davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH MOTHER EARTH.

taking effort and constant care from
boy of this age; encourage it but dc
| not compel it.
He can be taught by example all of
the needs of plant growth but his hoe.
ing and wedding may be superficial.
| Ii you ask him he will allow you to dig
| in his garden to loosen the soil deeper
than his strength permits. 1t is wise
to do this for there must be carrots
and cabbage to harvest or there will
be no play ground here next year.
If the boy Of FIVE has been allowed
the run of garden, if at eight he has
garden of his own, at ten he will love
gardening and will have absorbed an
amazing store of knowledge, and to
him may be impaired at this age in a
way and manner that will awaken the
the purest and best that is in him, the
mystery of life.
A pumpkin plant on compost heap,
sending its vigorous shoots over the
weeds, climbing where it cannot creep.
TRUSTING its snake like head through
the garden fence, is a thing of wonder
to boy if he Is but taught to see it.
and when its great golden blossoms
appear there is still greater wonder
unfolded.
Boys of twelve and fourteen may de-
sert the garden for the bah field or the
fishing rod. and 1t is we'll they should,
for the serious time of life is coming
soon and play days should be as many
and long as school and home duties
will permit. But garden for a boy at
this age may be greater factor in his
training for life than at any other, for
by this time the root Of all evil" has
entered his soul; he has learned that
money is essential in order to procure
the many things boy must have, and
the garden, which to this time has
been recreation field, place of won
derful possibilities in the way of good
things to eat and pumpkins for jack-o'-
lanterns, may be most fertile field
of revenue
Whatever the crop the proceeds
should be wholly his own, If he has
produced the crop wholly by his own
efforts. There is but one wy that he
can learn the value of money and that
is by earning II. The wise use OF
money must also be learned but that
Is outside the sphere OF gardening
From address Of Prof. Cranefesd.
Wise. Ayr. College.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
THE HONE GARDEM.
The s. y of the Boy and His Little
Plot of Ground

The S. y of the Boy and His Little
Plot of Ground
At the age of five every boy is by
instinct gardener. If guided by OPP
| portunity, example and intelligent di
rection he will dig, plant and develop
an interest in growing things; lacking
these the call of mother nature leads
to mud pies. Given a square yard of
mellow ground, a tiny hoe and hand
full of beans, a healthy five year-old
boy will have a combination that ex-
cells anything yet designed In nature
study"
From five to ten the world begins to
dawn. He looks up and out; he sees
and initiates, but does not reason. He
should play without hindrance. If the
square yard of ground be enlarged to
a rod, the handful of beans to a eollec-
ton OF seeds (the kinds for sale in the
grocery stores are best as these have
brilliantly colored pictures on the pack
ages and the boy learns thereby what
manner of a thing he is to expect), this
square rod will be the play ground to
surprising extent
He may not plant the kinds you ex-
pect or want him to plant, as his view
point is different from yours. 1t is I'M
wise to insist on any given plan. Let
this garden be his own If 1t has been
entirely to carrots or cabbage let 1t re-
main carrots and cabbage, for they are
more to him than your choice variety
1t is unwise to expect careful pains
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

greatest good for the greatest number,
the farms of each agricultural area
surrounding town should support
that town to their uttermost.
KEEP THE MONEY AT HOME.
Every dollar that the farmer spends
in the town indirectly comes back to
him in the way of benefits. The town
grows, 1T supports better stores, more
churches, better schools to which he
can send his children, furnishes bet.
ter near-at-hand markets for his prod.
ucts, and finally increases the very
value of his farm land AS a good H.
lustration, the Dry Goods Reporter as
sumes that such an agricultural town
has population of 1000, its support
coming from the country tributary to
1t. The life of the town is its retail
trade. If it secures the entire purchas-
ing business of the farmers, it must of
necessity grow rapidly. But Mont.
gomery Ward and Co, Sears, Roebuck
and Co., and others OF the enormous
mail order houses send out their great
four or five pound catalogues describ-
Ing everything under the sun. Suppose
that instead of spending his 5000 a |
year in his home town, each farmer in |
the community diyerts so per cent of
his trade from his town and sends $500
year to the catalogue houses; 1t |
means that half Of the business of the
town is gone. On the basis Of one hun.
dred or one hundred and fifty square
miles OF territory to support the town,
1t can be estimated that there are five
hundred farmers in the district. Three
hundred dollars year In trade from
each of the farmers means that one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
annually is taken from the home town.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

