Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-01-25

anu daughter are domestic
drudgess and tine boys but little
else than beasts #of burien driv-
eli through sixteen hours Of
daily toll or the money there
Is in it. N, conveniences, no
comforts, no e EDUCATIONAL q IVAN
tages, no home joys, only sod
less drucgery to make money
for moneys sake. v Is it. any
wonder that boys and girls flee
from such environment at the
first opportunity and conceive
d distaste and dislike fur farm
life? They flee to even worse
evils they KIN w not of to escape
a vocation that they are thus
constrained to despise. AnG
flee thus without training or
equipment for other callings the
help; to swell the great arm
of discomfort that threatens the
very stability:of our installations
of governments -, sss'5S,, ! e:ri. =,
':.>Modey is. desireble, . butswhenS
obtained at the exaensef;of
home comforts and theaffections
of children cannot prove a blas-s
sing to its possessofs:i.#
The farm home, therefore,
must be the first consideration
in sgiving to agriculture the
prominent place which its inn
portauce demands. Thrust not
only exalt the life { f the farmer
and his family, but Should at
tract his children to his Vocation.
The farm home should be 8
power in the land. From it many
will go to the great centers' Of
business life, and properly so,
because bred in the country air
and strong in purpose and in
tegrity, they are admirably fitted
to engage in the fierce COMPETE
tions of commercial and business
activities; but we cannot afford
to let the cities have the cream
Of our country children. The
farm should and can be made to
open to them an exhaustless
field for exploiting their intelli-
>gence and their energies.
The movement from country
to city cannot be wholly stopped,
nor is it desirable that it should
be- entirely. stopped, but the
movement can and should be
limited to such as have ability
and taste for business or, COM
mercial pursuits. The mania for
city life can be destroyed most
effectually by ennoblingssthe vo-
cation of agriculture, ami by
adapting our e ucational energies
more sensibly in conformity
with. the NJ ignbcrhood environ
ment. The country school, should
be in close touch ard sympathy
with country: life. 1t should in
part interest the pupils, in rural
problems. Elementary agricui-
ture and nature study should be
nade compulsory studies for
country children. The country
schools should be organized for
tire highest good of The country
children and not f n the indirect
benefit of some university or
college. The same is true of
the secondary schools. Educa-
tional tyranny from above should
no longer be tolerated. Instead
of sacrificing the interest Of
IS per cent. of out children to ac-
commodate a possible 5"per
cent. that may eventually enter
some higher institution of, learn.
ing, the larger number should
be given subjects for, study and
training exercises that will, ID
a : measure, prepare them for
the life; they will have toslive.
Take arithmetic as an < xarnpIe,
Fully half that they are Sss1. e
quired to study will never avail
them anything unless they
should some day pursue highel
mathematics ia a collegiate insti.
tuition. Ninety-iYe out OF. every
one hundred will never orthis
The result is, they leave Thu
common school with a has,
knowledge of many nathematf
cal processes, b 1T have no clear
accurate, exact knowle ledge Of an,
workable portion Of them. Bet
ter cover half the ground -ttt,l
half that ordinary business 1r,el
have use or-and 10 maste
that portion of arithmetic tha
each process stands tut lear AMI
is .thoro ,ghly conlpreh ende /
4 The sam . is true ofe many ottlel
commoa school studies. Bystthi
process Of elimination aud en-
lIrichs ample time 4 would III
iIfou % Tore efltarsy, agricnItnr
land 80. Z study ia The; comflio,
/ lie FOOLS, and tie D5pIis bette