The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-09-09

expected that ne cannon keep ma
children for living on q different
though really no better scale than
on which they lived In the country.
The farmer forgets that in en-
deavoring TO give bis children a good
education he is uniting them for his
own life, and uniting them 'or farm
life of any kind. Let a boy 60
from the country to town, 60 through
the high school as these schools are
at present established, and then let
him 60 to agricultural college, and
not in one case out of ten does that
boy ever get back to the farm. In
fact he is in a measure untitled for a
farm until after he graduates and
goes back to farming and works for
what he considers poor wages; and
this he is not likely to do.
In their opposition to these cen
tralized schools, farmers do not re-
alize that they are condemning
themselves. just as our parents did,
to life Of inactivity. More than
that. in many cases they shorten
their lives. The farmer, accustom-
en- TO eating heartily on tho farm,
continues 10 eat heartily after he
moves 10 town. His farm gives him
plenty 70 think about. things that
are eievating in their character.
He must study the weather, must
study the crops. must study how to
perform farm operations. When he
moves TO town be has nothing es
pecial to think about. II be is at
all inclined to gossip, be becomes a
gossip and sits and talks with other
farmers who are likewise disaPpoint-
ed and many Of them become dys-
peptic and sour and take a gloomy
view Of things.
II, on the other hand, there vas
school Of the type We have mention
ed in the township. and which seems
to be eminentiy successful where
'ried. the farmer would not need to
20 TO town. he could educate his
children in the country. he can
keep them in touch with farm life by
by the performance of the chores
that must necessarily be done morn
ing and evening, and necessary
work during vacations. A boy
trained in this way who has received
preliminary education on proper
lines at home, will 60 to the agri-
cultural college and not get out Of
touch with agriculture.
The present system is most exPen-
sive, If We take into account the ex-
pensc TO which the farmer and his
family are subject when once they
move TO town: and while this hap
pens to one man this year, and an
other man next year. II does not
happen in the course Of time to al
most every well-io-do farmer in the
community.
When we look at the possibilities
that grow out Of the centralized
school in which there is manual
training, domestic science. and which
is permeated all through with the
spirit of agriculture, the objections
that are made are simply negligible.
We hope that our farmers who are
getting on toward middle age viii
look at this subject in a broad way.
Let them consider what would hap
pen to their families in case they
we're called home.
We hope they will use their best
efforts to shape public opinion Ia the
direction of establishing a school
hat will give better education
han the town school can possibly
give, will retain the children of the
in the rural schools. and
will prevent life Of inactivity for
themselves in the town when they
eel tha, they are pas doing mans
sork on the farm. When a school
II this kind has been formed, the
armer who feels he is unequal TO
he work OF The fair, instead of
enling his farm and thus g.v some
me the privilege of robbing the ~.
viii build smaller house on his
arm, will keep few acres and
TODD team to occupy his leisure