Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-05-05
NAINl vrRsus Ine NtW soUIN.

MAINE VERSUS TIE NEW SOUTH.
WHEN. during our soiourn la the inic-
rlor II Msinr last summer, Nc comment
"a upon the number of deserted farms
on every hand, Ne met alvay. the same
reply, "fsrming does not pay In Main"
sny morv ve cannot comp.te With the
South and west." And vet, 90 Into the
average Mtine farm house. aud ~hat do
you finds The foor. az. we'll Carp"tc'i,
the furniture {. comfortable and suhsian-
tal, there are usually few guod book.
aud numerous magazine. and news
papers. often plano or organ In the
ptfior; While the house ltself u commo-
dious aud we'll built. The farmer as
scll a. hi family l. we'll dressed aud NJ
least fairly we'll edugatci, aud hls table
l. abuniantlv supplied with gvod, palat-
ahle food. lie has always 40 least one
good horse aud several head of cattle
housed In comfortable stables. and q
hsFu fill~i With the bc.t hay In ~. Unit
cl state. n BE- has an eve Tor the hesu-
tiful, what can b. morr lovely than the
snoN-clad hills of Maine In winter, ~"
fioWer-studdr,i hclls II waving grsss In
June, or the brilliant foliage 10 sepiem-
h.rs ~ the Maine farmer i not happy
| anl prosperpus. be- ought o. D., ani
probably l.. or appearance. arr most dc-
cslthal. vet they all-or nearly all
grumhlc and talk ~ hari times, have the
pric. of ~. farm iNci. AMI ar ready to
ssli out ani move to some more taNur-
~ .I lo,aliiy on the shortest I'osslhlc
notice 4 few wears ago. th" hpunilrss
Wet Was their longc,i-ior goal, hut cN-
CLONES, billiards aud druuth hsNv frn-
,lsrcd the Ncsi lees desirable to settlers
nov than formerly. while the rvC"nt
,soon Ia the Gar south has drawn Their
/ lonrings thlthsr. To auy mtu cuni"m-
i platlng golng Ca the Gar ~outh to fartn,
| .av mn.t smphaiically. don't since
lat fan have prrtty thoioughly inNcs-
ugatri thr much l-oom~i s-,'tious of
~, Tcnn-.sce. North Gcorgh and the
/ Einriia usninsula. in searyh 10 health,
/ rquahls climate ani business iuNrst-
m-nt. and shile found the climate
mild. though decidedly mol.i sni lar
from -quahl~. the snil fsriil" and natural
rs.ourc-. line. stlll " Will b- hundrrd
wars. " ever, t-futc anv Of that region
| can t-sssihly t-,Nmc such q community
a. New Euglani farmer would desire
o. .etile ln With his family
~ the close ot the var, when the
.ouihern planter. returned to uni their
hou.-s and out- t-huildlugs DESTROYED, thrif
nroad acre. noihipg but dcsertri BATH"
heli.. their slt,rs di.prr.-i, snd them
.sl,rs without means o. parrhasr the
/ material 90 hire the labor nrCv-sarN Ia
rvstorv tl,eif plsutstion., they went Into
thr town. ani yltir. to Earn ~" main
/ tsnantr of themselves and tsmilir-, lraN-
i Ing oniv the uegrnss ani Vnor vhiirs-
80 crtsksTs. as th-Y arv there Callr'i-ln
the hrmine iistri-ts. IT, say uuihlng
20 tho u.grues, Who arv In that ss~'tiou
the mn.t brutal. shiflrs. ani untrud-
worthy of their race. the crtckcrs form
| q distinct .pcyie., Nth which ~ have
/ absolutely uo elias. ot people to rntrr-
/ .t.nui in the North. o. appearance they
| ar tall. lank and hunv, with gaunt,
raia,vrpu. ftc-.. ,rl'oN skin and snail
| hisar ct,s. Boa which thrrr Il never q
sl,sm ~ th. .llshi~-, inislligrnc". NJ
turr hls l..rn 80 nlggnrily tn thrm in
/ rsgard o. hirsuis aii1rumrui th't th"
/ men. though uushtNvu sni unshrrn,
/ have thu s,siuiirst ~ toN cplpuNl hearis
ani long loeks. th- S"mru, ss not
/ m td- hnmrlv rnough hy utiurrs spite
/ rrn.lrr them .rl,~s .iill m"rv rrpulsiNr
hv th-lf di.gusting habit II dipping
.nuf. furm~i oftsn In early rhildhpoi. !.
