The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1904-01-13
PLUNKETT.
Atlanta Constitution.


Relieve the loneliness, institute
good schools, and our women will
he happy. children cheerful, the
farmer prosperous and the whole
world blessed.
1t is a common occurrence TO,
people to visit Decatur for day
or week or a month to escape
the disoomforts of the city and
breathe the fresh air of DeKalb, as
pure as that of the mountains in
isolated and inconyenient places
While these visitors receive their
comforts by coming to us. very
often learn things of profit from
them and a knowledge of the
world that many of US would have
never known save for their com.
ing.
We had the pleasure and the
profit, we hope, of meeting an in
telligen, French gentleman at De-
oatur In, and spending an after
: noon one day last week in hearing
, him tell of some of the customs
across the water. From this gen.
tlemsn's account. France is a most
wonderful agricultural country
and. in his opinion, these hills of
Georgia could be made just as
: wonderful in that line. 1 wieh
. that every farmer of the south
: could have heard him tell of just
how the people of France live and
farm, remarking incidentally that
from what he could see in a visit
, to our country, the lands here were
just as good and would yield as we'll
under the same treatment and
methods as is practiced in France.
To start with, the schools are
brought to the children instead of
the children having to go to the
: schools The churches also and
the convenienoes of village life are
brought to the people and the lone
illness of living in the country aud
pursuing agricultural is done away
with.
These French farmers. from this
gentleman's account, live in vii
lagos something on the order of
plantation negro quarters of be-
fore the war, saving, of course. that
the houses are of brick instead of
logs, and the place has the air of
comfort and freedom rather than
that of a quarter for slaves. In
stead of the farmer building to be
in the midst of his work, they build
for the oonveniencss of their fami-
hes. Instead of the children hav-
ing to travel three or four miles
along lonely and dangerous roads
to arrive at school, the school is at
home, and the men travel the dis
tance 10 their work. Instead of
the good wife having to remain
lonely day after day by herself
and little children, she is given the
socisbility of village contact and
the oonvenienoes thereof.
To hear this gentleman talk,
should fall as suggestion to the
South. No one can doubt but
that the loneliness of country life
in Georgia has much to do with
the dissatisfaction that has appear
ed in our country homes. This is
Sd true that we may talk about
other things as much as we please,
but it will do no good till country
life is relieved of its loneliness, and
has the other advantages of people
living close together as in villages,
The truth is that if rough, strong
men had to stay all alone in some
of the houses where frsil and timid
women do stay day after day, and
often at night, there would be nc
living in the country-men woulc
never stand the loneliness. muct
less the tear, that turks in the con
ditions of life on the farm here il
Georgia. Then, 1 say, as 1 hsv'
said before in other connections
these drawbacks must be relieved
it should he every mans desire t.
correct every drawback that at
taohes to farming. and how to d.
this is the greatest question tina
confronts the southern people to
day.
These suggestions from stran
gers within our gates are vel
worthy of oonsideration-this i
the way to learn. The northern