La Junta tribune., 1910-02-12
PROMINENT citizen OF a
large Southern Colorado
town told me few DAYS
ago fhaf nua d,y lac, A

- ago that one day last month
he counted over thirty young men.
most OF them boys from fifteen to
twenty years OF age, In one pool
room In that city. Most of them.
he said. were sitting around on the
chairs smoking cigarettes and idling
away their time, while a few were
playing pool. The air was thick
with tobacco smoke and foul with
ribald and profane conversation and
smutty stories.
Some Of the boys complain that
they cannot get work, but majority
OF them don't want to work. They
have degenerated into chronic loaf
ers. can't understand why these
boys. as well as many OF the idle
men around that town, who pretend
that they want to work, do not 10
out on the ranches and farms OF Col.
orado. where 1t is claimed help Is
scarce. and where they could easily
secure Jobs for the summer.
The trouble is most OF these un.
for'unaies are of no sort of use on
farm. They would only be in the
way and few of them are capable
OF earning wages. They do not under
stand farm tools and would break
more machines than their work would
be worth. They cannot be trusted
with a team; they couldn't piow,
harrow. SOW. drive a mower, or do
anything else about farm intelligent
ly or efficiently. The boys, however.
could learn. but most OF them do not
understand that II takes some ume
10 becsme e'Sktalfui~enough- 10 d Eood
work.
Many Of the people living In towns
and cities do not realize that farm
work belongs to the skilled labor
class. They have been taught to look
upon the green country boy AZ one
who does an inferior sort Of labor
which requires no skill and intelli.
gcnce. The fact Is that the green
country boy" can give the ordinary
town boy cards and spades and then
beat him a city block In both intelli.
gence and morals. The country boy.
I II he has been trained to work on
the farm. has been taught self.reli.
ance and learns to be rcsourceful
II any OF the machinery breaks he
knows how to fix It. II horse Is
disposed to be nervous or intractable
he knows how to speak to him and
are a thousand and one things to be
learned on IA farm before one can be
called a skilled farm hand. and there
Is an infinite variety OF duties about
which the ordinary town boy Is as
| ignorant as ground hog Is about
heaven.
In the country towns like the one
have mentioned the parents In u
great measure are to blame for the
idle. vicious. cigarette smoking boys
who frequent the pool rooms and
loaf ON the corners. Many OF them
have industrious. frugal parents.
but these parents have INDUCED their
boys and allowed them to pursue
their own evil propcnsitics until they
are incapable OF y life Of earnest. use
fui labor. They have been permitted
to ieav. school before they hay. ac'
quired enough education to do any
sort OF business, They have not been
taught trades and are unable to do
any kind OF skilled labor. They are
/ therefore doomed to lives OF mcnial
labor. and will tc hewers Of wood
and drawers OF water for the rest
OF mankind. They are sons Of Mar
tha." and viii never rise above the
most humble occupations because
d their parents were too indulgent and
ncgicctfui to exercise u little whole
some discipline At the proper time.
Boys and girls who are raised ON
the farm have far better opportun'
ny for practical education than those
In town. Il II said that the impor'
tant thing In an education is TO teach
people TO think. ! have read In some
magazine that the difference between
people consists mainly In what II
going on In their heads. Tho farm
boy or girl has peculiar opportunity
To do some thinking They live
alongside Of their fathers and moth
crs. ~ few town children do. and u
the parents maintain an educative a.
titude toward the child In The hom'