The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-04-05
HOW ONE RURAL COUNTY IS GOING
FORWARD.

W W ASSOSh1LCu NY all
thoughtful men. When one of the States first
editors was invited to address the A.. & NJ. CoUege
Summer School last July, he chose as his subject
The Renaissance of Agriculture" When the
President of the State Literary and Historical
Association came to deliver his annual address
last November he found his inspiration in "The
Enrichment of Country Life" And whenever y
Tar Heel anywhere begins to talk of the progress
of his State, he lays emphasis on the advancement
financial, social, and intellectual-of our rural
districts. In our editorial "Helping Forward
Your Neighborhood, published a week or two ago,
we endeavored to set forth the means by which
our more progressive communities are forging
ahead. But we have the authority of the Father
of his Country for the assertion that Example is
more prevalent than p~recept," and so we think it
quite likely that the following report of what
Union County is doing, as given by Editor r. F.
Beasely in the last number of the Monroe Journal.
will prove an even more effective stimulus to
effort than any argument that we could make.
Let us consider then the record that Union has
made and set ourselves to the task of bringing our
backward counties up to the same standard of
achievement:
1T is a positive pleasure to go over Union Coun-
ty and see the visible signs of prosperity that
everywhere greet the eye. A few years ago only
the best farmers showed spirit and hopful energy.
The tenant class who could get any kind of en-
ployment at the mills and in the towns fled from
the country. Farmers had no energy to plant
crops which they knew must be sold at cost or lit
tie over. They could not afford to hire labor, con-
seQuently fences fell down, out-houses decayed,
fields were untitled, bitches filled up, and every
where in this county the blioht of hard times and
poor prices left its mark. Dependency had the
helm.
Now all this is changed. And what a change!
The writer has recently been in many sections of
the county. The marks of change are pleasant to
behold and would be sufficient to pay for the trou-
bic of any one to go and see. There are more
new houses in Union County lately completed or
in course of construction than there has ever
been. Almost every community has a saw-mill
which furnishes lumber for building. And the
new houses are better than those of former days.
They are nice cottages of from three to eight
rooms, with an occasional really handsome two
story house, all built in nice style, with porches,
gables, ample windows and tasty roofs. Old ten
ant houses are being repaired and occupied; huge
barns are seen everywhere, all of them larger than
the old ones; pastures are enlarged and new
fences run; new rails and new wire are seen III
abundance; new land is being taken in and old
fields revoked. Two other things lend a great
deal to this impression of prosperity, hOpefulness
and energy of the county-telephOne lines and
rural mail boxes. Wires follow, cross and recross
the roads, while the bright, new mail boxes line the
highway.
IF you don't believe what is here written as to
the signs of material prosperity, select at random
any public road that goes out from Monroe and
travel it to the county line.
"But there is yet more to tell. A part OF IL
may be told in these words, so often spoken IN
1~ EG-l:4.o--