The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-07-20

pISSislOu, iudy uOt De dcSepteu III al
communities as evidence of character
| But 1t Is here.
OF the 160 boys ON Good VIII farm
there are few who cannot perform
this somewhat uncertain feat. 1t Ii
not required of all of them, to be sure
but were the necessity to arise, not
one would hesitate. Their training
here has taught them to act quickly
and to make every movement count
In whatever they are doing Hence an
impression of character Is conveyed
to the stranger by whatever Good
Will farm boy does.
| was walking over the farm with
Rev. G.. w. Hinckley, Its founder
when we came to an enclosure made
of old fence boards In a grove of
birches, back of some buildings.
Here a bright and notwithstanding
boy was soberly attending to the
wants of pair of black-and- white
pigs.
These are his own pigs" said Mr..
Hinckley in an aside. He is raising
them to make some money for him
self"
When I asked the youth IL he could
catch one of the pigs he smiled, jump
ed into the enclosure, fixed his eyes
on the larger pig, and by movement
of swiftness and dexterity, caught it
by the hind leg. In a twinkling he
had the pig in his arms.
Before we left the place he explain
ed that the little pen of clean sawdust
at one end of the enclosure was
where the pigs slept. 1t had hinged
roof
I'm fair weather." he said. "I can
turn the roof back. When it rains. |
have some protection for the pigs"
The sincerity of this discourse, the
quiet mastery of the boy over his pigs
and the economic principle they rep
resented, was typical of thestraifing
here. The lad had bought these two
young pigs at SO each. He expected
to sell them in the fall as big pigs
at 7 cents a pound.
One day recently, when the rest of
the boys were going off for an ex-
curslon into the woods, they passed
THIS lad driving one of the farm teams.
although it was the play hour.
We got to work." was his cheer
ful hail. to buy food for my pigs,"
BOYS WHO RAISE CHICKENS.
This spirit of enterprise is found
on every hand among the Good VIII
farm boys. There are no drones in
the hive. ~
we crossed a field and came to a
row or henhouses. AS we approacb-
ed Two small boys presented a picture
OIL unconscious grace as they leaned
over wire fence, from their respec-
i've chicken yards, and one handed
the other, with great care. a tender
chlck' but a few hours out of the
shell. u me
We interviewed the young chicken
raisers. One had a yard full of Rhode
island reds. The other had black
Plymouth Rocks. Each told the ex-
act number he owned
than 10. Each had bought eggs and
operated an incubator to get his
mock. In the fall each hoped to sell
his chickens at a price that would
yield enough profit to pay for a suit
of clothes at least.
COME FROM DIFFERENT STATES.
AS we walked over the farm there
was a genial, fatherly word for every
boy we met, calling each by name.
do you see that boy riding on that
load of wood? And do you see that
light-haired one sitting on the steps
there? Those boys came here on the
same day about month ago, and
they very we'll illustrated the problem
we have to deal with" s. i'd Mr..
Hinckley.
That boy on the load of wood
came from Hell's Kitchen, In the
worst tenement district of lew York
city. He had never seen the country
before. One day recently a man who
was instrumental in sending him to
US came here, and meeting the boy
said: I have come to take you back
to New York The boy answered in
a fash. Not much'
THE other boys came from an out
of the way country place. He had
never seen railroad train nor heard
a brass band, nor witnessed base
ball game. The day he came the
Fairfield baseball team was here for
a game with one of our teams. The
noise and excitement distressed him.
After a month here both of these
boys are happy and contented.
think that good test for our sys-
tenn"
HOW BOYS ARE CHOSEN.
I was led to ask how the boys were
chosen for Good Will farm.
ANY worthy boy In need of help
ing hand Is eligible to a home here"
said Mr.. Hinckley, but we have, only
about 20 vacancies a year, and there
fore we can take only a small per-
centage of those who apply.
1--WE do not necessarily take or
phans; In fact. we have only few.
We take boys whose homes have been
broken up by the separation of par
ents, by the death of one parent, or
the dereliction of the father. We al
so take boys whose parents are per-
sons of character who have been
brought to poverty through i'll for
tune. We have one boy whose father
was college professor Age and Ill
health left him stranded. That boy
gives great promise of a successful
career.