The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-09-19
A NOVEL IDEA.


Mr. Bookwaiter's. Plan DOR. tho Farmer's
Il ,.,.f Reviewed. .,. 80,
The farmers village, is not SO novel
q. scheme. as u scheme but; II is one
that has, we believe never been. de
yeloped IN America to an extent COM
meusurste with it's advantages Mr..
John w. Bookwalter has undertaken
to put the idea In practical working.
and TO that end has purchased d tract
OF 60, 600 acres In Nebraska. with the
intention Of dividing. It up into farms,
and renting or selling them to farmers
who are willing TO enter into his
theories and benefit by them. There
seems to be nothing visionary IN the
idea and the only very exceptional
feature OF tits .thatit is taken up by
one man for the benefit of his fellows
when 1t might easily be carried out by
d combination Of plans and forces on
the part OF q numbe Of men who. would
share equally in its advantages I, Mr..
Bookwalter. proposes to build homes
for those who ore not able TO buy them
and allow themt to pay rent untilisuch
time az they can become the owners II
they are so Inclined In this way each
man can test the plan and need not
commit himself financially TO its failure
or success unless he chooses to do SO.
or course there is no more liability to
failure under these conditions THAI in
any other, farming enterprise, i The
drawbacks wonld simply be those con-
tingent upon all agricultural ventures.
The advantages, however, would he
incalculable In the opportunity thus
given for the enjoyment, of the lighter
and brighter things Of life. Farm life
has its poetic side, but it 10 less APP.
parent to the average farmer than TO
the rest of the world, and Ii has not
been sufficiently strong element to
counterbalance the prosaic monotony
and the isolation which repel SO many
ambftioiis young spirits. The posi-
.bility OF even degradation In the life
of a farmer is sharply brought out by
Hamliu. Garland in his stories Sf
prairie lre. The existence thus <ex-
posed is Invested pitilessly enough Of
every vestige, Of glamour that could
possibly cling to It.. The hopelessness
of the outlook, for men and women
who seem doomed to a slow death Of
mind and soul is mot accented ,one
whit too strongly. 1T Is we'll known
that the inmates OF insane asylums are
many OF them farmers wives. ard the
monotony OF their lives is the reason
generally assigned for this fact which
is always feature Of hospital statis-
tics, But the farmers village might we'll
be beneficial to others than to these
exceptionally unfortunate ones. The
most prosperous and wealthy farmer
would hardly forego the advantages Of
sociaL<intercourse for himself and his
family II it could be made available
without interfering with his occupn-
ton. Mr.. Bookwalters plan of build
ing the homes ina group with. the
farms surrounding them and reached
by good and direct roads, seems per-
fectly feasible and ought to be attract
i've to young people starting out In life,
TO whom the chief drawback to the
farm life is It's loneliness. There is
little doubt that the dread Of settling
into 'rut" and becoming mere ma
chimes has had much to do with the
sending OF young men and women into
cities rather than take up, for them
selves the same lot that their fathers
and mothers have found tolerabte.
The chance of a social existence lo
education for their children, and the
stimulous OF certain neighborly
emulation. would remove in q great
measure the objections to farming
which now present themselves to. young
people in the choice of life occupa-
tion.a 1t is hard to soc why the plan
should not extend and be realized by
many farming communities on their
own account and without tho aid OF a
capitalist. st Paul Pioneer Press.