/ .ni cuutinus,i ihruugh liir, ani as ~
.ult 20 which their hps hcy'mr hnne
tn the color ani cuu.lsisnry ~ sole
leather. The, dr-.. la h"m~spun, and
ihsir very hgurvs aui sh1ahlin. gut
express hppslrs. ap,thy a. the lat dc-
| erre. They eau neither rad nor Nrlis,
/ AMI arv utterly without amhiiinn O.
learn. When s.k~d Why they du not
| .sni thslr rhiilrvn to schopl. thry an-
| .Wrr that their ptrrut. and grant par
.nts got along Well enough without
t.onk learning. they do not s'r Nhy their
| rhillrrn cannot do without IL. alsn
/ Tho hom~s uf three people arr small,
/ slcn-oftrn log cabins ~ ono of AZ
| ms.t two ro0ms, Niih dear ani tNo
tins Ninlows. frequently without Panrs.
| m. chimney. ars of hfirk. huilt on u"
| ou,.lie. anl az the cooking !. done over
/ an open w,-,l drr. Thalr blll ~ fArr
consist. If bacon, corn bread sni muiiy
/ rof.,. .Nr.trnsI With molasscs, varied
Occasionally With boilei cahbhgr, roai
/ 'pos.um. aud, 20 cours~. the Inevitable
| sNcst I.1taio, vhlch some Witty Nnnks-
has duhl-si M. .lif -pu.crSsr ot ih.
sunny south" Ih~ir land l. al dcNoi'yi
o. the r.i.ing of cotton ltfy mtn's
crop-a littl. curn aud a frs roNs 81
SWEET potatoes.
Noa NAV travel by rail- through hun
drr,i. ~ mlles 20 the most favored Sec
ton. 20 North aud South csrolin, aud
Dsorgla. without -sring single house
| -eXc.pt Ia the towns an1 Villages such
| a. the i.oorr.t Maine farmer would D.
Willing 10 stay over night Ia, or a single
harm or Other baililng ior the storage ~
/ h,y or foddcr. or any sort of shelter for
| stock other than tumblc-doWn open
/ .h.,l.. The live .tock on one of these
farms ~ Usually consist. of mtngy
male or .o, aud q dimlnutiyr COW, the
| latter often being made Ia do double
duty bv furnishing the small qu,ntity of
mllk usrd by the family, AMI also Ia
/ transport the crop from the cotton Held
10 the usarest market. Ani What sorry
/ looking little creature. these hali-fci
COWS are. About a. tall az twO-year-
oil heller of the North. They arr a.
r.uni. bony snd ambitlonless a. their
oWnsr., and after they have produced
their daily tNo or three quarts of milk,
/ Welding small molicum ~ pallld, IA
worries. butter. conienie,ily chew their
cuds With a clear conscience.
Amid such surrounding. aud such as-
.o,i.te., would any Maine farmer bc
cou,enti 10 be SURE, he might 20 there.
sni With Yankee grit aud determination.
modern farming tool. aud mo,lern farm
Ing methods. succcci and make money
for a while; hut granting h. could sue
,...fiilv battle against bome.lckness,
unfamiliar surroundings. aud lack of
con genial society, !. there sny guarantees
that nj. children or children. children
would Inherit enough Northern energy
10 prevent their .uccumblng 10 the encr-
waiting influence of the climate, and
sinking 20 the level ~ their associate.
These poor whites were originally de-
sc~nlsi from strong. thrity, irish
scotch peasant stock. which la les. than
two han,lrcd wears of life Ia the South.
ha. evolved the Southern cracker. ]
have been told that In some sections III
the south Northern men have taken their
f,mllls. aud formed colonies which have
nroye,i successful. hut I write only Of
MIA, have scen. and have given here
a faithful description 10 what came uD-
der NV own observation during a .ojourn
az Ave months la what Il generally cou-
.Idrrei the most favored portions of the
south. namely: East Tennessee,
Georgia and FLORIDA.
Maine farmer. undoubtedly work
1 1t lfs.a.I