Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-02-05
STAYING ON THE FARM
President Suggests Making the
Life More Attractive.
HOW CAN 1T BEST Be DONE?

Town and Farming Community Might
Work Together to Keep the Country
Youth From Leaving For the Big
City-MutuaI Interests of All.
In the discussion Of issues supposed
to be of much greater Importance one
paragraph in President Roosevelts re-
cent message to congress has been gen
orally overlooked. 1t carries q recon-
mendatlon for some sort of action by
the government that may be calculat-
ed to check the onward march of the
farmer boys to the cities.
President Roosevelt is not very def
mite In his recommendation as might
be expected. 1t is a subject requiring
special treatment Mr.. Roosevelt mere
ly suggests that the department of ag-
! ricuture might be given authority to
cooperate with state governments In
developing institutional and social
mGyements to make farm life more at
ti-S,tlye. He says. THE effort must be
made to make farm life not only remu-
neratlve. but attractive, so that the
best young men and girls will feel in
clined to stay on the farm and not go
to the city"
Commenting on this topic, the Wom-
ans National Daily says editorlally:
"As a matter Of fact, the young man
on the farm Is far better off than the
young clerk or salesman who has en-
ployment at wages that barely provide
for his bodily needs and leave nothing
over at the end Of the month. The
farmer boy doesn't see 1t that way,
however. He sees the bright lights
and is lured by what he looks on as
the many facilities for amusement and
entertainment. He sees far greater OPP
portunltles for getting on and getting
up In the world In the city, where
there are libraries, theaters, lodges So
cial functions and all things that add
to the pleasures of life. OF course all
these things take a different color
when viewed at close hand and when
the hard, cold fact presents itself that
price is very high-too high for q ma
jority Of young men ever to hope to
reach them. 1t does little good, how
ever. to tell the country lad these
things He wants to see for himself
The best way to cure this fever is
to feed It, Let the farmer boy see for
himself just how much of the appar-
ent brllliancy is the merest tinsel and
the music only sounding brass and tin
king cymbal'"
In many respects farm life is much
more attractive now than it was a
generation ago. Since boys now reach
ing maturity were born several impor-
tant agencies have combined to render
rural life less lonesome and to put it
In closer touch with city or town life /
One Of the most important of these Is !
the telephone. In thousands Of COM
munities the towns and the farmers I
houses are connected by telephone,
thus making intercommunication quick
and easy. The farmers wife may call
up her neighbors or the stores In town,
and in some communities the stores
now deliver goods within a certain
country radius. The farmers daugh-
tiers may talk over the phone with
girls-or with young men.
The trolley car lines in many COM
serve to make the distance to
town considerably less by reason Of
decreasing the time required for the
trip, not to mention the saving of both
er In hitching up a team to drive In.
The rural mall delivery routes form
another feature that makes farm life
more attractive Farmers get their
mail at their doors every day instead
Of having to hitch up and drive into
town, which used to be done about
once a week chiefly for the purpose of
getting the family mail.
All these things help, but, as Presi-
dent Roosevelt suggests, there might
be some official cooperation for instl-
tutIonal adjuncts. to increase the at
of farm life. AS there is
now q schoolhouse In every hollow,
who knows but that few years hence
there Will not be a clubhouse on every
hill? No doubt the president would
suggest a gymnasium as one feature
IF the club. 1t Is not to be disputed
hat with some such social center near
home the farm boys and girls would
De more content to remain on the old
arm and would think at least twice
)efore seeking the glare and glitter Of
he city, with its attendant hardships.
What helps the country helps the
own. II the best blood Of the farm
ng community goes away to some big
,ity, the town Is sure to suffer there &!
". Therefore 1t behooves the towns
,eople to cooperate with the farming
population In the effort to make life
N the farm more pleasant. In many
there is a tendency on
he part of the townspeople to keep
loot from the country people. 1t
would seem that mutual interests
would demand closer fellowship and
Already it has been sug-
'ested that the farmers be invited to
ecome members Of the town board of
rade or commercial organization. Thus
ecognized as factor In the local busi-
ess life, 1t may be that the farmers
you'd be inclined to spend more mon
v at the town stores and less at the
lty mail order establishments Fol-
owing out this hint, 1t may be sug-
ested further that the country young
eople be invited to join the town so