Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-01-30
Address of Welcome at Farm ers'
Institute at Emporium, Pa,
by Hon. Josiah Howard,
January 27th, 1908.

MEN AND INSTRUCTORS OF THE
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
a storekeeper once went out to de-
liver looking glass to customer and
seeing a newsboy on the street called
to him, "here boy! look into this glass
and you will see donkey" and the
boy answered back, "How do you
know, mister, did you look in it your
self?'
We are here to welcome wise men
from the East who have come to ask
us to take a peep into their looking
glass, not to see donkeys or any other
self-satisfied persons, but to show us
truths and fundamental information
necessary to every farmer who wishes
to make Ego" of improving his land.
If we were ''wise in our own conceits,"
it is not likely that we would be there
to welcome them, but feeling sure that
they are prepared to show us the best
methods and formulas, we gladly sit
at their feet and trust that they will
recognize our location and difficulties
in this mountainous region.
We trust you recognize that one
sixth of the county is owned and held
as State Forestry Reserve, one-half of
the balance is held by citizens, as land
of the same quality, and one-half of the
farmers have no opportunity to get
extra employment near their home.
We are not poor financially, but hav-
ing been d numbering community, we
lack enthusiastic faith in farming as a
sole means If livelihood. No man
liveth unto himself and no man learn
eth such without teacher. Recogniz-
ing this, we welcome you as experts,
sent by Father Penn to show us how we
may acquire much benefit from self
development.
AS true prophets of progress and
prosperity, you are here to show US
that while agriculture comes first, her
twin sisters are manufacturing, trans
portation, mining and banking.
United they stand, divided they fall"
If our state legislature were made up
of only one class of citizens the state
itself would decline The lawyer, the
doctor, the merchant, or the banker if
left alone in their own class would not
make the best laws for their own
development, because they would not
pay due regard to the rights of the
other industries.
Dynamite is very valuable agent
of civilized development, but if the
nitro glycerine in it had its own way
and was not toned down and held in
place by an intelligent mixture of other
ingredients, it would be useless to it.
self and the state at large.
All quacks, tricksters and extremists
tit out their dupes with glasses colored
to suit their own side of the story. We
trust your looking glasses and spec
tacles will reflect and magnify only
such things as are practiced in our
community.
1t will not make our cattle fat and
profitable just to fit them out with
green goggles, but you must show us
how to improve our farms as a whole
and incidentally increase our bank ac-
counts
The State pays over one-half the cost
of the public schools, the State roads
and the maintenance of the hospitals,
and this is all right, but the farmer
has no more desire to be a subject of
charity than any other business man
and we do not ask you to pay one-half
the expense of our farms, but we do
ask for good State roads and that you
spend as much in proportion on the
Agriculture Department as you do on
the Banking, the Insurance or the Min
ing Departments, and if possible we
would like to have the Farmers Insti-
tutes, in the mountainous districts,
held earlier in the winter or after the
first of March.
We know you come to us in good
faith to do US some good and we trust
that your goggles will make the truth
clear to US and that we will not be SO
thick-headed that we do not carry
home with us much practical and in
telligent information.
Wishing you pleasant stay while
in our city and God-speed in your
work for the farmers, we bid you a
most hearty welcome.
DEATHS DOINGS