The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1913-01-10
The Boy That Stays on The Farm

have been full OF articles telling of the
successes and victories OF country boy:
who left the farm and went to the big
cities to win fame or fortune, says one
Of our exchanges. They have had
practically nothing to say about the
many thousands of country boys who
went to the big cities and were buried
in oblivion, nor about the thousands o.
boys who stayed at home-on the farm
or in the home town-and became
successful, prominent citizens and
leaders in their communities.
Not only do such articles foster a
misconception of actual conditions,
but they are disastrous to the best in
terests OF the nation. They are I'M
truthful in their implications and ut
terly bad in their effect upon the
minds of the youth of the country.
The point Of view should be reversed
and country newspapers, at least,
should lead in a movement to chroni-
Gle the exploits and successes of the
boys that stayed at home-on the
farm and in the home town. Caesar S
statement: 1t is better to be first in
a little Iberian village, than second in
Rome" has never yet been success
fully refuted.
One of the greatest dangers that to-
day haunt the American people is the
almost universal desire of the Amer
lean boy to leave the farm and go to
the bright lights Of the cities and
crowded centers. And the pull"
OF the big city upon the country boy
is not the worst feature. 1t leaves
country communities without the right
kind OF social advantages, without the
proper proportion of boys and girls,
and makes it increasingly difficult for
the country girl to meet desirable
young men and make a good and re-
spectacle marriage in her home COM
munity. Probably the country girls
themselves do not realize it, but this
may be a reason why many Of them
are leaving the farm or the home town,
and seeking education or employment
(according to their financial circum-
stances) in the larger cities.
A large firm in Chicago employs
something like 800 girls. Eighty-ive
per cent of these come, not from the
big city OF Chicago itself, but from the
country districts and approximately
one-third of the girls employed by the
firm has to be recruited every year
Many of these girls never find in Chi
cago the healthful and moral advan-
tages that the home town should, but
does not offer them.
So the way to keep not only the
country boy, but the country girl also,
at home, is to make farm life more
pleasant, emphasize in print and other
wise, the fact that the farmer is really
the king-pin Of them all and improve
the social advantages of the home
town. Why not encourage home dra-
matte and musical talent? Have anna
teur plays occasionally. A state militia
company is often a good feature and
an armory might be made social cen
ter. The boy scout movement can be
used as advantageously in the small
towns as in the large cities for the
proper amusement and occupation Of
the younger boys and in making bet
ter citizens. Community picnics,
base ball teams, local bands, etc., are
all good things for the home town. A
gymnasium and school athletics should
be encouraged and every town Of any
size should have a park, playground,
public tennis court and a good library.
One way to make farm life more at
uactive is to improve the highways.
Good roads make it possible for the
farmers son and daughter to enjoy
these advantages and participate in
the social events of the home town and
community.
Coal in the Pacific Coast States