Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-04-21
Some Suggestions As To The Ifn-
provement OF Country Life.
Written for the SENrlNEL. /

Every year numbers of country boys
leave their farms and 60 to live in the city.
They desert farms which. properly man
aged, would bring them comfortable returns
yearly, with substantial values in prospect,
for the city where wages are meagre and
prospects less promising. They are lured
by the will O. wisp of great wealth, I'M
conscious of the fact that she shines for
but few.
Many thoughtful men and sociologists
have written and spoken much on this
subject in the past decade in a vain effort
to turn the tide from the city back to the
country. When you thoughtfully consider
the matter there are better opportunities
for the average man in the country than
in the city. AS an illustration we will take
country boy who has two-hnndred-
acre farm, house, farm buildings, imple-
ments, cattle, etc. clear. This farm pro-
perly managed. would bring the boy two
thousand dollars year; he could keep
several horses at practically no cost would
get at least two-thirds of his food from his
farm, and dress at materially less expense
than city man. He, however, sells his
farm and goes to the city The interest
on his money is seven hundred and
fifty dollars, but he cannot. for several
years, earn more than two hundred and
fifty dollars year then. we will suppose
he gets five hundred dollars year. At
BEST this is only twelve hundred and fifty
dollars, which. in actual money is much
less than his farm would produce and con-
sidering the higher cost of living isat least
produce.
Apart from the wealth. there is the moral
consideration. There is that, in the city,
which tends to demoraze and which a
country boy is not prepared to resist. And
if he comes to the city he will come in
contact with these demoralizing influences
and his character will be injured in con-
sequence.
We have now seen the question from the
side of the country boy but. since the city
people must do their share in the move
ment for which am speaking, we shall
proceed to look upon the subject from their
point of view.
The trend Of the country recruit to the
city ranks is toward the unproducing class,
because, being uneducated in city ways.
he stands handicapped at the very start.
He furnishes one more mouth to feed and
takes one more pair of hands from the
force of food producers by his migration
and when a sufficient number do this the
supply cannot meet the demand. This has
much to do with the high cost of living of
which we hear so much.
Now. why does the country boy leave his
farmY That is what we are going to answer.
and shall also make some suggestions for
means of stopping this urban migration.
On the farm there is the dull routine of
farm life up at four O'Clock every morn
ing, summer and winter. to get the milk off
on an early train, get breakfast, work till
dark, and go to bed Maybe in the winter,
when the ground cannot be worked, the
boys will get few weeks at a country
school, Any ambitious boy soon tires of
this and seeks different life. He leaves
his farm for the city, expecting to find
something there, but unused to the city
does not succeed however, he has taken
his choice, the city has him, ii is too late
to turn back.
1t is the duty of the city man to himself
and. as a christian citizen of the United
States. to his country brothers to discourage
this drift of country boys toward the city.
In the cities there is the Y. M. c. A. and
other such institutions for the development
of young men. why should they not extend
into the countryY There would then be
something to hold the young men to their
not be the same in the country as in the
large cities for, where there are so few
people, the organization could not be so
elaborate and well equipped. The different
situation would require different activities.
shall therefore map out plan for such
an organization for the rural districts.
The first step which is important to such
movement is the consolidation of rural
schools. To explain this. we shall take
Montgomery county as an example. There
is a school at Rockville, one at Sandy
Spring. one at Potomac, one at barnes
town, one at Poolesvile. one at Laytons-
vile, and one at Hyattstown Twenty
such schools would cover the county To
each Of these schools there would. under
the consolidated rural school system, be an
omnibus run over every main road. This
would not only bring the children together
more but would enable some TO attend
school who cannot do so now.
At each Of these twenty schools there
would be division Of the rural Y. M. C. A.
and the headquarters would be at Rock
Vile There would be club house here,
and possibly after the system had been
working some time, one at each Of the
other schools. OF course, these wouldn't
be as elaborate as those in the large
cities. but there could be gymnasium, an
outside swimming tank and an athletic
field. The gymnasium could be used as a
reading room at certain times and table
games could be played there; possibly
there could be one or two bowling alleys.
Once or twice a year there could be a
field-day and festival in each Of the twenty
schools, when prizes are given to the best
runner. the best jumper. the best horseman,
the best teamster, etc, and cups to the win
ners in basketball. baseball, football. etc.
There would also be indoor meets for the
championship in billiards, pool bowling, etc.
OF course, there would be a Boy Scout
Troop in connection with this. / shall
dwell upon this subject only to tell what
it does for the boys. By the training which
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