Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-09-14
THE COUNTRY BOY
Great Statesmen and Financiers
Are Country Born

| -
Are Country Born
Senator Fairbanks, the Republi-
can Vice-Presidential candidate,
recently expressed himself on the
prospects for advancement of the
young men of the present. He
said, referring to his own expert
ence:
1t was upon the farm that
learned how to work, and such SUD
cess as / have bad has come from
hard work. 1t is the farm that
will produce the successful men of
the future. The great writers,
lawyers and business men of the
next generation are now among the
farmer boys Of today. A few, it
is true, may come from the city,
but the majority will be from the
country.
1t is hard knocks and hard work
that develop character, continued
the Senator, and the boy who has
these is better off than lie who has
them not. The city boy has too
few difficulties to contend with,
and | doubt whether it is an ad-
vantage for boy to be born rich.
| remember once hearing party
of famous men telling of their sue
cess in life. One after another
described the trials be had had
and the steps up which he had
climbed to fame and fortune. At
last spoke the most eminent of
them all, saying: ~ am entitled
to more credit than any of you, for
1 was born rich and I have succeed
ed, in spite Of my riches"
was brought up to think chat
work was part of the duty of
man. Every one in our community
worked, and every boy expected
to do his share. l learned all kinds
of farm work and also how to
handle tools. Indeed, / was 90
skillful with tools that l got good
wages as carpenter by working
Saturdays during my colleg,
course. My pay was 1925 day,
and was equal to SO now. | felt
that / ought to pay as much as 1
could toward my college expenses,
although | suppose my father
could have paid all.
l went to school at the Ohio
Wesleyan University at Delaware,
which was situated about twenty
miles from my home. A boy from
an adjoining farm went with me
and rode there in two-horse
wagon carrying some furniture,
some books and d goodly supply Of
eatables. When we arrived we
looked about for room, and soon
found one in second story of one
Of the houses of the town, and
rented it. 1t cost us Sl.25 each u
week. We did our own cooking,
a large part of our supplies COM
ing from our homes, being sent in
by wagons. We had plenty Of
bread which our mothers baked,
and We learned how to make mush. |
One of our staples during the win
ter was buckwheat cakes. We
usually had some one to start the
batter and then by adding to it
from day to day We could keep
it alive, so that we had fresh buck
wheat cakes every morning. This
made it cost us very little and
still We lived fairly well.
Senator Fairbanks will probably |
be the last of our log-cabin candi-
dates. The forests have been so
cleared up that the future great
man cannot hope to start life rock
ed in a sugar trough and learning
his letters by the light of pine
knots. The log-cabin in which
Fairbanks was born, was situated
no: far from Columbus, in the
then wilds of Ohio. HIS father
was a wagon maker, who bought
two hundred acres of virgin forest
and turned it into farm. He
built log cabin with his own
hands, and in that cabin the Re-
publican candidate for Vice-Presi-
dent was born.