ests Of the town will pay the burden
of taxation, and the amount of each
taxpayer viii be less in proportion to
carry on government.
is THE SAVING A REAL ONE?
While the country household, in
looking over one of the big catalogues
and sending an order for $50 worth of
goods, may be able to figure out an
immediate saving of five or six dollars,
even after they have paid the freight,
there is no question as to the final out
come, If the practice is persisted in by
all the people of any particular local
ity. The home town will suffer, the
home market will fail to increase, If
it does not decrease, as will also the
value of the farm lands Undoubtedly
the catalogue houses can sell goods
cheaper than the average country
store, for they do a cash business
YOU send on your cash with yoUr
order. There is no risk in the cata-
logue or mail order house business.
Possibly If you arranged to do business
on the same basis with your country
merchant down with your pur-
chase-you could get almost as favor
able prices. But the country merchant
is supposed to extend credit to every
one: he has bad bills which lie never
collects and consequently must make
a greater percentage of profit on the
things he sells.
Every community which is imbued
with the spirit of building up it's own
industries and of supporting its home
town with local pride. is sure to be the
most prosperous; there can be no gain
saying this fact
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

In the course of ten years. this means
one and one-half million dollars. Aver
aging the profit on this amount at
twenty per cent, 1t means lat in ten
years time three hundred thousand
dollars profits are taken from the town
Now, on the other hand, should the
farmer, instead of sending away his
money to the foreign place for goods
he requires, give all his trade to the
home town, its business would be i'm
mediately doubled, and with twice the
employment for the people. Year af-
ter year, the profits made by the mer-
chants would be retained in the town,
would seek investment in starting new
industries, and at the end of the ten
year period, instead of a town of one
thousand, there would be a lively city
of from two TO three thousand, and
every acre of farm land within the
trade radius of the town would be en-
HANGED in value from ten to twenty
dollars
ENRICHING THE BIG CITIES.
1t can be plainly figured out that the
individual farmer who would divert
half his trade to Chicago, New York or
some other foreign city, in the course
of ten years would send away three
thousand dollars. If It were possible
that he could save ten per cent on this
amount, in ten years time he would
save three hundred dollars. His only
compensation would be a dead home
town, poor schools, poor home mar
ket, and no increase in the value of his
holdings
On the other hand, by giving his
patronage to the home town, even
though he must pay the merchant ten
per cent more than the foreign house,
the result would be like this: On ac-
count of increase in farm values, one
hundred and sixty acres Of land worth
ten dollars more per acre, sixteen hun
dred dollars; or, thirteen hundred dol
lars better or in ten years than II he
gave half his patronage to the foreign
His home town is lively
one. all public improvements. all mod
srn conveniences, high schools, to
which he could send his children
rheaply. good churches, good roads,
and everything that can add to recon-
tort and happiness Of its residents,
and those who reside near It. hot
that the farmers Ian Is |
in value. his taxation WI be
put little greater, as the business inter-
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
THE COMING PEOPLE.

