
oxtent comparatively. and hence the char
acter OF the farming population has UNDER
gone little change during the last genera
tlon. 1t Is almost wholly American and OF
dlstincuvely American spirit. At the
South. too. the farmer or planter does not
feel tho hardship OF an agricultural
life to the same extent as the farmer OF
New England or the northern Middle States.
He may have noless solitude. and at present
his cash tseome may be no greater. but he
ID superintendent OF manual laborers
A - -. -. l. IT,