The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-09-30

to them thai the country makes its

to them thai the country makes its
strongest appeal.
A house and an acre or more of land
can be purchased or rented more
cheaply than house and lot in the
city. The home can be supplied with
all the conveniences that the family
were used to In the city. The trolley
and the telephone keep them In touch
with their city friends. The city man
who is past the days of the hard work
demanded In mercantile establish
ment or a factory can still make a fair
living from the soil. The returns from
an even acre or so of ground will go
far toward paying the family's living
expenses
The pleasure of life in the open.
where the air Is pure and there is
time TO dream and room to be happy,
will add years to the lives Of the
new made farmer and his wife. The
freedom from responsibility calls back
the light heartedness of youth. The
tyranny of Office hours Is done away
with. The luxury Of independence is
attained.
No sign Of the return to the country
is more encouraging than the tendency
Of the old farmers and their wives to
spend the remainder Of their days in
the country. Some Of the old farmers
who move to town to end their days
are satisfied perhaps. but most Of
them are not The enforced idleness
gals them. The narrow boundaries
Of a city lot stifle them. They miss
their old friends and associates.
The home farm is a much better
place than the city for the farmer to
spend his declining years for many
reasons. 1t Is home to him, and q
thousand pleasant memories cling
around every knoll and tree. He can
turn over to one Of the boys the active
work Of managing the farm and still
have most of the pleasure Of farming
without the responsibility. 1t may
mean the construction of another
house perhaps, bat the expense will
be less than the cost Of house in
the city. There are always little tasks
to be done when he feels like work,
yet he can quit when he feels like
quitting. When he Is not In a mood
to work there are always neighbors
horse and buggy he and his wife can
go where and when they please. Thus
the days pass pleasantly and smooth
ly. without a ripple Of discomfort or
the strain of getting used to new
environment The passing years leave
few marks on either the farmer or his
wife, for this sort of life is not cal
culated to encourage the advance Of
old age.
From the standpoint of the commu-
BILE asset. A number Of such families
in the community give permanency to
it's social life. With little else to do
and plenty Of time to do 1t In the
farmer and his wife can go ahead
with the management of the club or
grange They can devise picnics and
suppers and go ahead with lecture
courses and celebrations.
These things are Of incalculable
benefit to any community, and yet too
often the young farmers are too busy
to look after all the details connected
with them.
In looking after the business affairs
Of the township and county and state
the farmer who is out of active bust
ness finds an outlet for his surplus
energies. Township offices are by no
means lucrative. Yet 1t is essential
for the good of the community that
they be filed by men who will take
time to see that the township affairs
are properly conducted. A farmer who
no longer has business of his own
to demand his best attention is just
the man for such place.
The county supervisors have charge
of a great amount Of business. Upon
the efficiency of their work depends
the condition of the roads and bridges.
The management of county is no
small job. yet it is too often intrusted
to some office seeking politician be-
cause there is no one else who has
time for the place. Here is another
opportunity for the retired farmer.