Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-06-27
"sAcK TO THE WOODS"

"8ACK TO THE WOODS"
The rush to the cities may give a
few thousand people more excitement
! than would have been their lot had
they remained to become cultivators
, of the soil, says the Seattle Times.
Whether this excitement will pass for
real happiness depends on the individ-
ual The rush to the cities is also
crowding them with unsilled labor,
which can make no advancement.
A return to the country of part of
this body of unfortunate city seekers
would result in good to themselves
and to the agricultural communities.
But to get these people to return by
any method of persuasion is impos-
sible. Only actual and continued eff
fort drives them away. Then they go
with a feeling of shame and disap-
pointment. 1t Is back to the woods, 4"
and they act as if every man they
passed was scofIing at them.
This branding of country life as
back to the woods" is grossly unfair
There is no inherent virtue in a city
job There is nothing in the life of a
farmer or planter that makes his the
"Rube of literatue Many a young
man in town who speaks of "back to
the woods" with the air of a philoso.
pher and the conqueror of cities works
harder and has less comforts, and less
fun, than the farmers boy. There is
nothing in the countryman that can
not be brought to the average city
standard by a shave, or suit of work
ingman's clothes-and three days
wandering about the streets.
The whole difference lies in the uni
versa disposition to get ahead fast.
The young man with a city job feels
himself the future magnate He may
pass his lifetime in overalls-but
there is ever that conceit of future
chances. The countryman is not to
be credited with these chances. He is
too far away. He may have more
bIains-may make more money-may
have a better bed, and better food to
eat than the young man in town. But
he is too far from Pike street to be
up on things He is hopeless in his
preference for the farm.
But the young man who is to be
the magnate numbers tnousands--yea,
millions. He crowds the cities. hust.
les for his daily bread and gets from
the lighted streets ana saloons and
/ the parks what must be his only hap.
piness. He can never be made to see
differently-since the city and the
only the city has been his education.
The country, teaching its children
to know the country and the city, is
losing a part of its population to the
cities, Now let the cities add study
of the country to its ever.present ur.
ban object lessons, and there will be
a lot of city middle-aged and
grey-bearded-go back to the woods"
and live better and wiser and far more
! comfort
A movement in this direction Is the
opening of public OF public school gar
dens in Philadelphia. Children who
early get natures method in their
minds will easier follow the call back
to nature, They will not be deceived
by the sneer from $40 a month fel-
low who may cry back to the
woods" profitable farm is a better
life than running a cigar stand-yet a
cigar stand, compared to the state of
millions OF city workers, brings a
princely salary
The man who knows how to run a
farmland runs it-has less worry
than business man. II the two be OF
equal mental growth, the farmer has
the more chance OF adopting up-to-
date methods and more versatile
life, Decided on its merits, the
life Of the country is better than the
life of the town. Decided by the false
glamour OF the music hall there is dis.
grace in going back to the woods"