The Holt County sentinel., 1907-07-26

10 o. laiO out like al immense spider-
web, 10 every direction, while the streets
form the cross lines of the web, crossir 2
the avenues. or extending from one to
the other. The wealth Of nation has
beer expended by the government in i'm
proving the city in every way, and it
seems the work is endless, for when we
we're there, Pennsylvania Avenue was
all torn up and being remodeIed, and in
every part of the city hundreds of work.
meu we're hurrying up the improvements
which have been ordered. Washington
has been called the Paris of America"
and it is certainly worthy of the name.
The streets are wide and we'll kept and
sidewalks in almost perfect order; the
buildings are modern and we'll made and
everywhere good taste and elegance
seems to be the rule. The absence of
great packing houses, mills and factories
Is IN way offset by elegant residences
and pure air The numberless parks
give the city the appearance of para
disc, when after a warm day the people
can gather under the beautiful trees,
where elegant statues decorate the view
and fountains cool the air: and a little
later when all is aglow with electric
lights and every body IN town seems to
be out, one is reminded of Sweet Au.
burn, lovelest village of the lawn"
From the almost rustic beauty and sim
pliclty of the city as residence place to
the unexcelled grandeur Of its public
bui ldings and endless interest in art, sci
ence, literature, and historic features, as
we'll as its Incompatible interest in gov
ernmental. naval, military and political
matters from whatever point of view
taken, Washington stands without a
peer in America, if not in the world. /
met the former president of our State
University DIR. S. S. Laws while in the
city, He invited me to dine with him
the next evening. DR.. Laws is now SO
years old and is still in good health and
as intellectual as ever. / never spent
more pleasant or profitable evening than
this one talking over old times, when |
was student under the doctors in
struction. When at the head of our
university, he was an enthusiast on ed
ucatlng farmers and building up the ag-
rlcuitural college. His motto WAS: I'VE
want to educate young men buck to the
farm. not away from the farm" In those
days such sentiment so expressed was
rank heresy. Very few people even
among the farmers Could see that it was
any use 10 try to educate farmers in re-
gard to what they already know all
obout.' And the last horror Of all was
when DR.. Laws, who was good south.
ern man." brought in Yankee, from
New Hampshire, named Sanborn, and
put him at the head of the farmers
sons who knew all about Missouri farm
ing. AS matter of fact. they knew
nothing IN an intelligent way, and what
the old time farmer did was done by
guess. almost without thought of sci
ence or reason in it. II he did we'll it
was because he worked hard at random,
and mature, rich in soil and climate,
forced wealth upon him, while he de-
stroyed the blessings God had given, by
destroying the timber by needless waste
and causing the soil to be washed of by
absurd cultivation. These follies were
the theme Of Laws and Sanborn. and
they tried to open the eyes OF the people
to the fact that there was more wasted
than used, and more lost than was made
in the western fashion OF farming. But
Time, the tomb builder. b erected monu.
ments to the folly of the past and some
day We may regain what has been so
wantonly lost. DR.. Laws was pleased
when told him that the study Of agri-
culture was now in the public school
courses Of Missouri, and every teacher
was expected to know the difference be-
tween a pumpkin and an ear Of corn and |
the farmer Of the future would attribute
a bad crop to wornout soil or poor culti-
vation, instead of to the moon. Another
pleasing fact is that in the agricultural
department at Washington and among |
the leading scientists Of the country. are
many of the students who stormed the
tide of fogyism and are now both reap
ing their reward and doing honor to
those who forged out the new ideas.
Among these are DR.. Galloway, who is
one of the worlds leading entomologists,
and Profs. Spillman and Boyer, who
stand high in the study Of plant growth
ann industry, as we'll as many others
whom 1 used to know when We were
trying to shoot the young ideas or learn.
ing how to shoot them.
Before leaving Washington we had to
see how high the monument was and
when at the top and had viewed the city