The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-28
RURAL DELIVERY AND LIFE IN
THE COUNTRY.

There are only three things needed
to carry the main conveniences of town
life to the country-good schools, good
roads, and free rural delivery. And
we are rapidly getting all these. The
schools and the rural library are doing
more good than this generation appre-
GATES Good roads have been extend
in many directions, and the good work
cones on. 1t should be accelerated.
There are now over seven hundred free
delivery routes in operation in North
Carolina. If this State had its share
eve mean had what it pays for)-
there would be over 1900 in opera
ton. One of the first citizens of Hall
fax county, Capt. w. T. Jenkins, of
Aurelian Springs, in renewing his sub
scription says
I'VE live ten miles in the country
and get the daily News and Observer
every morning at o'clock and latest
news from Russia and Japan up to 5
.. m. in the evening before, also the
latest news from all over the country
which we think is good service. we
have r. F. d. which delivers our mail
every morning at our store door, also
furnishes stamps, postoffice orders and
registration, just as if we had post
Office without the trouble and respon-
sibility of the same. We think II the
r. F. ID. system was in use all over
our State it would be one of our best
educational factors, our country peo-
pie would take more papers and read
them"
When the rural delivery carries the
morning paper to every farmers home
ana there are good schools and good
roads in the country they will have
most of the advantages of town life
with the advantages also OF country
life. To the jaundiced eyes Of the
New York Sun, however, there are no
charms in country life. for the Sun
says:
Seas of sentimental nonsense in
praise of rural charms have been writ
ten, mostly by persons themselves
fond of the pleasures OF the town. To
city folks who can afford the contrast,
a few months among the Zephyrs and
heifers are very agreeable. But vii
lage life in itself, unbrightened and
unsweetened by urban foil and back
},
ing, narrow, unrelentingly monoton-
Gus, given to follish gossip and mind
ing other peoples business.
"Vice in villages has all the gross
ness and none of the charm. Ideas
and language are likely to be coarse.
Even nimble wits lose something there
for want of exercise at competition.
Charles Lambs sweet security of
Streets and those streets full of the
cl,T &c CfiV1 lof inc Of
mosphere of crowds; these many kinds
of society; this freedom from inquisi-
ton and opportunity to live ones life
as one will; this wealth and variety
of human mpanionship and inter-
est, of intellectual distinction and of
free opportunity: the city boy and the
city man are fortunate in all these.
IF it be true that most of the emf
nent men of cities are country born.
that merely shows that they must
bring their talent to the city, the
greatest and most liberal of universe
ties. Eetter two days in Manhattan
than a cycle in East Jay"
Vice is vice everywhere, whether
in city, village or country. The sim
pier pleasures of country and village
life tend to make men physically
strong, mentally independent and
morally clean. The young men
have fewer diversions in The
formative period Of life and are
less artificial tnan boys raised in the
city. The great city offers the great
est opportunity to young men with
talents for public service In such
contests the country boy always holds
his own, thanks to the robust constitu-
ton that he obtained in the open air.
and the individuality which such life
produces. The tendency in the city
is to make men alike, to suppress the
idiosyncracies and individual differ
ences, to make man by mans teaching
all of the same pattern. In the coun-
try the boy grows like God made him
and is not moulded in any machine.
The country training makes more
originality and vigor; the city training
more skill in particular efficiency
within certain limits.
There are advantages of the city and
the country, and neither can be said
to possess them all. The country has
been too isolated, the schools have
not been good enough, the roads have
been poor-these things have made
country life less inviting than city
life.