The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-05
cnownrna rHr cIrIrs.

One of the discouraginx features of modern life Is the disposition of the urban population to abandon their | country homes and crowd into the towns and cities. It is a misfortune to all concerned. Except in rare instances, the people who do 1t are not bettered, | nor is a city benefited by over-crowd- ing. In addition to these objections, we | have the undeniable fact that farm products become scarcer and higher | priced as the farms are abandoned. The time has been. and not very far back. when the AlabamA farmer in most cases was almost re- cluse. Means of iEtercommunication were limited, mail facilities equally SO. and the country dweiiers were practi- cally shut off from all of their kind Now. this Is all changed. or changing The roads are better, railroads are mere numerous. postofices have multiplied, and the rural free delivery system brings his mails almost to the farmers | door. He can have his letters, his newspapers and his magazines brought to him and not wait for A weekly or monthly visit to the postoffice He has most of the advantages of the city dwelier without their disadvantages. In those days before all these im- provements came about, there was lit- tie inducement on the farms for ths young. The old men who had grown up amid such environments and who had nA Inn~fnU fnr dtNSarnoS ,vpora contented with their hermit life and had no inclination tJ change. It was different with the young, especially the boys. In their occasional visits to the city they saw only the enjoyable side of city life. To them every one np- peared to be having a good tinie." and when they contrasted the show and glitter and apparent insousiance of the city dweller with their own isolated and hum drum existence. it is not to be wondered at If they longed to break away from nature and mix in the whirl of the town.
 And they could always imagine an easy road to the accomplishment of their desires and their ambitions. There were the stores and the offices. the fac tories and the shops and the many oth- CT positions awaiting them as they im- agined. where they could easily ind em- pioyment or position and at once be- come part and parcel of the ease and enjoyment of city life.
 And with ali the Improvements and advancement in rural life and It's sur roundings much of this same dissatis- faction on the part of the boys, and much of the longing for tho city yet exists. These young men and boys cannot see and know the darker and more discouraging side of town life They do not know that for every posi- tion which Is or may become vacant there are from one to a dozen appli- cants waiting for a place. They cannot know that for many--perhaps a major ity--of the town dwe1lers life is a con- ttnuous struggle for existence and of- ten a hopeless one. Instead of their lives beipg all enjoyment most Of them find 1t a life of unremitting effort to keep the wolf from the door. None of this is apparent to the country boy. or he would be less anxious for q change.
 Many of the brightest and most suc- cessful men in any city, and in all call ings, professions and occupations, are from the country They bring with them the health. the virility and the en- durance taught them by the harder work of the farm. and when to this is added the qualities that make men sue cessfuI. they rise to the highest round of the ladder. But these instances of success and advancement should not lead the youth of the country to believe that they can likewise succeed without possessing any of the qualities which insure front places for their possessors. It is well for a city that new country blood Is continually coming to 1t, but 1t Is i'll for city and country when there is an indiseriminate and overwhelming Invasion by those who have no special qualifications for the new existence.