The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-23
Why the Farmer Should He ThankfuI


Why the Farmer Should Be Thankful.
Frank g. Moorhead in Iowa Home
stead: AS another Thanksgiving sea
son approaches IT is well for the FARM
er to take stock OF what the year has
brought MIN. There are times when
| nothing needs more urgently to be
done than TO sit down and quietly re-
feet over the things which have hap
pened. and TO prepare, with medita-
ton, for the future.
Since last Thanksgiving Day the
average farmer of the grain belt has
seen his holdings increase He has
passed through another prosperous
year. God has smiled on the land
and in the sunlight of His counter
ance the crops have ripened Man
went forth In the spring and tickled
the earth that Nature might laugh
her harvest IN the autumn. There were
obstacles TO be overcome; some days
we're dark and overcast and the plans
Of men went aft a-gley,r hut in the
! end the farmer rose supreme It Is
meet that he should SIT down some
autumn evening and remember and re-
turn thanks Lest we forget should
be the ra1lytng cry Of the Thanksgiv-
ing season Man is all too apt to for
get that It was not alone his OWN indi-
vidual efforts which brought him good
fortune
But bounteous crops are the ma
teriaI things OF life and the farmer
should no more be thankful solely for
them and take no heed o. other things
tan he should think Of Thanks giving
/ cnIy az a day on which to eat turkey.
He should be thankful that the world
{ fl rapidly coming TO give the farmer a
higher station In life; that the day Of
only a farmer has passed, never 10
/ dawn again. He should be thankful
that his SONG and daughters are find
I ing more and better schools near AZ
hand 80 that they need NOT 90 into
I the town and city, probably never to
return to the old home. He should be
thankful that the old unsanitary
schoolhouges are being replaced BY
sanitary. slightly buildings: that The
days Of ..readin,' rftin' and 'rithmetic'
have been supplemented By elemen-
tary agriculture domestic science and
manual training In the public schools.
He should be thankful that the cam
paign for better roads has borne fruit.
that rut and chuck-hoies are giving
way to smooth. level bouIeyardg. He
i ~ tnx <,.f4 rnad Gp
and the strength and skill to use Il.
He should be thankful that the inter-
urban gives him speedy commnnica-
ton with town and city; that the mail
carrier brings the letters and papers
to his very door: that the genius Of
loan has harnesscd the forces OF cleo
tricity and made It possible for him
TO talk into box and his words 70
carry many miles. He should be thank
fnl that science has discovered how to
make two blades OF grass and two
ears OF corn grow where but one grew
before. He should be thankful that u
is a good world and that man. HAVING
made this discovery, did not keen i
to himself but passed the word along
, that millions might prosper because oi
the knowledge of one man.
Yet. after al, these are still the ma
terial things Of life and there remain
others for which the farmer should be
thankful. He should be thankful II a.
he Ia straight and strong, with wit te
, work and hope to keep him brave lie
, should be thankful that 1t Is given te
him ito love the things Of earth;
ripe fruit and laughter, lying down tf
, sleep" He should he thankful that ne
Is able to do needed share in-the
worlds work and that in doing It ht
can derive pleasure and profit there
: from He should be thankful for
? serene heart, for comfortable com
rades, for cheerful work and thu
knowledge that as he soWs and reapt
the world is fed from his bounty ant
] men across the seas who know bin
t not rise from the table satisfied be
y cause he has done good work well
! He should remember the words of thu
poet:
] thank Thee that the sight of sunli
lands
9 And dipping hills. the breath of even
J, Ing grass
Q That wet. dark rocks and flowers II
my hands
n Can give me daily gladness as I pass
q He should be thankful that he IS no
n shut mp between four walls in tn
& midst Of the great. cruel devourin
q city, He should be thankfnl that ii
t. can come and go. attended only b.
u Nature, asking no man his pleasur
u and bending the knee Mt no man