"Outward changes, economical and
political, more or less marked, are
always going on in the forms and or
CARNATIONS of society. But to-day one
can make specially strong argument
that great and radical changes are Inn
| pending. No one can believe that
existing conditions will continue In 4
world where all things move and
change Waste, extravaganza, political
corruption, fierce mercantile riyalries,
colossal monopolization of wealth and
Of the industrial plants Of the world,
masses Of dreary poyerty,--these are
natural subjects for profound, patri-
otto and humane concern. Is not the
old social and Industrial machinery.
the competitive or wage system, show
ing signs of breaking down beneath
Its load?
1.-THE question is quite fair whether
any system Is just that permits indi-
viduals to roll up immense fortunes as
the result of lucky speculations, or OF
the rise of land values about a great
city, that permits other individuals To
inherit almost unlimited money power.
as men once inherited duchies and
kingdoms. while millions Of working
men, with small wages, live close to
the danger line of debt, or even OF cold
and starvation, and are liable to be
thrown out of employment for months
at time.
'sWhen In the face of natural wealth.
never so abundant, and forces of pro-
duction augmented indefinitely by
science and invention. so many almost
fail to reap any benefit from the re-
sources which surely belong to the
race, 1t must at least be confessed that
our present system, both of production
and Of distribution, Is not intelllgently
or humanely managed. It's results do
not represent an ideal democracy,
brotherhood of From 1.-THE
Ccming People, by Chas. +. Dole.
It behooves everyone who has eyes
to see and ears to hear and a brain
with which to think to study the ire
mendous social problems with which
we are face TO face to day.
Whether they are sassIed right or
wrong will affect every member Of the
community. No one can escape the
evils that will result from a wrong
settlement and everyone will be bene-
fitted by a right settlement.
Nothing is more imDOrtant than that
we should get started right. There IN
Guidance and insniratIon In everv line
Or 1.-THE COMING PEOPLE" By
chas. r. Dole.
In order TO bring this book within
The reach Of all n popular edition has
Inst been issued by the Homncroffere
rild Of the Tafisrnan which can he had
Tor 25 cents. postage included. Remit
Dv postal money order. express money
order or postage stamps 70 "THE
HOMECHOFTERs, 14a Main ST.
WatertSwn, Mass
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

for all the agricultural products. Sc
that the greatest factor In land value
is the nearness to good markets. II
becomes plain, therefore. that the bet
ter the home town can be made. the
more valuable is the farm land tribu-
tary to it. In the purely agricultural
sections, the average country town is
located in the center of from rs to $50
square miles of territory; that is the
town Is supported by the trade result
ing from that area of farms. Accord
ing to federal statistics the average
farmer spends $627 a year for supplies
clothing for his family, household
utensils, feed that he does not grow
himself, farm implements, etc.
Now Il must be evident that if plan
we're to be followed looking to the
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
MAIL ORDER BUSINESS.
ENORMOUS STRUCTURES TO BE
ERECTED BY MONTGOMERY
WARD AND COMPANY AND
OTHERS.

Suggests Question Whether Giant
Catalogue Houses are Benefit OF
Detriment to the Farmer and the
Country Generally.
Chicago is to have the greatest build
ing the world ever constructed forcom
mercial purposes 1t will have fiooI
space Of so acres-a good sized farm
1t is to be 10 stories high, including the
basement, and were 1t to be all
stretched out on one floor 1t would
cover 10 of the big city blocks in the
windy city. 1t will be 900 feet in length
and 270 feet wide and will be built OF
steel and concrete. The cost will be
$2,500,000. The present building oc-
cupied by Montgomery Ward and Com
pany is huge affair, but is stated to
be entirely inadequate to the needs of
this enormous mail order house, and
so this new pile is to be constructed
1t seems to be the time of big COM
merical houses In the great centers OF
the country. Another big firm Is to
erect building on Chicago avenue,
which will contain a million square
feet-200 feet by 800 feet; Sears, Roe
buck and Company is a big Chicago
business rival of the Montgomery Ward
firm, and has just also been incorpor-
ated to do business in New York, with
a capitalization of $40,000,000, paying
the State incorporation tax of $4,000.
TO BE PROUD OF.
These are fine projects, and at first
thought may make one proud of Amer
lean business institutions, but what is
the real effect of the success of these
gigantic commercial houses upon the
country's prosperity? How does their
business affect the country merchant,
the country banker, the country town
itself and in fact the country people
who are the patrons of the great mail
order houses. What creates the village,
the town, the thriving city? What
keeps 1t live and bustling center ra-
Their than a dead congregation OF few
houses with one or two miserable
stores? 1t Is the patronage and sup
port, is It not, of the surrounding coun-
try homes. Towns are built up only |
when they have support from an agri-
cultural territory, IL agriculture is the
surrounding industry, which Is the
case in nine out of ten instances. But
conversely, the richness Of the soil
alone does not make the most valuable |
farms.
THE MARKET FOR PRODUCTS.
There must be good market for the
farm product If the farm is adjacent /
to q live growing town supporting ac-
tive and well-to-do-people, the market
for the farmers products will be ac-
tive and the prices good. II the town
be dead one, he will have to turn
elsewhere to dispose of his products,
and perhaps incur heavy transporta-
ton charges in their shipment. This
fact is set forth Enthusiastically in the
last census figures which show that in
small area of tie United States, the
regions where factories abound,--a dis
trict comprising but little over 10 per
cent of the United States-the value
of the farm lands Is over half that OF
all Of the arabic land in the entire
country. The farms In these regions
are located close to the factories,
which afford profitable home market
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

