The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-27

home for his intelligent creatures. The
larger part of the poverty and wickedness
of the world is found in cities. Most Of
Gods severe judgments sent upon peo-
pie for their wickedness, have fallen on
the cities of the world. The country is
freer from temptations to vice. ;dleness
and crime. In farm life, you breathe
purer air, drink healthier water: and are
freed from the strain and worry and I'M
certainty of a business or professional
life. The contemplative mind can feast
on the beauties of nature and Look
through nature up to natre's God" l be-
lieve the happiest people of the world
are the moral, Industrious, contented
denizens of the country.
2. Farming is more remunerative than
ever before. BY wise farming, cultivatlng
less land, and making it rich, farmers
can easily make all their home supplies,
and have a surplus for market. Every
thing they make is ready sale, at fair
price. Corn, wheat, beef, pork. chickens,
eggs, butter, vegetables, cotton, tobacco,
all command good prices. The reason
for improved prices is plain. Thousands
of people have quit the farms and have
gone to the towns to engage in business,
or work in factories. All these have
stopped being producers, but are still
consumers. They have to be fed from
the farms. They have to buy all they
live on. The towns are growing rapidly,
and In proportion to their growth, the
demand for farm products will increase.
In proportion to the amount of labor
farmer does he gets better pay than
people in almost any other work. To
succeed in business, man must stick
to it every work day IN the year. from
daylight till ten o'clock at night. A
farmer works hard four or five months
in the year, during crop time. The re-
mainder of the year he is not pressed
with work. He always has something to
do, but he can take his time for it. He
can find time to rest and take recreation.
A farmer said to me recently: IF we
were to work as constantly as business
men do, we could soon make little for
tune
3. Better roads. No country will ever
prosper without good roads Our country
roads have been dreadfully bad, so much
so. that they have made property I'M
desirable, and life unpleasant. But one
OF the favorable signs of the times is, a
great awakening on the subject of better
roads. Far-seeing business men realize
that they are an absolute necessity, and
that they will pay handsome return
for all the money invested in their con-
struction. Good roads can only he had
by taxation. Many people strongly OBJ
ject to being taxed for this purpose. But
when they see the good roads, aud travel
over them, they praise instead Of con-
denim the new road laws.
There are so many miles of public
roads in each county, that it Will take
considerable time to get them all in
good condition. But the good work has
commenced, and will be pushed forward.
This means a great deal for the advant-
age and comfort of country life. With
good roads a farmer can save from one
to three dollars on every load of farm
produce he carries to market,
A Northern man bought a small tract
IF land near one of our growing towns,
an excellent farm. A neighbor said to
him: why don't more of your people
come and settle among us as you have?"
The answer was make good roads
and they will Better roads are being
made, and better farms and homes will
follow.
T.
blessing to country life. Heretofore
many country people have been at great
disadvantage as to mail facilities. They
have been locked up in comparative ig
norance of what was going on in The out
side world. Many only had mail once
q week. and often the post office was
FIVE or six miles from them. Now nearly
all on public roads have daily mail put
right at their gates. Many farmers are
now taking daily papers. More periodi-
Gals Of all kinds are being taken, and
more letters are being written. This all
means an increase of intelligence and hap
piness to the rural population. An in
crease of general intelligence, will greatly
increase financial prosperity, and pro-
mote mental, and social happiness. 1t
will lift people to higher and nobler
plan of living.
S. Better public schools. In the past
public schools have been just little
better than no schools. They continued
from two to three months in the year,
Some children learned to read and write.
Many forgot what little they learned,
and began each year where they began
the year before. They were so defective,
that parents felt but little interest in
them. 1ney were III the way Oh SUP
soription schools. Now public schools
have been greatly improved. In many
places they have been consolidated and
made equal to the graded schools of the
towns. All public schools are continued
four months. and many Of them longer
by a local tax, or by subscription.
In many districts people are opposed
to the consolidation of schools simply
because it throws the school too far from
the outer circle of the new districts.
Many children, especially small children,
cannot go so far. 1t deprives them en-
tirely of school benefits.
There is no excuse now for any child
in North Carolina growing up in ignor-
ance. Good schools are put in easy reach
of every one of them, and continued
long enough for them to get fairly good
English education.
If the school districts could remain as
they are, putting schools convenient to
all children, and the terms be heightened
to five or six months year, they would
be all majority of the country people
could patronize. Conditions have changed.
Hired labor on farms is getting to be
almost thing of the past. 1t IS hard
to get and if obtained If is Worrying