The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-04-25
81 A YEAR,
Hints For Country Boys.

There is a movement on foot Tor
tbe establishment of a farm school
for the poor boys of Dallas, Texas
1t is proposed to teach the boys to
treat the sol, to plant seed, to take
care Of the crop from sprout TO
market. to care for farm animals,
tools and implements, and to learn
that the successful farmer is not
the one who owns the most land
but the one who obtains the best
results from his lands. The prln.
cipal value Of such a school, though,
if it be established and conducted
successfully, will lie in its ability
to teach the boys who are Obliged
to work for living that the coun-
try is better place for them than
the city. The fact cannot be en-
phasied too strongly.
Some country boys may imagine
that the swift road to wealth and
happiness lies towards the city.
They have, perhaps, observed that
some of their fellows who have
sought fortunes in the city have q
prosperous air about them when
they visit their old haunts. They
wear clothes of fashionable cut,
they make a display of their cash,
they smoke cigars, or, more likely,
cigarettes, and their talk is large.
Well.the peacock, when he spreads
his tail, makes fine display. The
said tail. however, is of no practi-
cal value except to dust or orna-
mentation, and some folks believe
that the feathers bring bad luck.
If the country boy codld but know
tho facts about the transformed
city lad. the latter would not be
such an incentive for the former
to follow his example. In all
probability the fashionable suit of
clothes represents a weeks wages
or more, at least $40, and the trip
to the country, including cigars or
cigarettes, and the spare change
so lavishly displayed, represents
another weeks wages, gained by
heing at the beck and call of an
other man six days ia the week,
and from ten 10 twelve hours a
day. The large tax represents
least of all. Talk is cheap. Be-
hind it ali, though, is the fact,
which il sometimes forgotten, that
while the city employee may have
SS or $40 given him every Satur-
day night, he has very few dollars
to call his own when he has paid
his board and lodging, his car fare
n has clothed himself.
no be sure, many country bred
boys have succeeoed, and succeed
ell wonderfully, in the city. princi-
pllly because they were country
bred. Bat for the great mas, whe-
Their born in the country or city,
life 10 the city seems, al the great
esf, the ability TO spend ones life
working for another in the effort TO
make living. with little tins f"r
self.improvemen. and with nothing
mate iai to show al the end. On
tn other hand, the country employe
Of steady habits, OF integrity and
energy, has before hun the pros
pect of owing hl- own farm, where
every lick Oh work ne does - lot
himself and tending 70 improve bis
investment Of money or labor. He
has the satisfaction of being his
own master, and even though be
may leave his family nothing but
the original farm and his good
name he wi. have had opportunity
10 make for himself q we'll roan1-
ed character, which, after all, ought
10 be The main object of NAM
life Country boys, and even city
ones, should be taught that the OPP
portunitY Of independence dimin-
lshcs as the drift from The country
TO The city insle sss. Southern
Firm Magszlne.