Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-11-07
A Coming Change.

While for the past fifteen years
there has been very marked trend
ON the part of the country people to
the cities, this brought about by a
variety of cause.-the isolation of
farm life, it's limited educational and
social advantages and the natural de-
sire to be in more ready touch with
busy and progressive civilization,
we think that this migration city
ward has spent its force and that in
the near future we shall see it
wholly cease, if indeed it be not re-
versed, the city resident turning to
the country as place of residence.
Agencies are at work which are
rapidly removing many of the old
the betterment of the highways,
the building of trolley lines, the rural
telephone system and the daily rural
mail route are each and all tending
to make country living more desir-
able and city living less attractive.
The very best type of English living
is found in the country homes of
Great Britain, and the same will yet
be true of America. The POSSIBLE
ties connected with the identifying
and refining of the American farm
home are almost illimitable, and when
once accomplished no sensible man
or woman would care to exchange
the pure air, the unfettered environ
ment, the immunity from restrictive
municipal ordnance and the burden
of city taxation, the ever pleasing
rural associations always wholesome,
healthful and inspiring, for anything
which the city has to offer in the
way of home. To accomplish this
most desirable change, there must
first be II campaign of education
among the dwelllers in farm homes
along the line Of improving the home
and its surroundings, and new that
largely relieved the burden of indebt-
edness it is easily possible to accom-
plish much practical and good work
on this line. To do this there must
| be more or less of sentiment devel-
oped, for il is true that many things
which contribute to the making of I
refined and beautiful home, whether
in city or country, will not bring
their reward i'm dollars and cents. but
rather i'm the betterment of the in
tellectual and moral he of the PEG.
pie who live in it. This education
will have t. cover wide field. and
will include iinproven. mt in farm
methods. in the quality of stock, a
knowledge OF soils and climatic con-
ditions. utilities and economics, both
on the farm and in the home, some
knowledge of horticulture and fiori-
culture. that sense of the fitness OF
things which will put the pigs ard
the cows and the poultry in their
proper places. which viii keep the
house and buildings neatly painted
tie fences in good repair, the weeds
In subsection and front the home with
a large and pleasant door yard ever
barred to foraging farm animals oil
all kinds. In the home Il will multi
Iply good books and papers and light
en- the burden of the wife and moth.
err with all modern and useful house
hold appliances for the doing of her
work. A telephone will put the fam
lily IN instant touch with the outside
world. and rural mail route will
deliver the daily paper. No better
or more promising field of work is
now open to the man who would bet
ter the condition of his fellow men
than in the line OF helping to bring
about such change in country liv'
Ing that shall make n country home
the best home to he found in sill TIT
land