Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-09

I am impressed by the growing popularity
of outing travel among people OF the merely
well-to-do classes. To the ordinary mai
on business errands bent, car travel would
be a burden we're 1t not for the good humor
vacation spirit Of his fellow travellers. In
their relaxation there is an infectious cheer
that speaks OF the wholesome enect OF
change and OF. the added zest with which
the DAYS work will be taken up again when
the outing is ended.
The habit of spending some small part OF
each year in looking about is a good one.
The tension Of modern American life de-
mands that both mind and body have perl
iods OF relaxation-must have them or In
time suffer the nervous breakdown which Is
the curse Of our age.
That this fact is going to be widely rec
ognized is shown by the variety OF people
who make up the goodly company OF sum
mer travellers. The minister leaves his SER
mons and his wife her missionary meetings
and aid societies. The lawyer, under the
excuse OF land hunting, seems able to de-
sert his clients for a time. tn banker
drops his business mask and talks eagerly
and with enthusiasm of good hshing re-
sorts. The leader Of men meekly follows
his golf-skirted daughters and wife. The
teacher loses her worried frown, the book
keeper his stoop, and the newspaper man
well the newspaper maj is there but ne
a one who can never lay aside his profess
sional mantle! He carries with III his
notebook and his politics.
But where is the farmer? The great
producing agent, the man without whom
these other classes would cease to exist
the man whose work has given its value to
the land which is viewed from the car win
dows is seldom found among the vacation
pilgrims.
why is this3 We know that a farmers
life Is as monotonous and wearying as any
There are certain short seasons when his
work is extremely heavy and rushing.
During the haying, harvesting. stacking
and threshing periods in spite OF the heat
and stress the farmer must work from day
light until dark without daring to lose a
day or an hour. Weather conditions often
demand night labor. This period lasts for
something like two months. AT the end no
one on the farm can fail to be exhausted.
Farmer wives and daughters bear heavy
burdens OF homework and theirs are lives
OF comparative isolation. They, would
keenly appreciate periods OF communion
with the outside world. Why is 1t that
farmers families so rarely enjoy these ad-
vantages? The few who do change their
lives now and then are usually the best
farmers. They are the ones with the most
progressive ideas and methods. the farm
ers who are most highly regarded In the
community. But why are they so few?
Surely not because farmers cannot anord
the expense OF outing trips. I instance to
you an average farming section in Ne
braska: Within a radius Of two miles
there are probably ten or twelve men worth
$4,000 to S25 900 each. Yet many Of them
live In the manner OF city laborers earning
81 a day. They scorn vacations as they
scorn the pretty comforts and pleasures OF
their city relatives. who. perhaps, are
worth much less money-simple comforts
and pleasures which from ignorance as
to the ease Of obtaining them are
regarded by the farmer as wild and
foolish extravagances. l am inclined to
believe that It IL mainly this false idea