Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-06-06
RURAL ATTRACTIONS
HOW TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE IN
THE COUNTRY.

Have Good ROADS, an E"cieht HuF"A
Mail Service, Revolutionize the
schools and Make the Country One
Vast Park.
One Of the most active opponents or
good roads and improvement of rural
districts is Rachel J. Davidson. phy-
sician of Flint, Mich. In her opinion,
she writes to the Detroit Tribune, boys
and girls should and will stay upon
the farm when it is as pleasant there
as elsewhere, but not before. The coun-
try must tax itself as the city does,
and it must change some Of the laws,
customs and traditions. 1t must make
the roads At for travel every day In the
year and name, mark, light and spr1n-
kle them. Number the houses, build
wide boulevards connecting the town
ship high schools, the county seats, the
parks and along the lakes and rivers,
but leave plenty Of room for lawns,
flowers and benches, have ornamental
trees and shrubs artistically grouped or
scattered, teaching lessons in forestry,
Horticulture and roadscape art.
Put ten acres or more into the play
grounds Of the township high schools.
Have cooperative laundries and bak-
cries and more creameries. Build more
electric roads. Put a telephone into
every house. Have one telephone COM
pany and have the rate fixed by the
state, two rural deliveries a day-sol-
I nd
age Revolutionize the schools from
kindergarten to university. Teach ag-
riculture and manual training in the
township high schools. Have several
courses Of university extension lectures
in each township every year. Use the
university and the state travelling IL
braries freely. Let widows control
their children and property as widow
ers do now.
See that county, state and interna-
tional fairs name and mark their
streets and number each exhibitors
space. Make the country one vast
park-a wonderland. This would be
especially cheap and easy in Michigan.
With her imperial location, her unri-
vailed water fronts, her beautiful in
land lakes and rivers, her delightful
climate and her many other unequaled
natural advantages, she should become
an ideal pleasure resort for the world.
Organize country art associations,
whose objects should be to develop
roadscape, township school yard, coun-
try park and country cemetery artists.
To have county, state and information
al fairs give premiums to the counties
and states that give the best, most ap-
propriate and dignified names to their
roads and that first complete their
marking, to designers and builders of
the longest and most beautiful roads.
Of model Intercepted, county seat and
township center boulevards, Of beaut-
full avenues along our lakes and rivers,
Of country bridges, road markers and
mail boxes, of model schoolhouses. So
cial halls and other public buildings,
of convenient and pleasing farm build
ings and grounds, of a model farm,
township, village, block, city, county
and state, and to raise large sums by
subscription and taxation to invest in
such public Improvements for the sake
of the children.
Ill fares the land to Fastening ills prey
Where wealth accumulates and men de-
cay.
Have several child study clubs In
each township. On or before their
fifth birthday begin paying the chill
dren enough for their work to cover
all their expenses Assign their work
and fix the rates, giving a certain sum,
II it Is done pleasantly and without be-
ing told, less If they have to be told
and still less if it is not done pleasant
ly. Teach them how to use their mon
ey, giving them some liberty and let
ting them make some mistakes. They
v ii learn that If they keep we'll they
lose no time and have no doctors bills
to pay; that If they are careful Of their
clothes and tools they save still more.
which becomes their very own. Rent
them some land, sell them some stock.
Don't lie to them or talk too much OF
their mistakes, remembering that ev-
erybody who does anything makes mis-
takes, and teach them how to make
the most for themselves Of what they
raise. Stt tudL lllclI lOOlo dlC hoI oaNt
dull or broken. Help keep them in
good repair. Do not expect them to
hire or buy old tools or buggies or
scrub stock or poor land of relatives if
they can do as well or better else
where. Be kind, courteous, consider
ate and sympathetic with them in ev-
erything, but especially with their
griefs and losses. Having done these
things and many more until they are
twenty-one, do not begin that day to
take from them what they may have
saved.
From their childhood see that they
invest few days several times each
year in a city In going through the
shops, schools, colleges. college settle
ments, art galleries, libraries, muse
ums, parks and everything. They
should attend all the best city lectures,
few good operas and a very few the
aters. When they return full Of en-
thusiasm and new ideas and want to
improve things, do not tell them that
what was good enough for their par
ents and grandparents is plenty good
enough for them.
On Sunday afternoon and once dur
ing the week attend the township club
where there should be good music and