Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-14
PLEASED WITH HIS LOT.
Complete Contentment Of a Farmer
Caller at the Agri cultural
Department.

Department.
James Wilson, Of Iowa, farmer by IN
stinct, politician by profession, and
secretary of agriculture by appoint.
ment, has always believed that scat
tered throughout the United States
there are thousands and hundreds of
thousands of men who are farmers,
first, last and all the time, by grace of
inclination; who love the simple lives
they lead, and who would not ex-
change the freedom Of the fields for
the bondage of the cities, no matter
what the worldly inducements might
be. But even the secretary could never
have hoped to meet such an enthusiast
tic farmer as a visitor to the depart
ment the other day proved to be, re-
ports the Star, and the sad thing about
the whole affair is that the secretary
was at the cabinet meeting when the
visitor arrived at the agricultural de-
partment, and that he has merely the
word of his subordinates for the act
ual presence in his Office of this fleet
ing vision of a contented farmer.
For nine years the secretary has
been at the head of the agricultural
department, but in all that time there
have been mighty few specimens Of
the contented farmer on view at the
agricultural department. He has
been talked of and referred to and
quoted, but a genuine, full-grown
specimen, warranted of the home
brand, and in possession Of all his
faculties, has never been seen within
the walls of the temple Of agriculture.
The visitor of the other day didn't
attract much attention at first He
was big and angular, and he walked
with the gait Of those who follow the
pillow and who tramp daily over fresh
turned burrows. Moreover. his face
was tanned by the sun almost to the
tint Of mahogany, and his hands were
big and rough and Scared.
81 stepped in here" he sale to
clerk in the secretary's Office, ito see
If couldn't get some more bulletins.
They're mighty interesting reading,
and, what's more, they're plumb truth
full"
You want bulletins on subjects
connected with the farm" the clerk
inquired.
You're mighty right" replied the
visitor. Farming and stock raising.
That's what I'm interested in. | was
brought up on a farm and If / have my
way, I'm going to die on one. There
amt nothing like it."
ut is a pity more people don't think
that way" the clerk remarked, with
a smile. 1T seems to me hear Of
disconnected farmers right along, but
never of a contented one"
"Well, take a good look at me, son."
the big man replied, good naturedly
"for I'm a farmer without a kick
Trouble is with these people who do
all the growing, they amt cut out
for farming. They ought to be bend
ing over a desk, or standing behind
counter, or running one of those
typewriting machines. A real farm
er never gets disconnected. Every
time his crops go back on him do you
suppose he sits up and growls? Do
you suppose he blames it on Provi-
dence or on the weather, or anything
like that? Not a bit Of 1t. He just
scratches his head and begins to think
about things, and, ten chances to one,
he'll find out before he's through that
it was his own fault, some way or
other"
Some people think farming is such
hard work" remarked the clerk, to
keep the big man talking.
Hard work." the visitor cried. mot
a bit of it. Why, it's just fun and
play, that's what 1t is. In the spring,
when there's ground to plow and seed
to SOW, it's just fine. Never did smell |
anything nicer than fresh-turned earth |
AS for following the pillow, It's simply |
a stroll You can look around II it's |
a fine day, and just naturally take all |
the beauties of nature to yourself, and |
if it's gray and damp, why you can
Just wonder what kind of a day it's
going to be tomorrow. And harrow
Ing and sowing, why that amt hard
work. either.
And as for the rest Of it," contin-
ued the contented farmer, after a
pause, that's just play. too. All the
crops have to be worked up. and it's
to watch them grow and
urge them on. And when you come
across some of them that amt doing
30 well, it's fine to sort of take them
by the hand and lead them till they
IAN walk by themselves. Ard then
when the harvest time comes it's bet
er yet. If the crops are good you can
eel good, too, and if they amt, then
you can promise yourself to do better
lext year. There amt but one kind
# a profession for me, If you can
all 1t that, and that's farming. Tell
he secretary l was in, and that |
ONE from out his way"
The contented farmer left his name
md address, and If he reads all the
that are sent him in the near
uture it is a pretty safe bet that his
and will not be cultivated up to the
mark. Meanwhile Secretary Wilson
5 happy in the thought that the long
ought ideal of the temple of agri-
ulture halls from Iowa.