Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-20
THE OLD LANDMARKS
ARE PASSING AWAY
BRUNT. Ca. oct. 6, 1902.

BRUNT. Ca. oct. 6, 1902.
Editor Journal:
Only three months longer and the year
1902 viii be a thing of the past. Many
changes have taken place in and around
our little village. The old landmarks are
rapidly disappearing and in some places
modern buildings are being erected and
new enterprises are taking the place OF
old ones. But the old southern planta-
ton, with spacious barns and the horse
gin are things OF the past.
It would be foolish TO grieve for the
old landmarks, for we are living in an
age of progress. And as our glad nation
grows and expands with the onward
march Of civilization. as q natural conse-
quence, we must cast aside the old inple-
rhents and machinery used by our fore
fathers, as Improbable and in its stead
get up TO date machinery that will save
money and labor But in the face or
these many improvements we come face
to face with another serious problem,
and that is the tendency of so many OF
our land owners 20 move 10 the towns and
cities, leaving their lands in the hand OF
tenants to be run to death In cotton and
70 wash away for want OF attention.
While this section has some wide-awake,
enterprising farmers who are seeking by
every possible means to bring their lands
to a higher state of cultivation by the
large fields OF COW peas. which is one Of
the surest and quickest ways to reclaim
the waste and worn lands Of our country.
II is not so everywhere. II the big plan
tations could be cut up into small farms
and sold to thrifty. enterprising men, our
country would soon blossom as the rose,
churches and school. would flourish the
old hermit like life of the farmer on a
big plantation would be thing of the
past. while a new order of things would
rapidly appear with a community filled
with prosperous and contented people,
there could be but one result-happiness.
There must be a change in our mode Of
hlling the soil. for the present state Of
cultivation has much to do with discour-
aging our farm boys. II he sees before
him large fields OF poorly worked crops
on one hand and old dilapidated building
and tenant houses, then add to this the
constant nagging of old creditors and
that boy has little encoura cement to re-
main on the farm. But let everything be
prosperous, even on small scale. Let
the houses Of both landlord and tenant be
neat and well kept; let the farm, IL small
be rich and productive and the surround
ings as pleasant and inviting as possible,
and we have gone long way towards
encouraging our farmer boys to remain
on the farm. Success always helps the
young man on the farm and encourages
him to put forln greater efforts in his
chosen occupations; failure depresses him,
he sees the dark side of farm life and he
is ready to leave the old farm in the
hands of negro tenants, to seek a better
place in some distant town or city but
alas. he finds that IN order to succeed he
must work. 'All that glitters is not gold"
Success or failure is stamped on every
enterprise. and on all professions. 1t
matters not where you may be, whether
you are behind the counters OF a bank.
or between the plowhandles. the world
will sooner or later find you out. so while
our cities and towns are growing and
prospecting. let agriculture which is the
foundation of our great commonwealth
lag not behind.
For as the poet has said:
THAT a bold peasantry a country's pride.
When once destroyed can never be sup
Piled"
S.D.TURNER.