The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-03-09
SENDING OTP SOM
TO COLL EGE

In these latter days much is said a
bout giving fathers sons a college edu-
cation which is all right, provided
they have the right turn OF mind and
capacity to use their educa'ion to some
purpose; and when we look back and
see that some Of the greatest men in
the country were farmers sons, many
of them poor, without dollar to start
with, it is a great inducemeut to edu-
cate our sons, but to send boys to col
lege, who are indolent, with no aim in
life, no particular ambition for great
ness or goodness, and because we want
them off our hands, is a great mistake
They had better stay at home and dig
potatoes.
l know two such young men neal
me; they have gone to college and have
learned some refinement-how to be
genteel-and that is about all. They
have no ambition for anything. l ask
ed one of them what he went to college
for. His reply was: "Some day you
may see M. D. attached to my name"
(Sometimes "M. d." stands for '.mule
driver.") Well they are round, work
ing by the day or month, and at small
jobs when they can find them; their ed
ucation is failure-it does them no
good in their manner of living. They
remind me of farmer who had three
boys, one Of whom was rather indolent,
and, to get rid Of him, he was sent to
college. The father had occasion to
buy yoke of oxen, one of which prov
ed to be very lazy. Ore day the father
said: 81 don't know what | shall do
with that OK, he is SO lazy" One Of
the ooys at home replied: ''Well, father,
send him to college,"
On the other hand there are cases of
brilliant young men who are poor and
long for an education, but do not know
how to get it. One such, az acquaint-
ance, to my house as book agent. He
lay down on the settee, and I asked
him how long he was going to follow
that business. "Until something else
turns up" he replied. "Don't walt for
some hing to turn up" SAID l, "turn
up something yourself, and don't get
up off that settee until you have made
up your mind to do something in life"
He made straight for high school,
worked his way by doing odd jobs
taking care of doctors horses, &C., un-
til he was fitted for college, then kept
night school, working through as best
he could. He is now a very smart
minister Of the gospel, settled over a
large congregation in the State of New
York with a salary of s. 500. Anoth-
er acquaintance entered college poor,
when about half through ran out of
| funds, left and came to me and wanted
| to work until he had earned 800. |
set him to work and paid him that
money. He went back and graduated
with honors. He is now professor in
a medical college in Chicago, and has
become wealthy.
| mention these cases to encourage
other poor young men who have an aim
in life and force enough to carry it out.
Here are two failures and two successes,
with their causes. But have one in
stance in another direction. | was ac-
quainted with a wealthy farmer, who
had a fine large farm. | have seen him
with long whip driving nine yoke OF
oxen and steers in one string, all his
oHii raising and tralring. Til; farmer
had a very limited edtIcss.ion. He had
one son, and wanted to do the best~he
could Tor him. He was sent to college.
| When he returned he did not care to
| run the farm, but turned his attention
to politics and finally filled a drunk
ards grave. The father died; the
farm has grown up to bushes and the
house is standing empty. Now, if that
young man had been kept at home he
might have become master of the farm
and a highly respected and influential
citizen.
A word to the boys. The writer was
once in the city, and went into hard
ware store. A well-dressed, middle
aged man WAS there ready to 90 out
He ha handful OF pieces of STEEL
An old farmer was also there. We fell
| into farm talk. The man with the
steel stood and listened for half an
hour. When we came to Il pause he put
his hand on my shoulder and said:
Eyes, my friend, there are hundreds OF
boys who are sorry they ever left the
farm, and am one of them. To be
sure, | have IA good position here, and
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