The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-12-03
DIFFICULTIES OF
FARMER BOYS
roHIlNUED FROM PAGE TWO

duty by tno child then he must OF
uccesslt, 20 through life Handicapped
IN the struggle ior existence. Theh
no. on, docs the Individual suffer, Da'
society as whole is made TO
sustain loss economically .ntelic''.
ualy and spiritually
These things being true, let MS con
,ider The work Of these three institu'
tltlous as they exist in the life Of
the farmers boy and thus we shall
0c able to determine some of his diff
{icutes and some Of his needs.
When We come to consider his home
,,re we are brought face TO face with
q very large number Of his grayost
difficulties. As o rule his parents
lave not had the advantage Of much
education. Their training has been OBJ
taned largely from tradition and their
own life experience. This of necessity
makes II narrow and causes them to
90 things very much as they were
cOrc ny their ancestors. Their ideas
arc IN large degree traditional and
.,oymciaL with these the child is to
large extent bound down and his
OWE life experience circumscribed In
ZONES Of this kind it becomes neces-
-ary for the boy Just as soon as he IS
lt all large enough TO begin to contrib
ute to the support of the family. This
~ measure deprives him OF many Of
the experiences OF childhood to which
re Is entitled, and prematurely lays
upon him responsibilities too grave
for his years and his experience. /
yeali2e the importance of early in life
giving the child that training which
comes from the assuming OF respon-
sibilty but in a very large per cent OF
the cases Of boys raised on the farm
these responsibilities are few and of
such nature as 20 be narrowing and
of such humdrum monotony as to
make his work a drudgery. He has
entirely too few diversions. There is
very little of the best literature found
in the home and often still less Ell
couragement from parents and oppor
lunltics given for the reading of that
which may be found there. In many
Of these homes anything is considered
good enough for the boy, while the
best OF everything is given to the
girl He is required TO contribute
toward giving her the best to be OBJ
tained and very often when the family
finances are limited he is required to
work and assist in making it possible
FOR her to go 70 college and there re.
cevc that training and culture which !
tducates her out OF his class. Educat
ID and cultured mothers are very |
much 20 be desired, but We should see |
20 it that We have educated fathers |
who shall have a much larger earning |
capacity than the majority Of our |
Southern farmers have today.
VI We turn to the church, we find
that conditions there are in many
cases not so good as are found in the
aome. The buildings as a rule are
,ery poor and unattractiye Services
are held there only once a month.
Ministers of these churches are often
men who are forced TO follow some
ether occupation in order that they
may make living for those dependent
upon them. Therefore, they have very
iittlc time FOR the study of Gods
.7ord of the spiritual needs OF their
congregation. The boy ywho, is raised
IN this community. nothing about
'he services of the church TO attract
nim or TO enlarge his views and ele-
late his ideals of the spiritual life.
Hence this side OF his nature is i'm
povcr.shcd and stinted in its growth.
But We as educators should be es-
pocialy Interested in the third OF
these institutions, which is RESPONSE |
it lNI Nut N'N Nltl'lllNAAb Va NhlANANNN ]
the school. II there is one OF these ,
institutions that IS falling more than ,
tie others TO do it's full duty by the |
southern farmers boy, II seems to me |
that It is the school II is failing in |
many respects The buildings as a !
rule are very poor and in many In !
stances are very unslghtiy. Whero |
there is any equipment at all 1t is
ot the poorest so that there is moth |
ing about the physical environment |
TO attract the average country boy. |
ne IS forced to go long distances |
through muddy and often almost I'M
rassable roads which tend to discOur'
are rather than hearten him for
school work. Possibly in majority !
II cases when he reaches the school |
building he Is greeted by a teacher |