The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-10
STORY OF BOY WHO
LOVES FARM WORK
How He Made Good in Auburn
Training
NOW HAS FINE CHANCE
College In Arkansas-His Father
Tells of Great Pride i'm tho
Young Mans Work
by WALTER HARPER

BY WALTER HARPER
Auburn, June 9.-(Special)-One OF the
happiest men at the annual commence
ment of the Alabama Polytechnic institute
was A. H. Burleson of Marion county,
Mr.. Burleson is an honest farmer who
lives 10 miles east of Hamilton IN one
of the toughest and most unpretentious
sections in the state of Alabama He Is
a man without education but has. fine
sense of appreciation of the great value of
practical training and education IN the
practical arts and sciences.
He came to witness the graduation or
his son, David Jasper Burleson, and mas
been shown every courtesy by the faculty.
the citizens of Auburn and the feliow'
students of his son. He has thoroughly
enjoyed himself. re
'I have never enjoyed myself more in
my life," said Mr.. Burleson enthusiastic-
ally. "This is the first time in my life
1 was ever in college. The war broke
out when I was 10 years of age and
was deprived of the advantage OF even
a common school education. But l ap-
preciate the advantages of an education
and am doing all l can as poor man
for the education OF my children.
Il am a simple farmer, poor man.
live in the house In Marion county In
which I was born 65 years ago.
IT attended the alumni banquet Mon
day night. It was the most interesting
affair of the kind I ever saw. l saw my
son graduate as one of the few men
who had won special distinction In the
college. Do you wonder that am proud
of him? He has had a hard struggle to
get through school, but / guess 1t has
been an advantage to him. He tells me
that he is proud that he had to work his
way, though, that it will help him in the
future He is not afraid of work"
David Jasper Burleson, the son, grad
uated as a bachelor of the science of ag-
riculture You will naturally ask what
he intends to do with it.
You are curious to know, perhaps, why
this boy, a simple farm boy, worked his
way through preparatory school. took a
scholarship course through the Peabody
Normal college at Nashville and then
worked his way through the agricultural
course at Auburn. Did he do it for the
purpose of engaging in the business Of
farming? ass 49,
Yes.
He tells me that he is a farmer by trade
and inclination. This is the chosen work
of his life.
He mastered Greek, German and French
and the other academic course in prepare
ton and then went deeply, completely
into the intricate science of agriculture.
He delved deep into the science of plow-
ing, agricultural chemistry, seed selec-
ton and plant breeding. He studied ami
NAL industry, the separation of milk from
cream, the breeding of stock and the va
ried intricacies of meat production.
All this to be farmer. He wanted to
be good farmer.
'I love to see things grow" he told me.
Farming is one of the learned profess
sions. 1t is easy to be doctor or law
yer, but according to my way of think
ing it takes brains education and busi-
ness training to be a successful farmer.
The profession is just as honorable and
the return just as satisfactory in this as
in any other profession. Farming is my
choice"
But David Jasper Burleson has been
thwarted in his ambition to be a farmer
in the general acceptation of the term
for a while at least.
The legislature of Arkansas last year
provided for the establishment Of four
agricultural schools in the state. Money
was appropriated for buildings and equip
ment and liberal amount for maintenance.
The state officials then began to look
the country over for competent men to
take charge and organize the schools.
Burleson was one of the men discovered.
He was elected president of the South
western Agricultural school and he has
accepted. After two-weeks VACATION at
his fathers home in Marion county young
Burleson will go to Iowa, Nebraska and
other middle western states, where he will
study the methods of some Of the finest
agricultural schools In the country. He
will spend one month in this special study
and will then proceed to his work in
Arkansas.
During August he will conduct cam
paign Of education in the interest of the
new school which he is to organize and
conduct. In the meantime the buildings
are being erected at Magnolia for the &C.
commodation Of the school.
The responsibility Of the organization of
the school is on this young graduate of
Auburn. He is going with the determin-
alton to make good. His thorough, prac-
teal training at Auburn is assurance
that he will succeed Coupled with this
is the excellent virtue of his early train
ing on his fathers modest farm In the
hills OF north Alabama.
Mr. Burleson tells me that when he is
able financially, or in the event that he
loses his place in this new school, he
will establish himself as farmer. But
he hopes to be able to do more for the
general good of the agricultural interests
of the south in the position to which he
has been called. Here he will have a
farm Of 400 acres. where he can satisfy his
every desire to see and make things grow
give this as an instance of the prac-
teal efficiency Of the work that Is be-
ing done at Auburn
Practically every graduate of the insti-
tuition this year goes Immediately to some
responsible position.