Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-12
Opportunities of the Farm,

1t Is q pity all the most lntelllSeHl
and ambitious young men Of the coun-
ty could not have been gathered in the
court house at Yorkville, last Friday
to hear the most instructive and in
spring address that was delivered by
Mr.. /. w. Williams, state agent for the
Farmers cooperative Demonstration
work.
If such had been the case, of course
there Is no reason to believe all would
have been convinced by what the
speaker had to say; but we feel quite
sure that some of the confident but no
less startling declarations that were
made by him would have been the
more certain of yielding the fruit that
is so eminently desired.
One Of the most striking points in
the address was that the farm fur
nishes more opportunities for indiVid-
ual usefulness distinction and wealth
than is to be found in any other line Of
human endeavor. In making this as
sertion the speaker was quite careful
to have his hearers understand that
he appreciates the fact that the belief
of the farmers themselves is over
whelmingly to the contrary; but he
backed up what he said with facts and
arguments that seemed to make his
position almost impregnable.
Mr.. Williams gave his hearers to
understand that he is keenly alive to
the fact that the ambition Of the aver
age farmer boy is to rise to the position
of clerk in a store" and some of them
look forward to the day when they
might even become "drummers on the
road" but he insisted that even those
people who have attained the greatest
honor, distinction and wealth in
law, medicine the commercial, or polit-
ical world, might we'll envy the oppor-
tunitieS of the young man Of energy,
industry and intellect, who has become
inspired with the possibilities of agri-
culture.
1t is understood, of course, that the
speaker did not attempt to hold up the
average farm worker Of today as a
model. He merely looks upon the aver
age farm worker who is plodding along
doing little because he does not know
that he can do any better-who does
not understand how much genuine
pleasure, interest and satisfaction there
is for him in life, if he will only go after
it in the right manner. His idea is
that every farm in this land is literally
understrewn with gold and diamonds
that are to be had merely for the gath
ering by those who will earnestly, hon
estly and persistently go after them.
He recognizes that there are numerous
large and small farmers all over the
country, who have begun to experience
flashes Of the real truth; but few-very
few-who have more than entered the
ure houses that stand ready to yield to
the keys of knowledge and industry.
The speaker was not unmindful Of
the fact that the farmer is hampered
I!p" ny CSOIlOIlllS CllOl, lliSlt ilS iiuol
learn business precision in the conduct
of his affairs; but he made 1t clear
that these are matters that every indi-
vidual has within the control Of his
own abilities. The way Is open for
every farmer to work out his own SAL
walton. The farm offers infinite variety
Of products that are convertible into
cash, and the question as to how much
of any of those products may be taken
from the soil with a given amount Of
labor is merely a matter Of the knowl-
edge of the most approved methods.
Hundreds and hundreds who think
they have tried it consider all this as
moonshine; but hundreds and hundreds
of others who have already been getting
results, know that what Mr.. Williams
says is true as gospel. They have
learned enough by study and experience
to give them an idea of the infinite pos
sibilities of the things that may be
learned, and right now they would not
voluntarily forsake the call Of the farm
for any other occupation Of which the
world has knowledge.