The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-03-28
Gbe Dailp Aromoreite.
INDIANS TO eE TAUGHT FARMING

John ID Benedict. superintendent of
tho Indian schools for the Indian Ter.
rt,ory. ~ out In n circular letter TO
ne teachers Of the rural schools ask.
ing them TO pay especial attention to
sho study OF agriculture during the
spring months. and to tell the pupils
m nnd out about flowers. plants, IN
s~cts. birds and animals and TO give
taiks about dlfforcnt kinds OF soils,
and what they arc best adapted to pro
dacc. This movement Ia made with the
hope that the Indians will learn TO be
Wactlcai farmers ana not be depend
snt upon tenants and thus be able. II
necessity arises. TO farm their allot.
mcnts. and ls unquestlonaUly a good
and a wiso movement Every indian
in the Indian Territory. irrespective
az sex. Ia "A soil owner. The territory Is
an agricultural country and at the
present tlmo IL only partially dovel
opod. what has been done In the way
.ef farming having been done TO a very
great extent by the white tenant
Long leases. under the departmental
rulings. could not heretofore be- sccur-
ed. In spite OF such unsatisfactory con
dIiions there are many valuable farms
and the Indian Territory lands are
rapidly being recognized as among the
host of all agricultural countries. With
ns fine climate and proposed change In
rho law permitting tho Indian TO dis
poze of part OF HIS holdings. what
may be accomplished In agricultural
prsuits can hardly be fcrctold The
Indian should be taught that to bc a
smcccssful farmer he should be n prac.
ticnl one Farming Ia the most indo.
pendcnt of occupations. No chicanery
or doubtful methods are necessary 20
be used TO make a good living with
16O acres " good land aud fair
understanding ~ what Is necessary "a
b. done and with The expenditure Of
4 littlo cucrgy the Indian Of the i've
olviilzcd tribes viii be among thc
ucst Independent ot men. lie car
sovor lose his Job. There may be bust
nsss failures. such "a certain To- be th'
case. but this will not AFFECT him. III
Ls always assured OF comfortable liy
tug II he sticks 10 tho farm.
Il is not so many years ago tina
the farmer was a regular stock Fl
crado for the funny. or supposed.
tmny. metropolitan papers and 70
their imltators In tho smaller cities
No issue % a paper WAS consldcrc
complete without cut OF Farme
Corntosscl or Farmer Oatcako or Nj
Mcddcgrass, with his round shoulders
his yarn galluscs. hiI patched pant
his towslcd hair. and his i1lo,ic EXPIRE
sion. accompanied by a few words {
Scnsclcss gihhorish, supposed 20 d
his best cfort In The direction Of ID
tclllg'nt speech hut recently tho N
mer Jokes are becoming conspicuoJ
by their absence II Il very seldol
now that We meet Farmer Coyutoss
hooking like an apoplcctlc monkey an
talking like a suffering parrot, repoa
ing the same old things that no "a
mcr ar anybody else ever aaid, Whi
~ the secret ~ the change1 Is tho n
erage farmer of today a better ma
than tho average farmer of twen
years ago. Perhaps not, but he Is b,
TER posted. The moment the owner
skin gamo discovers that he car
akin = man. Ms respect for that m'
iucro0scs From time immemortal q
farmer has been considered by o'
class OF men a good subject Tor q
pioitaticn and by another n good ~
sec, for ridicule because he is-or W
easy. But all that Ia changed.
changing. Tho evolution has been
gradual and so quietly accomplish
that the urban public has not reaiiz
the farmers advance 10 important
dignity aud tho command Of his O,
destiny and in fact, the tarmcr hi
self has not bcen moro than half c,
scious OF the transformation.
Starting many years ago with
grange, latcr With the farmers ALTAR
and more recently casting his fortuI
with the muchridlculed populist par
the farmer has tcCn gaining grou
aoadily without attracting much
uce from othcrs and, In measu
without his own knowledge or consC
Not politically. however, has he gg
"a through the Ddpulist organIzatio
for that was a political ignus fat'
almost wholly, but In following
through the swamp the farmer 81,
hiod up against things thV. were 20