our fast increasing population in in
dtvidual homes on the land-home-
crofts, however small owned by the
occupant. where every worker and his
family can enjoy individual industrial
independence -Georse III. Maxwell.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

The slums and tenements of the
great cities are social dynamite. GER
tain to explode sooner or later. The
only safeguard against such dangers
is to plant the multiplying millions of
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
EDUCATION
COOPERATION
OPPORTUNITY
HOME CROFTS

L -
We believe that the Patriotic SlvSan
of the Whole People OF this Nation
should be Every Child in Garden
Every Mother in Homecroft--a In
dividual Industrial Independence for
Every Worker in Home of his Own
on the Land" and that until he owns
such a Home, the concentrated purpose
and chief inspiration to labor in the life
| of every wage worker should be his
determination to sect an Acre ami
Live on It,"
We believe that the Slums and
Tenements and Congested Centers of
population in the Cities are a savagely
deteriorating social, moral and polit-
ical influence, and that great public
movement should be organized, and
the whole power of the nation and
the states exerted for the betterment
of all the conditions of Rural Life, and
to create and upbuild Centers of So
cial and Civic Life in Country and
Suburban Towns and Villages, where
Trade and Industry can be so firmly
anchored that they cannot be drawn
into the Commercial Maelstrom that
Is now steadily sucking Industry and
Humanity into the Vortex of the
Great Cities.
we believe that every Citizen in
this Country has an inherent and
Fundamental Right to an Education
which will train him to Earn Liv-
ing, and, If need be, to get his living
straight from Mother Earth; and that
he has the same right to the Opportun-
ity to have the Work to Do which will
afford him that living. and to earn not
only c cor portable livelihood, but
enough more to enable him to be
Homecrofter and to have Home OF
his Own, with ground around 1t
sufficient to yield him and his family
q Living from the Land as the reward
for his own labor.
We believe that the Public Domain
Is the most precious heritage Of the
people. and the surest safeguard the
nation has against Social Unrest. Dis
turbance or Upheavai. and that the
Cause of Humanity and the Preserva-
tion Of Social Stability and of our Free
institutions demand that the absorb
tion of the public lands into specula-
tive private ownership. without settle
ment, be forthwith stopped: and that
the nation should create opportunities
for Homecroftsrs by building irriga-
ti0n and drainage works to reclaim
land as fast as IL Is needed to give
every man who wants Home on the
Land chance to set It.
We believe that as a Nation. we
should be less abs3rbed with Making
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
BE A HOMECROFTER
learn by Doing Work Together.
Give every Man Chance.

THE SLOGAN HoNEcRoFrERs is
Every Child ia GardenEVecy HomeerOn and Lodi.
ViduaI Industrial Independence Every Worker in
Home OF his Own
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

