The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-09-21
ROADS AND MORALS.
Poor Highways q Serious Ear to Intel
Iectuai Development.

lectuaI development.
1t has always seemed to me that one
of the most serious draw backs in 4
farmers life is the fact that, to very
great extent in most cases, the farmer
and his family are necessarily cut off
from free and easy communication with
all the world except that small portion
which may happen to live in their i'm
mediate neighborhood. And it is this
isolation which is one of the most i'm
portant factors in setting the current
toward the city-a tendency so much
to be regretted. but which am sure
can be successfully counteracted by the
improvement of our country roads. The
inhabitants of the farms are from the
very nature OF the case, with rare ex
ceptions, separated from mankind in
general by greater or lesser distance,
and it follows that they are in the MAR
thrown upon their own resources for
that variety which is the spice of life,
and which tends to the elevation of
mankind. think l am not putting it
too strongly when I say that there are
times when the isolation of many of
those who inhabit the hundreds OF
thousands of fertile farms scattered
wildly over this continent is almost as
perfect as that of the lonely family in
the island home. To be sure, the
farmer and his boys may occasionally
break their way into the nearest town
when actual necessity compels them to
do it, but only after much trial and
tribulation do they reach their destina-
ton; and who can blame them if they
prefer to stay at home and thus spare
themselves the severe tax upon their
energies. And so it is that in bad
weather the farmers and their families
are generally left pretty much to them
selves.
maintain that bad roads, by virtue
of the fact that they prevent so large a
proportion of our people from getting
out into the world and seeing what
their distant neighbors are doing, are
serious bar to our intellectual de-
velopment. Shut up within narrow
range, not realizing what is going on
and therefore not fully approaching
the blessings which they lack, can any
thing else be expected? Can we in the
, very nature of things look for intel
lectual improvement when circum-
stances prevent the lonely jewellers on
the farms from acquainting themselves
with any other standards than those to
be found in their immediate neighbor.
hood? 1t is this isolated character OF
of the farmers life that explains why
it is that, as statistics prove, the farm
ing class contributes more than its
share to those who people our insane
asylums. And if such is the lament
able result of isolation, an isolation
rendered more complete by roads
which are almost impossible at the
very time of the year when the farmer
is at leisure, and might otherwise be
able to get ont of his rut, is it not time
for us to begin to think of remedying
this part of the evil? And on the other
hand may we not confidently argue
that by offering facilities in the shape
of improved roads, to those who arc
thus unfortunately circumstanced, tc
get out into the world more frequently
and to get more thoroughly in touch
with their fellowmen, we are offering
something which must tend to their in
tellectual development and improve
ment.-Address of President Schaeffer
of the Iowa University, before the frs
annual session of the Iowa Road I'm
provement Association.