The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-21
SOCIAL LIFE or FARMERS AND FAMILIES
" ISAAC 1. TOTEM.

~ loAAc L. TOTEM.
Dusing the past decade our atten.
ton has been 20 much occupied with
Oohor things that We have greatly neg.
1oetsd the social side Of country life.
This II not imagined. 1t 10 only too
ItSus-soUstably and deplorably 20.
The factors that have been at work
TO cause this decline in neighborliness
IN the rural districts are many. What
thoy all are We cannot say: but We be-
nisve that one Of the principal factors
~ the possibilities that have come
even to the average farmer to become
prosperous.
. When the money.mad microbe gets
Unto . mans system. he becomes 10
lpossesssd with the one idea Of obtain
ling riches. that he does not think of
social affairs.
The dollar rivets his.attention dur
Ing the day.
His nights are filled with dreams Of
luxury.
When no meets neighbor. the con-
fvsrsation shows thu relative import
aaos Of the things on bis mind.
! GOOD morning." 10 the usual greet
tnk Of course. II 1t happens to be In
HE morning.
, WHATS hogs WORTH"
Think corn will 60 down. JIM"
II, Don't know: hope not. Pete"
; Cattle are going out Of sight"
What did you get for your pota-
Ness? You're the luckiest fellow ever
saw. Ito Q wonder how them potatoes
came through this winter without
krsssing."
''9old all Of your wheat?"
! Folks all well!" (this question
comes last Of ALL
II there had been hard luck story
TO toll. like many had to tell before
the changed conditions. 1t would have
taken at least an honr to get 1t out Of
ibis system. and then in the evening
Fhe would have brought the family over
10 visit in order to get their minds of
ME- mortgage that was coming due:
Another factor that has done much
toward causing the decline Of sociabil.
tty in many farm neighborhoods 10 the
consolidating Of the schools, as we
have said in this column before.
!! The new school. with it, better edu.
eational advantaees. that have provid-
led for our country boys and girls the
|eame opportunities for mental develop
i0ent that the boys and girls in town
nave. 10 An Improvement over the old
segregated system: but when the old
kehool house was abandoned 1t meant.
lin many places. the discontinuing Of a
tsocial center.
When the school was discontinued
ct the little school house 1t would not
have meant the removal of q social
fcsnter had some one In the neighbor.
hood assumed the leadership and still
maintained the vacant building as q
place for getting together ON u social
basis.
Tha teacher and the scholars had
been the initiative force behind the va.
jrious entertainments that had been
hold at the school house, and the pa
irons had acquired the habit Of depen.
ding upon them for practically every.
thing in that line.
! Dotting the landscape here and
there throughout many counties today
I'VE see the tumble-down. unsightly, old
school buildings detracting from the
beauty of tho surrounding country
When We see these derelicts of the old
school system. We cannot help think.
ling Of the valuable use to which they
might have been put ~ = social CEN
ter.
! Those who left tho farm a few
lyears ago and have recently returned
to II, notice the change in the social
conditions more. no doubt. than those
Who haRe remained on the farm con-
tinuously.
Many have come back expecting to
mad that old time nearness that was
once here; but when they get out to
btAe country again they're greatly. dis
appointed.
! OF course. II 10 impossible to make
Ilifs stationary. ~ Esther Grimm White
says. the conditions must change in
the country 40 we'll a. in the city.
! But this has been . change for the
worse.