Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-21
to the boys at a nominal price, but kept

to the boys at a nominal price, but kept
the keys himself. There was an under
standing that il q boy really needed the
money he had saved, Orwell would send
him the key, but the boy had to prove the
case. Then once in a quarter or every
SIX months. the key was sent on, the
bank was opened and It's contents were
deposited In local bank at interest.
Orwell never touched the money himself,
but kept record Of every deposit and
had the account Of every boy, offering
prize to the one that saved the most
money. He worked this thing up until
several thousand boys on the farms in
that locality now have little accounts In
the banks and everybody will realize the
dignity and the sense Of responsibility
mat boy will feel when he has bank
account.
His corn contests in many respects
surpass those that have been held in any
other part OF the country. He is now try
ing 70 work out new idea in making the
boys land owners. His theory is that
there can be new crop Of almost every
thing else. but there will never be an
other crop OF land" and that the best
way to keep the boys on the farms is to
make them land owners. Therefore he
offers a ten-acre farm. with a house on il
valued at $1,000. to the boy who raises
the best crop of corn during the current
year OF 1910 Forty thousand smaller
premiums are also offered. put every
farmer boy in Illinois will be after that
farm"
Beginning Of His Work.
In his advertisement he says II started
my farm boy work with three barefooted
boys. with blue overalls on. some years
ago. 1t seems but yesterday. but there
are $1,000 OF us now and we are about
the warmest, friendliest group you ever
saw.
I'm this great competitive oorn-growing
contest 1 have two underlying objects.
In the frst place have a burning ambi-
ton to put this little paper. the exponent
Of everything that is good and noble and
true In the life Of a boy, into every home
IN America that has q boy In 1t. When
this little paper, common and simple as 1t
U.s. shall have found its way into every
gospel OF farmers boy stay on the
FARM" then the standard of young man
hood must rise notch or two.
my other ambition is to send a good
start Of fine pedigree seed corn onto lOO-
0O0 farms in America. Every boy in
America. white or black. long or short,
handsome or ugly. who shall raise a sin
gle ear Of corn during the year 1910 that
length and shall have circumference at
the middle as much as ~ inches, and
mail II to me. during November, 1910.
shall receive nice premium.
Ten-Acre Farm a Premium.
THE boy who raises the best ear will
get q ten-acre farm. John D. Rockefel-
Ter. with all his petroleum. won't hold a
candle to 1t, and when $1,000 boys will
stand SHOULDER to shoulder in an indus
trial cause like this ii will beat gadding
the streets at night. 1t will beat wearing
$4,000 little old cigarettes in their hand
some faces. 1t will beat sitting around
dealing out q dirty old greasy pack of
spotted cards"
Chester Roberts OF Arcola, H.. won the
first prize. valued at $780, in Otwell's
corn-growing contest last year.
Another notable instance of successful
agricultural work among children is the
John Swaney Consolidated School in Mag
nolia township. Putnam county, III. 1t
was organized by Mr.. John Swaney, a
farmer OF moderate circumstances. who
believes in better things for country chit
dren and has furnished a model for other
modest philanthropfsts all over the coun-
try. He gave a tract of twenty-four acres
and organized the neighbors into a move
ment which resulted In the erection OF
a three-thousand-dol brick building
with laboratories and other facilities for
teaching practical farming, simple shop
work and domestic science in connection
with the ordinary school work. The reg
ular courses Of study in the first eight
grades are followed daily, ITO which Is
added daily courses in the simple agri-
cultural sciences under the instruction of