The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-09-21
64Ru NHlIeE GAJNH,H EWG,IAE mrs
ZZE WORH

are not engaged in the actual tiling OF the soil as
a sole means of livelihood.
The evidences of energy, ambition and prosper
fly which are calculated to impress with their
full force only the person who returns to region
after an absence of a score OF years or a decade,
are to be found in various spheres. They are
most noticeable perhaps in the institutions and
facilities which have to do with bread-winning
occupations, the increased size and improved CON
dition of farm buildings, the betterment of farm
implements and machinery, the upkeep OF the
fences and the more satisfactory status of the
roads over which the farmer hauls his produce to
market Il is safe to say, however that in no
division Of farm life has the twentieth century dis
closed new possibilities to the extent that such
expansion has been manifested in the architecture
and construction of barns and stables
The barn has always been most important as
set of the farmer or stock raiser. Society folk,
ignorant of the relative importance OF things on
farm have been wont to criticize many farmer
because he expended far more money on his barn
than he did upon his residence. From the stand
point OF the farmer, however. there has always
been ample justification for such course.
barn represents an important business essential
source of livelihood, whereas dwelling is In con-
siderable measure If not luxury at least
vehicle of comfort Accordingly the farmer, II he
has the thrift and foresight and Judgment for
which his class are proverblal, is apt to argue
when setting up for himself that 1t Is the part OF
wisdom TO procure the best possible facilities In
the form of shelter for his crops and stock and
to bide his time in indulgng the longing for fine
house And, be II added, the average rural house
WIFE particularly II she raised on farm, has
readily concurred with her husbands view as to
the wisdom OF thus attending to business first
and pleasure afterward.
Gradually II has come about, however that In
none save the most newly-developed sections Of
the country is there noticeable that old disparity
between the appearance of the farm home and its
accompanying barn. The prosperity that has
come TO the American farmer in later years has
been mainly responsible. With an opportunity to
derive something like his proper share OF the
profts of his vocation he has spruced up" things
generally around the old homestead Like not
he has invested in an automobile and high
priced graphophone or payer-piano, but whether
or not he has gone to the limit of luxures in that
direction he is pretty certain to have made the
farm home worthy of his family and OF his pros
perous condition-either enlarging or rebuilding
the old house or else putting up new house that
is modern ia every respect
But while these other adjuncts have been catch
ing up with the farm barn 1t must not be sup
nosed that the barn itself has been standing still
IN the march of progress, If we may express II
that way It is not so much that the presentday
barn or stable is larger than its predecessor of
dacade ago-except of course, in the case OF large
Estates or bonanza farms. On the contrary there
seems TO be some tendency to reduce the size o
auch buildings This tendency, which Is not ye
by any means universal, is explained by various
circumstances. For one thing It has become th'
fashion 10 provide various separate storage struc
,ures and outbuildngs which take care OF som'
NJ the farm yield for which space had formerly Z
he provjded in the barn. Then too the automo
htas ~ the up-to-date farmer of today take up les
snaca than did the various carriages, buggies. igh
wogo,s and carriage horses OF the farmer In pre-
nortionately easy circumstances some years age
Rut ~ country barns have not necessarily bee
following the example of city skyserapers In grow