Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-09-15

NfittNn fuf ~ iSuif-fai
WHAT -AS AGRICULTURE DONE TO
CistIilE MANKIND

whosyef looks back through the din
ah.s,lrity of past age, can 40 primitive
man in his a. sly condition little higher
than ihc brute creation around him. lie
htd uo dwelling eNc-pt hollow trr", 90
I-rfilaps a ruCky cavern In the csrih.
ahefe hls fossl remains have l-.n found
mingled ~iih the bones ~ varioas
.ls,i~. of animals that have h"urish",i,
passed away and t-ccoms extinct hsiorr
ne historic period 20 th~ human rac~
.-gan.
~,t~niidc investigation .-vns a. inii-
ate that the northern part "f the
EASTERN continent Nss trsi inhahiicl hy
a Homogeneous rae, 10 hunters aud hshsf-
mru. sho r,'sm-i through IN" tangled
furcsi along the bahks 20 turbld streams
,nd ou the muddy margin 20 nam"le.s
hkes tu que.t - fo.,sl This prvhistoric
ntcr. who.e rvlic. were bari~l b-u~sth
he drift deposits of Europc, have left
no monuments. hirruglyphics 90 legends
ta iu ilcats their orig gin. of hoN long they
existed a. a distinct aud harbarous ps,-
pie. They might have ycrish-,i In some
~ ftl catastrophe OF bern driven south
sari during the glacial period Of our
sufli. and lo.sibly. AFTER the lapse oi
e,. attalns,l a partial civilization aud
'--,ams IA. rvnoSus,i Aryan race of Cen
fr.l Asia. Who Nsrv the remote Ancestors
~ the Highest ci,iliIci nations of our
gloh-.
Itt. evident from sci~utihC inye.tlga-
tion. that pfimsyal man Inhabited this
earth many Agr. before any attempt Nas
made "a gain a sustsnsnce fr"m the cal-
tl,ation - the earth. ~ they multi
piled. spontaneous productions bsVame
insufficient for their support, therefore
the most enlightened portion of the
human family began, step BY step, 10
/ learn the Art ~ tilling the soil.
In the courss ~ time, q. men wander
81 about, they discovered the fertile val
leys toriering the Hgri. aud Eaphrate.
in Ash. Abandoning nomadlc h,es,
they engaged In agriculture, which laid
/ IA. foundation Tor the renowned cities 81
| NInry.h aud Babylon, the wonder and
pfiis of the ancient world. IL u here
4 ani ou the tanks of the Nile la Egypt,
| Nhsrc Il l. supposed auihsniic history
81 the human family urst began s01 or
5s1 YEAR. sgO.
Other trilrs b.came dweller. CA the
/ rraIins lands of Asia, aud Ike the
| pafriafrh. ~ later times were the owner.
/ Of Immens. focks aud herds. They lei
the life of shepherds. roaming from place
Ia pl.ce over extensive regions "a hnd
.u.tenanc- for their numerous hcris.
/ Another portion of the Arysu family,
In an unknown and remote period of th.
uurll. arr supposed to have rmigrsied
from central Asia "a Egypt and settled
.long th. fertile valley of the Nile. =
.rtIp of country seven or eight miles
.llr .nd i've hundred long. Here MAS
buIlt the ancisut city of Ihebcs, With
N. hundred gates. Out ~ each ~ which
could marrh simultaneously 30 chariots
n var aud lO,oo lighting men. All the
wealth ani grandeur of this opulent
rity came from the products of the earth
prepared by the industrious hand oi the
farmer.
Egylt /. regarded az the oldest coun-
try of the world, though perhaps IT.
government aud civilization IL not more
ancient than llabylonia aud Assyris.
Professor Owen. from examination al
fossils found In the sediment of the Nile,
estimates the time man has lived there
a. 4 rirIissi s,afs. az thirteen thousand
wears. hi. garden of IN. world, froul
the earliest rccoried period, was ecle-
brate,l for it, corn, now called wheat
which Welded more than hundred lola.
Egypt. the most celebrated coaniry oi
IA. ancisut world, for arts, sciences ani
learning. owed all it, greatness to calil'
walton oi the soll.
Agriculture stand. az the head of AL
our indusirie. ahd should b. encourages
by wiss and iudicious legislation. Con
usctr,i Nlth raising of stock, u has al.
wavs b.-n an insxhagstible sourcc al
wealth to all nations, aud was once ~
,,risd bv Roman and Grecisn philoso-
T,h.r. and statesmen, a. the most honor
.bl. occupatiOn II that day. la lsiei
time. rich men became indolent and EN-
Moved slaves aud plebslans Ia ull tn
.olf Whereby the calling was considerr.
les disnife,i-an erroneous idea whhcf
,fter al. lap-e of two thousand years u
not wholly forgotten.
4 belief that hu.handry IL hsrd
menial employment, has kept thoa.and
of .f,.tivs men from the profession u
engage In some other business OF no IN
trinsIc value tO the World AMI littl'
proflt Ia themselves. Farmers have IN
creased the wealth ~ the comnunitl
more tnau All oliff ta-'
vet ouly a small portion of this propeft!
, on account Of prOdigal legislation and
. wrong custom ~ trade, usually remain
in the hands of those Who created "
Hence the nan Who works for h'lnl
IA. no means "a use, or tim. to spare 10
re.t aud rccr,ation. bat the tradesmal
and professional class, from none
earned by the hand Of labor, are enables
20 ylslt watering places. fashionable "
sort. about the mountains, 60 Ia EuroP
and Palestine. or II desired, take a ira
around the world.
Almost all laadable professions, trade
and industries, do something to bench
4 mankind; but the farming Interest
? the very basis on which rests the fabr'
~ every civilized government In IN
lno~n world. The husbandmsn wb
he,in. active life With the honest pa'
noSe 81 living upon the product. oil ~
/. own industry. u never tempted to d'
4 ,,,nd nj. feliovmen. or commit tho.
} h.,nou. crimes which blsckeu the annsl
OF our couu,ry's history. with al h'
honesty, integrity and worth, s " u"