The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-29

OF the agrlculturist or miner NAV per
haps not be as extensive as that of the
clGy resident, but to the farmer or
miner the letter long looked for may
contain, and generally does, intelli-
gence to him of vital Importance. No
doubt the majority of your readers will
remember cases, where they or their
friends have missed important business
engagements, and in consequence have
met with heavyslosses, and frequently
lost their all, or have failed to receive
word from their beloved ones, during
some fatal illness, and we're not able to
reach them in time to bid them last
farewell or render them much needed
assistance, owing to the fact that the
letter remained in the pOstoffice un-
called for, or in the pocket of some
neighbor, waiting for "a chance" to
be forwarded.
Is it wonder that the farmer who,
during the long winter hours, has so
much leisure for self-improvement for
self-educatlon, does not avail himself
of it7 Is it wonder that he is referred
to by his city cousins y as "moss
back, a greeny, a hay seed, +" when as
matter Of fact be the most enlightened
of any class of our populations The
original expense of newspaper, peri
odical, or other literature is trihing
compared with the immense amount of
benz fit derived from it; often single
hint, a receipt, sugges tion, a word of
advice is worth the subscription price
of a dozen papers for year, to say
nothing of the general advantages OBJ
tanned in being kept posted in regard
to the markets Of the world, and the
moral influence a good newspaper has
over household.
Is it a wonder that the sons and
daughters of the farmer are aching for
the time to come when they can get
away from the isolation of farm life
and speed away to the cities, already
over crowded, there to join the throng
of walters for something to turn upP
But they come, allured by the glitter
and to enjoy the social advantages of
city life With a free delivery sys
tenn" extended to our rural distElcts,
the social advantages, the chance to
have communication with each o her
would increase, and there would be no
reason why a farmers life could not be
the happiest of all
Even the city people know the incon-
venience of not bein e able to hear from
their country friends, and the uncer-
tainty of letters arriving at their des-
tinatiOn announcing their visits accom-
panied by the request to meet them at
1.-The station, often causes them to
suffer untold hardships and trouble.
But it Is, however, useless to discuss
this any further The miner, the
farmer, the resident of small cities, and
villages, are entitled to and should
have their mail delivered to them. as
Es1l ss the r0s,fleet OF the large cities,
and now, On the eve of the great con-
ventions, when the leaders in politics
are ready to make their promises, is
the time to asksCongress, that tbismat-
ter receive the attention 1T is so duly
entitled to. Now is the time to agitate
this all over this grand country. Let
us make one united effort by the or
ganization of local, county, parish and
State associations .entralBzing the same
into on great national association so
that we can be heard from the Cana
dian to the Mexican border, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, lVith no uncer-
tain voice making it an issue of the,
day, and one of the plan -
in the platform of one G 90. 1892. Re
the great parties, and at ss454us t,lSS. en-
tion; AMI let us not rest until every
rural resident of this country shall be
accorded the same rights that are en-
joyed by the ,dwelleTs in the cities.
which has been enjoyed by the agricul-
tUral communities in Europe for the
last quarter of a century
We respectfully request the press
throughout the country to aid us, and
we would like to hear from everyone
who feels an interest in the work, by
making suggestions or sending a postal
card with their name, address and
business to RICHARD III. BROAT,
Minneapolis, Mimi.