The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-01-22
KEEPS TIE BOYS AT HOME.
nOis Has This Object for Its
Principal Aim.

farms of southern Illinois to the cities
is being combated in this section of
Egypt by society bearing the name of
Farmers Relief association. The asso-
citation is the outgrowth of an idea
Matched in southern Illinois, and in the
seven counties where the society is or
ganized its effects are plainly seen, says
the Chicago Inter Ocean. The rush of
young men to st. Louis, Chicago and Gin
cinnati has been almost completely
stayed. The farmers boys are them
selves members of the new organization,
which has jim manner furnished at
fractions to rural life which largely Off
set the allurements of the city.
The Farmers Relief association is
modelled somewhat upon the lines of the
trades union, and embodies some of the
best and most reasonable features of
former ill-born farmers societies The
central idea of the association is to make
country life attractive. The founder,
James H. England, contended that if in
each school district the families could
be brought into closer social relations
and the life given some little variety
the problem would be solved.
The school district was made the unit
In the plan. The school teacher was
raised from mere pedagogue to social
arbiter. He is called the chairman of
the community committee, and he sees
that there is always ''some sort of do
ms" as the people say. The Wagner
school district, few miles south of Car
bondale, is the best organized COM
| mun1ty. In the Wagner society every
person in the district, transient or resi-
dent, is entitled to membership. To the
| social events of the district the rural
pedagogue invites every man, woman
and child. That means that there are
no feuds, no quarrels. no wrangling, in
the community, for all the people meet
in social way
The society has gone further than
| this. and has installed school district
| telephone system. An old lady who has
nothing to do but darn heavy home
knit socks or sew carpet rags is the
hello girl" Each family in the district
pays five dollars annually for the use Of
a telephone, and they use 1t. The young
men do their counting over the tele-
/
only complaint of the telephone serv-
ice to be made so far was that one rainy
| night Cupid had connected so many
of the subscribers that a very sick man
| could not get message through to the
| doctor in Carbonate The man did not
die, however
/ AS soon as the telephone system was
1 in working order the school teacher
/ organized string band. This country
musical organization furnishes the
music at the dances and the church So
| cables. The band has repertoire that
1 includes everything from The Arkansas
! Traveller to Comm Through the Rye"
and there is hardly night in month
that it is not engaged.
The Home league, the twin sister to
the Farmers association, is the woman's
club of the country. 1t is conducted on
the same lines as the clubs in the cities
1t conducts class in domestic science
and does its share of entertaining. The
two organizations combined have hit the
l:redit, or '.on tick" system a knockout
blow. If member has anything to sell
he must demand cash for 1t. If he buys
he must pay cash.
All these things combined have helped
TO make country life attractive to the
country people When all the plans are
fully carried out the organizers believe
that the young men, or the proportion
Of them which remain in the country,
will be satisfied to STAY out of the cities