The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-07-17


THAI the annual increase OF the popu-
iation Of that city embraces severa.
thousand young men from the farms
who are the victims OF the notion that
opportunity awaits them In the cities
alone. II IL true that this opinion on
the part Of 90 many young men Is de-
fusion. but the young men themselves
are not responsible for II. They read
OF this or that man who has risen to
some distinction In commercial, profess
sional or political life that he was
raised on the farm" This Ii said SO
frequently that. very naturally. the
young man on the farm comes to be-
heve that success awaits him In the
cities. In the illusion produced by the
glowing stories Of the few the young
man loses sight OF the failure or the OBJ
hvion Of the many who 80 TO the cities
and are thereafter rarely ever heard of.
The nine-tenths find that they must
struggle In q crowded labor market
and accept wages that win not secure
them the good living OF the farm. II
they marry they must. for the most
part. live In crowded tenement houses
II they SO to the largest cities. II a
man IL more successful he cannot hope
Tor the larger success Of which he has
read and which has led him to the city.
So II all who 60 10 the cities from the
farm would tell the plain truth about
the matter they would confess that
they would be better back on the farms
u they could rent and till small piece
OF land. Those people who write and
talk about the farm give the impress
sion that Il II 4 life of drudgery to be
escaped. This n mistake; the aver.
age farmer does not toll 10 many hours
In the year as do men In most city en-
Payments With modern machinery
the farmer 10 very much q mechanic,
and mechanic the severity Of whose
labor has been greatly reduced by Ia
bor-saving and notwithstanding ma
chinery. No man who SO largely de-
ponds upon his daily employ ment for
his bread h 40 much his own man as
the average farmer. At the presen,
time the drudgery of the farm 10 no
greater than that Of any other employ
ment. There are thousands Of men in
every one Of the States who. farming
intelligently, are forehanded and arr
making money from year to year. II
was the opinion Of the late Governor
Mount Of indiana that no occupation
Afforded such opportunities for acuuir-
Ing competency a. does farming. While
II may he that many Of the brightest
Of those born on the farms have east
their lots In the cities. there Ii good rea.
son to believe that In comparison OF
al who left the farms with nil who re-
main on them the average Of the latter
would be the better 50 Tar as living con,
ditions are concerned. During the last
few years the introduction Of the tele
phone. the electric railway and the free
rural delivery OF the malls have chang
ed the situation. The isolation. or the
out -of-the-world life on the farm ia
practically thing Of the past, or will
be In the course Of few years. Furth-
erMore. II has been demonstrated that
In no calling are brains more needed
than In managing the affairs OF the
farm. In the near future the farmer.
above other men, must be q man Of in
telligence and ability II he would sue
coed. An evolution has begun which
win change the methods Of agriculture
~ the Introduction OF machinery has
reyoautionised the methods Of produc-
tion In other industries.