Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-24
cUSHNOc GRANGE.

Stalling officer will be G. X. Hastings
Of Sidney. At an all day meeting of
Cushnoc Grange, last Saturday the
following interesting paper was read
by Hon. E. c. Barrows of Vassalboro.
Depopulation Of Our Rural Sections.
An analysis Of the census of 1900 as
applied to our own state is both inter-
esting and instructive as showing the
trend Of population from the rural Sec
tons to the cities.
The total Increase Of Names popu-
lation from 1880 to 1900 is 1880. or
this total increase our several cities
have 2s,464 leaving the total increase
OF our rural towns 4516. But Aroos-
took County registers an increase, dur
ing this period of 20.SS5. SO that there
Is a net loss to the rural towns OF the
Older settled portions of the state OF
1863
While these figures apply to our own
State the same conditions exist to
greater or less extent in all Ne"
England. and in fact throughout the
older settled portions Of the "hoie
country. The tendency of the popu-
lations is toward the city While
feature. the ever-growinE increase
oe this tendency toward the city Is APP
palline. At the beginning of the 18TH
century the per cent OF population
moving toward the city was three
At the beginning Of the 2"th century
the Der cent is 90 or about l-3.
These conditions at first thought are
startling in the extreme and seem 10
porteud the swallowing up OF the Whole
rural population by the cities. 1t IS an
immutable law that capital seeks large
centers of population for investment In
the various industrial enterprises ana
these in turn add further population by
reason of the help required to operate
these enterprises. The city leVles OH
the country to fill the ranks OF its ever
increasing industries. Country bred
bows and girls are always sought after
10 fill positions of all kinds in the city
The glittering attractions of city lie
seem to appeal strongly to the imagl-
nation of the average country boy or
girl. The country life to which they
are born becomes irksOme and COM
monplace to them. Its monotony gen.
crates unrest: its lack of recreation
of manhood and womanhOod they break
their bonds and fee to the city to seek
fortune. While it is true that a very
small per cent. of those who leave the
country to seek employment in the city
succeed in lettering their condition
and eventually rise to positions of
great trust. There are thousands and
tens of thousands whose conditions
ha, CIR. -
had they remained in tie country. But
the awakening usually as too late.
Ask the men and wonI.n OIL middle age
whose lives have been spent behind the
counter as clerks or IL he shops as
workers for weekly " .SeS whether
they bettered their conuition by COM
ing to the city. We venture to say
that nine out of ten will shake their
heads in dissent. There they are and
there they must remain. Their wages
have been barely sufficient to exc out a
living in some cheap tenement or third
rate boarding house. They have accum-
ulated no surplus. The destinations
of city life have lost their charms for
them. They have no money to spend
in it's amuSements. The green fields.
the pure air. the freedom of the coun-
try life which they once spurned come
back to them only in their dreams
Thousands of country girls who go to
the city to find employment either fail
to secure a place or work for wages so
unremunerative that they are led to
lives of shame. In the large factory
cities how many thousands are reduced
to the point of starvation through
t,~;Ir a,,1 Taly
stance the city of Fail River where a
strike has been in progress for six
months or more where thousands have
been reduced almost to starvation. and
now the strike having been settled.
have gone back to work at reduced
rate of wages. Look at the army of
clerks who have grown gray in the de-
partments at Washington. Their lives
have been wasted in hunting musty
records. They know nothing else
"They endure the ills they have rather
than flee to others they know not of. =
But hear you say These places must
be filled-this work must be done
true, and there will always be enough
to fill them and to spare. But these
same people who have grown gray in
the service of the Government would
tell you-if asked-that if they had
their lives to live over they would seek
other and different employment. Al
the present time we hear much about
the reaction toward the country. Many
who have been fortunate enough te
save a little surplus from their earn
ings are seeking the country and buy.
ing little tracts of land upon which t.
spend the remnant of their lives They
have become tired of the city ant
working at the call of the whistle. T,
own and till a little piece of soil ha.
become the burden of their dreams
Perchance these same people We're borr
and bred in the country but wer,
struck with the city fever in their ear
~ years. They might have had bette
homes. better health and better fillet
purses had they remained there. The.
sre 1t now when it is too late.
These pictures are not overdrawn. ]
Is impossible to exaggerate them. Blu
Is there no remedy? Must our youn
men and women who are all needed RICH
here In the country and on our farms
must they continue blind to the advant
ages of country life? Must they continu