The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-30

children and crown people would at
tend church more regularly than they
do now with our bad roads and dis
tant and uncomfortable churcheS, loi
church going is not only penelcial
from the religious atmosphere WHICH
peryades them, but there is also an
attractive and social feature onnect
ed with them which is a beneHt n a
blessing to the people.
The schools and churches Of a com
munity are it's greatest moral ana eau
catiOnal forces. Next to them, per
| haps stands rural mail delivery, Wnlch
brings the people Of the rural districts
in daily touch with the cities and bus
mess world. 1t places in their hands
the daily papers, magazines, and all OF
the current of the country,
so thai they may be we'll informed
as to what is tranSplrlng IN the pOi1tl-
cal, literary and commercial world as
their brothers in the city. The bene-
fetal effects of this service upon the
happiness and home comforts of our
rural population is unreasonable, and
nothing contributes to its efficiency
and regularity more than improved
roads
The Importance Of improving our
roads is SO great that 1T demands the
most serious consideration Of every
oliS. IL SIIooio va AAAAO
date and persistent efforts. Both Old
and young have an interest in it. They
should all be educated to a realization
Of its Importance and bearing on their
welfare; the old ones SO they may be-
gin the work Of Improvement, and the
young ones so they will be prepared
and willing to take up the work begun
and carry it forward to a high degree
of perfection.
To his end it would be a wise pol
icy to include in our school courses,
both high school and college, a course
in roa construction and maintenance.
Sue 4 course would give our boys and
girls rubin entary training as to the
Importance and advantages Of i'm
proved roads. It would instill in them
q desire and an ambition to have them
and q sufficient knowledge Of the sub
ject to enable them to cooperate in
diligently with the men in charge of
road work. It will teach them that
by the exercise Of a little knowledge
and the judicious expenditure of a lit
tie money and labor much of the hard
ships of farm life may be softened
and its isolation dispelled, and that
equal pleasure and comfort may be
extracted from life in the country as
may be derived from city life.
If our rural population a be
brought to a realization of this, the
prevailing tendency to flock from the
farm to the city will cease. They will
Immediately begin to agitate the ues-
ton Of improved roads and to build
them. Us the g are improved the
rural districts will become more at
tractiVe, the farmers will continue to
farm and to do SO more in~telligently,
the COngested population Of the cities
Will begin to flow from their alleys
TO the healthy atmosphere of the farm
and become producers instead Of cOn
4 Clrr1cFc md n71v anIlpfvv will ra -ata
forward to greater industrial attain
mentS and higher and nobler ciyiliza-
ton.
The educational and social advan-
tages. therefore. which Will flow from
improved roads are manifold. It is OF
prime Importance to the whole Amer
lean people that these advantages be
realized to the fullest extent. 1t is i'm
pOrtant to those who inhabit our
cities because the brain and morals Of
the city constantly resplenish from
the farm nome. where we find our
most Ideal farm life. 1t Is the infu-
sion of good healthy blood from the
country into that of the city which
maintains the poise between the raw
ages Of the baSer forces at work to
undermine our civilization, and those
which tend to uplift and elevate it.
All these advantages are important to
those who inhabi our rural districts
because Of their direct influence upon
their welfare. And any measure which
benefits every American citizen, adds
to the moral, economic and intellec-
tual advancement of our country, and
places daily news of the world and of
our own ountr in the hands of our
rural population, will prove a blessing
to the entire country and add strength
and character to our nation.
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HANDLING THE Musk
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