The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-12-07
.BereaT eachers'
~ 4 ADDREs ALL LETTERS
frk ron PUBLICATION TO
) NlQD G. d. LEWIS, BEREA, KY :
.l.i-l-I-l Observation-Disclosures
A Lesson from bale of Hay.


A few days ago saw two wagons
passing through Berea, going into
jackson county from which they had
come with some kind OF forest pro-
duct, with two bales of hay on each.
That was not on unusual sight but
it set me thinking and. as is usually
the case, my thoughts had the coun-
try teacher mixed up with them
This thing presented one OF the great
problems OF our mountain region
and one which the teacher must be
largely instrumental in solving
Some one may ask, "Are you going
to hold the teacher responsible for
everything"f My answer is, "Yes,
10 large measure" Every one is
responsible for every evil that exists
in so for as he has opportunity TO in
any way correct that evil, and since
the teacher is in a position TO correct
almost every evil 10 a measurable
extent, he has very large response
bility, one which should never be
lightly taken up. But how are the
bales of hay related 10 the teacher
How do they affect his work. Let
us consider for moment The hay
cost 90 cents per hundred in Berea,
and the cost Of hauling il into Jack.
son county is not less than 10 cents
per hundred. That makes il worth
70 cents when consumed. The farm
or, who raised the hay, would have
sold il in the stack for 40 cents.
That makes 80 cents per hundred
paid for baling, transportation and
merchants profits. Now il that hay
had been raised in jackson county
the farmer would have been paid for
his work and 81 40 left in the com.
munity. And what might that money
have meant 10 the children in that
community il rightly usedf have
carefully looked the question up and
find that It might have meant any Of
the following;
| Four good books for the children
Of some home.
2 One good book and years sub
scription 10 Success, the Lady's Home
Journal, Good House keeping, the
Practical Farmer. the Citizen OF any
one Of number Of other good home
papers.
3 A 6ne metal lamp by which the
children could read 50 long az they
wished without danger to their eyes.
Half a dozen kinds of good fruit
trees.
Good seed for the garden which
would make il Of much more value.
Q Enough plants and 6owerseed
10 beautify home for a whole year
Z -Four square yards Of good slated
blackboard for your school-room.
8 A good map Of the United States,
40 by % inches.
. A good dictionary.
10 Thirty good tablets and pencils.
And 80 could go on indefinitely,
but | have said enough to give some
idea Of what form improvement may
mean to the happiness and progress
Of country.
But you may say that the country
teacher cannot teach people how to
raise hay. You can, though, IL you
only viii. You can do il in three
ways; by learning how il can be done
and talking il TO your patrons and
teaching il TO your pupils; by en-
couraging bright boys to 60 of to
school, and learn how to farm; by
showing what blessings can come
from having more money 10 spend
for pleasures which strengthen and
uplift.
The writer was raised on poor
sandy farm in mountain county
and at a later date will tell OF what
he knows can be done on such farm
with but little money. You may
think that this should have gone in
the farm column, but il is educational
and of the most serious type.
Better schools, better homes, better
farms, must be our cry as teachers,
but the first will come last and the
last FIRST.