The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-15

period begins It is right here that the
usefulness of the farm school comes out
The momentary dissatisfaction. induced
perhaps by bIistered hands or an aching
back, may be kept in check by the
friendly counsel of the superintendent
until it wears of. But if the EEy was
thousands of miles away from his fam
liar haunts he might become SO home
sick for the pavements that in the alb
sence of kindly advice he might run
away.
Bat on the farm school it is different.
He is told that he may go back to the
city if he wishes, but he is shown that
he is losing a chance to make something
of himself if he backs out. Then he sees
other boys around him who are sticking
to their work bravely, and ten chances
to one he picks up the hoe and goes to
work again with his back turned square
" on the city.
There are from 40 TO so boys at the
farm school all the year round. In the
big building there are accommodations
for 81 amateur farmers. The boys are
CHARTERED in large, airy dorlnitories, and
they live as members of one big family.
They are irst cleaned up and given
some stout, serviceable clothes to work
in, for there is plenty of work to be
done. The boys are given the true idea
Of what life on a farm is like. They get
up before sunrise and are out in the
fields while the dew is still on the grass.
When the breakfast bell rings, they
troop into the big dining room and ca
gerly gather around the long table. The
superintendent, with his family and the
few teachers who are employed, sits at
the table with them, and thus the boys
learn some of the rudiments of table
etiquette.
Some attempt is even made toward
educating the boys, and forenoon sessions
are held in the schoolrOom for the
younger lads and for the older ones who
wish to attend Only the simplest stud
les are taken up, but superintendent
Lewis tries to have his boys leave with
a knowledge Of the three r So at least.
Out in the fields there is work even for
the youngest.
Such products as are not consumed
on the farm itself are sent to New York
to be used in the various lodging houses
of the society. Last year. for instance,
the boys raised 100 barrels Of apples, 10
barrels Of pears. 1, 800 head Of cabbages,
25 carloads Of pumpkins, "a, 1856 quarts
vi In41ks 4OO DOltESlB u D0blcI, 20 BQSu-
els Of beans and 100 bushels Of toma-
toes, besides 40 tons of hay, so bushels
of barley, 100 of rye, $50 of oats and 80
of buckwheat If all this had been sold
at market rates, it would have brought
over 81, 500.
The discipline on the farm is strict,
but not rigorous, and the boys are en-
cOuraged to do their best to become val
liable farm assistants, because they know
thst when they are considered colnpe-
tent they will be taken west and in
stalled in new homes. The record Of
each boy is kept, and when he gets a
certain number of credit marks he is
graduated. It is not all work and no
play, for the boys have their evenings
in which to read, and every Saturday
they have a half holiday. They seem to
enjoy the life greatly, and sometimes a
boy does not wish to leave when the
time comes.
But generally the prospects of a long
railroad journey and the anticipation Of