The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-08-12
correspondence.
SHOULD THE TARM BOY 60 TO TOWN
A Correspondent Contrasts the Careers Of two
Men, One whe Goes 70 the City and One
who Remains on the Farm.

AS is well known, there is a STEADY
Aow of the people from the country to
the CITY. This means all ages, classes,
and conditions. We shall take for our
r the average young man, who,
we will say, leaves the farm and goes
to the city and accepts a position as
clerk in a store.
We shall take him first as he ap-
pears on the farm. As we said, we
shall take the average young man.
Now, what may we consider as an
average young man? To answer, we
shall say that he is eighteen to twenty
years of age; a fellow of good moral
habits and good common n (and
the young man of the country has
plenty of it at that age); he is hale
and hearty, enjoys perfect health.
It is true that he has to work pretty
hard and regularly, but we venture
to say that in nine cases out OF ten
whenever he wants to take a "day of"
he can do it. If he wants to go to the
city he has but to hitch his own horse
to his own buggy and go and spend
his time as he desires, knowing that
if he does not get back home by a GER
tain hour and minute he will not lose
his Job. 1t is true that he does not
as a rule possess nor handle as
much money as the young man of the
city-but, as we purpose to show
further on he does not have the &C
tual need for as much money on the
farm as the young man in the city
has. Why? Because Cd he makes
on the farm a greater part of what he
needs and consumes; and % because
he has not the temptation to spend
none that the young man in the city
has.
Our country friend is free-he
breathes free, pure air; he is asso-
ciated with Gods handiwork, the
birds, flowers, trees, far-stretching
fields and meadows. His environ
ments, temptations, and associates
are such that his mind is not divert
ed when he is engaged in a certain
line of thought. When his days work
is ended he can then enjoy a nights
rest. If he has money, there is not
the temptation to spend-no saloon,
no. ambling den; none of the clap
traps by which his money oozes from
him.
After some years of this close ap-
plication and attention to business
which are necessary to success in any
undertaking because fortunes with
the average man are not made in a
day-if he is thrifty, he will have &C
cumulated some property, more or
less, depending upon the individual.
Other things being equal, as the years
increase in number, so does the farm
increase in value.
We shall now consider our subject
as having reached middle-life, as hav-
ing reached the top of the hill. His
thoughts ~ LOW dDOuJ Tic luJUI6 =
he sees old age coming on. Notwith-
standing these facts we venture to say
that he enjoys life more than does a
friend of the same age and opportun-
ity who lives in the city. Although
becoming bent with age, and his abil-
ity for performing manual labor is
not Cn Cpnof oC IN fOrr,o- ~o,-- l.
has been constantly at it for quite a
while and knows just how his work
should be done as when he himself
had it to do, and is still able to con-
duct his business. He is now enjoy
ing the rich returns of the toll of
younger days; those days when the
temptations were so strong to leave
the old farm for the city. As the
Apostle says che has fought a good
fight, he has finished his course, he
has kept the faith" etc. And as he
looks out over his farm he says with
the poet, Il am monarch of all that
survey"
But here we shall leave u farmer
friend and visit, as it we're, his friend
who yielded to the temptation, left
the farm and went to the city.
He took a position in a store. as
clerk, at $40 per month. q have
known them to ct as much Cd as
IS and so per month and board.) In
the country he dressed plainly; in the
city he has to wear better clothing
he has to wear his Sunday clothe:
every day and-has to get some bet