lands reeialmed. as required by the
National Irrigation Act.
SAVE THE PUBLIC LANDS FoP
HOMEMAKERS.
6. That not another acre Of the mn,
lie lands shall ever hereafter b,
granted to any state or territory for
any purpose whatsoever. or TO any one
other than an actual settler who has
built his home ON the land and lived
on Il FOR five years. aud that no more
land scrip of any kind shall ever be
issued. and that the Desert Land Law
and the Communication Clause OF the
Homestead Law shall he made TO CON
form TO the recommendations OF the
Public Lands Commission appointed
by President Roosevelt and OF the
Message of the President to Congress-
PLANT FORESTS AND CREATE
FOREST PLANTATIONS.
z That the Timber and Stone Law
shall be repealed and that all pub
lie timber lands shall be Included in
permanent Forest Reserves. the title
to the land TO be forever retained by
the National Government, stumpage
only of matured timber TO be sold,
and young timber to he preserved for
future cutting, so that the forests VIII
be perpetuated by right use: and
that the National Government shall,
by the reservation or purchase of ex-
listing forest lands, and the planting
or new forests, create In every state
National Forest Plantations from
which, through all the years TO come,
a sufficient supply of wood and timber
can be annually harvested to supply
the needs of the people of each state
from he Forest Plantations In that
state.
AND USE OF THE
GRAZING LANDS.
8. That all INDICATED public lands
not otherwise reserved shall be re-
served from location or entry under
my law except the Homestead Law,
Ind shall be embraced in Grazing Re.
erves under the control of the Score
airy of Agriculture. who shall be EN-
lowered to issue annual Licenses to
,raze stock in said Grazing Reserves.
tut such licenses shall never be issued
or longer period than one year on
agricultural lands or five years on
,razing lands, and all lands classified
s grazing lands shall be subject to
at the end of every Ave
ears; that no leases of the public
razing lands shall ever be made by
he National Government, and that
he area OF the homestead entry shall
ever under any circumstances be en-
lrged to exceed 100 acres.
DESERVE STATE LANDS FOR
HOMESTEAD SETTLERS.
9. That the public land states shall
dmlnister the state lands under
ystem similar to and In harmony
nth the national public land system
bove outlined, and thai each state
hall enact a State Homestead Law
Or the settlement Of lands owned by
le state, and that state lands shall
Q disposed of only to actual settlers
nder such law, and that all state
Inds shall at all times remain open
} Homestead Entry.
-NITED OWNERSHIP OF LAND
AND WATER.
10. That 1t shall he the law of every
tate and of the United States, that
eneficial use Is the basis. the meas
re, and the limit OF all rights to
alter, including riparian right. and
lat the right TO the use of water for
rlgation shall inhere in and be APP
to the land irrigated, so that
he ownership of the land and the
alter shall be united. and no right to
alter as speculative commodity
,er be acquired, held or owned.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

The Citizen standing doorway conten on his threshold his family
a
when
exhausted 49, 80 ~"
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

This book is the first of a Series
that will Chronicle the Progress of the
HOMECROFT MOVEMENT
and inform all who wish to cooperate
with it how they may do so through
the formation of local HomecrofterS'
Circles, Clubs or Gilds. to promote
Town and Village Betterment, stimu-
late. home civic pride and loyalty to
home institutions, industries and trade,
improve methods and facilities of edu-
cation In the local public schools. and
create new opportunities AT Home"
that will go far to check the drift OF
trade and population to the cities.
The first Gid Of the Homecrofters
has been established at Watertown,
Massachusetts. The Gildhall, Shops
and Gardens are located at 143 Main
Street, where the Garden School is
now fully organized and over one
hundred children are at work In the
Gardens. The departments for train
ing in Homecraft and Village Indus
tries are being installed. The Weayers
are already at work at the looms.
1t is not designed to build here an
isolated institution. but to make
model which can be duplicated in any
town or village in the country.
Copies of "THE FIRSTBocK or
THIS EoMEcROFTERS" can be
obtained by sending twelve two
cent stamps with your name and
address Carefully and plainly
written to he Homecrofters' Gid
of the TaIlspnan f43. Main ST.,
WATERFOWL, Massachusetts,.
There is New Hope and Inspiration
for every Worker who wants a Home
of his own on the Land in the
CREED AND PLATFORM OF THE
IIOMECROFTERS which is as fol-
lows:
"Peace has her victories no less re-
than war"
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

ivilization is high but the
An
at
civilization thatIi
he Rreat o
to
of
and the
o Iocalin
3 locals
To of
In
of
ment the Identifying OF private
the
nd
place
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13
[! !!E!E!!!E7E!Eii!E! E5 ! El!!!!E7!!!!!l
THE FIRST BOOK 4 q. HOMECROFTERS

HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED AMONG ITS CONTENTS ARE
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES OF ABSORBING INTEREST
The Brotherhood of Man
Charity that is Everlasting
The Secret of Nippons Power
Lesson Of a Great Calamity
The Sign Of Thought
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-13

A little croft owned plot Of corn
garden stored with peas sndm and thyme
And flowers for poses Oft Sunday morn.
Flucked while the church bells earliest chimes