The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-11-29
RENTING THE FARM.


town to please his family and because
he has vague notion that he ought to
retire is often a pathetic sight. His
occupation is gone, and with it the in
tcrcsts of life time. He enters a new
environment and feels himself shrink
ing in importance as the days go by.
With the removal Of all obligations to
busy himself, he often falls into the
habit of doing nothing a good share Of
the time, and hugs the chimney corner
when he is not gossiping with old
cronies at the village store. lie grows
old rapidly and from being man of
some distinction in the community he
rapidly dcteriOrates into the class Of
supcriluous individuals who contribute
nothing TO society. Such is not neces-
sarily the fate of all men who retire
from the active management Of farms,
but it occurs frequently enough to
afford plenty of examples. One
wonders why they are SO easily per-
suadcd to relinquish an active life, yet
the reasons are abundant enough if one
takes the trouble TO investigate. Per-
haps the children are growing up and
clamor for greater scholastic advantages
than the district school affords, and
better society. They unite to persuade
pa that he is getting old, that he needs
a rest and that he ought to rent the
| farm and move to town where Jack
may eventually secure Il clerical posi-
ton and Mary learn drcssmakipg. His
life has seemed to him monotouous and
filled with hardships, and he, too,
thinks change would be agreeable.
So he rents the farm but he never feels
like man among inen after. In latey
years when the farm has dcterioratcd
under a succession of tenants and has
| finally been sold for half It's value,
when the pleasures Of clerical life have
begun to pail, Jack obviously thinks
Of the good old times on the farm, and
| wishes he had not been SO eager to sell
his birthright.
The man who removes with his fumi-
ly to the village but who continues to
superintend the work on his farm or
farms, is in a very different situation.
For him life loses none of its interest
He has simply enlarged his boundaries
| by moving to town, and he has q sense
of security in the thought that in adj
vcrsty there is always the farm to fall
| back upon.
Some agrlculturists clam, however,
that no man can farm proiitabIy at long
| range, that is, after he has ceased to
! reside on the farm. We are not pre-
pared TO yield the Point in the face of
so he conspicuous examples to the con-
Of argument the case against the farm
nI< Il l>,~ g., -,
stronger. Would it not pay better in
the end TO employ more help and to
provide horses to convey his children
| to and from the high school and places
of amusement, or better yet to send
| them to college, but keep their home
and its association unchanged. A
telephone is an easy and comparatively
cheap vehicle Of communication which
any farmer who is rich enough to retire
can well afford, and there arc many
, luXuries possible to the farm home
that will not only make it tolerablc to
young people, but attractive. Those
who have had even slight acquaint-
ancc with frontier farmers who usually
live five or ten miles from railroad,
will acknowledge that among them were
6Oulc VI tlC lllOSU SOCltlUlC pCOplC CllCy
ever knew, people who know how to
entertain and be entertained. The
hospitality Of the South in antc.bel am
days, and tho social intercourse be-
tween plantations many miles apart,
| made that part of our country famous.
! A social disposition will find oppor-
\ tunitics even on farm and 1t seems a
pity to exchange it's independence and
freedom and the beautiful associations
of life so close to the heart of nature,
for what often proves TO be q more
! crampcd and less healthy existence in
town.
1t is natural and right that the farm
er who has satisfied his material
| ambitions should thcnceforwaru de-
sire to take life easier, but there is q
vast difference between resting and
\ rusting g.-FdrmerS' RevieaO.
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