The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-04-14


i C,lonsnaslon The lAes ofshe -
turo-fhe Ediser Of Southern Pro-
srsss. or fPSiIsassphss. Prsssats Lee.
scal Reesons to That Easce-sooial
ssarvstioa . Tsasnrs Of American
Agricultural Lifs-Evsrythlng Re-
isting to Culture steaAily Ignored.
Chicora, 8. c.. March q. lsss.-The
success Of the numerous agricultural
colonies which have been foundedi in this
country during the past Ave years.
while possessing but few original fea-
lures, I believe will mark an epoch and
effect a revolution in American agricul-
ture. It will, too. mark the taking Of
another step. or perhaps the making Of
another march forward. In . direction
in which II is most desirable that
steady progress should be made; that
IL. toward more complete human
knowledge Of the art Of living. Such
instruction will be at once benencent
and will certainly effect moral as
well as an Industrial revolution.
There Is hardly a city in the United
States which does not contain more
people than can get an honest living
by labor or trade in the best of times.
When times Of depression come. like
those we have passed through. there Is
q large class that must be helped to
| keep them from suffering. The fact is
patent. today, that the only prosperous
class is the agricultural. We have the
anomaly Of thrifty farmers and starv-
ling tradesmen. The agricultural classes.
and especially those of the colonies.
are prosperous. They have good crops
every year. and always receive good
prices for their products. While the
cities of the country are in trouble and
/ manufactures are running on half
time, or not running at all, the farmer
/ has money in his pocket and a ready
market for everything he has to sell.
| The country must be fed. and the far
mer has to hustle to feed 1t. The city
/ family may do without new clothes. a
4 cabinet organ. folding bed and a
| thousand luxurious appliances. but 1t
must have bread and meat: conse-
quently there is nothing that can pre-
vent the steady prosperity of the far
| mer.
This is not the first time l have al
| luded to the above subject, and 1t Is
not likely to be the last, for I have re =
ceived some striking object lessons of
| late in the mining and manufacturing
cities Of Pennsylvania. The average
| worker in that state tolls more hours
| for less monev than the average far
mer in anv part Of the Union. He is
neither fed or lodged as well as the
field hand. He Is neither fed or lodged
as well as the slaves of the old regime.
He Is a bond slave to his employers
land his conditions. The farmer Is bet
ter off than any worker ever saw in
the mines or mills Of Pennsylvania. In
fact, the farmer is more independent,
has more command of his own time,
Fares better at the table, lodges better
and gets better return for his labor
than any $500 year wage man whom
ever met.
l am asked why, II the above state
4 nents are facts. every young man, ap-
parently, who thinks he can get a liv-
ling in the city or at the minor centers
f population, quits the farm and joins
he multitude; also where the colonial
ZION part Of this story comes in. The
reason can be found, I believe, in
The social leanness, or social starvation,
in the average American agricultural
@life. The farmer, unless l except the
Mormons, the Mennonites, the Risley
colonists In New Jersey, Virginia
North Carolina, or here at Chicora, the
Shakers, the Dunkards or the Rugby
&ites. in all his building and all his
planning, has never made provision for
life. He has only considered the means
of getting a living. Everything out
side of this. everything relating to So
ciety and culture has been steadily ig-
nored. He gives his children the ad-
vantages of schools, and then fails to
provide the social wants which these
educational advantages have called
into life. A bright, well educated fam
lily on lonely American farm is very
different material from a family
brought up in ignorance. An American
farmers children who have had few
years at neighboring academy re-
semble in no degree the children of
European peasants. They come home
with new ideas and new wants, and
II they find no opportunities for their
satisfaction they will be ready on
Preaching their majority to fly the farm
and seek the city.
A story told me some years ago tells
of farm isolation in the extreme and
pitiful to the same degree.
when l settled on my claim" the
Kansas homesteader began, "and got
the house built, our highest neighbor
was four miles off. When 1t was
cloudy we couldn't see the house at ali
We got along. though. by planning what
we would do next year. I think that
helped US a good deal to keep us in
heart; its lucky knack in anybody:
when q man quits looking ahead I
wouldn't give shucks for him. We
didnt weaken once. did we. Sarah?"
n mo Dick" answered the wife. n
bright eyed little body. with a flush
of rose In her tanned cheeks, I'VE
didn't. not even when your tobacco
gave out" and an insinuating smile
iurked about her mouth.
well. that was tough" he returned.
III anything Will make q man lose his
q IN IL Al