The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-02-21
FINE TRIBUTE TO KENTUCKY CORN BOY
LESTER BRYANT'S SHORT CAREER

when the harvest time came,
amongst all those seeking the
prize for the greatest yield of
white corn on one acre of
ground, his name led all the
rest. The soil yielded her in
! crease and gave to this farmer
boy record-breaking yield, and
Lester Bryant in the sweat of
his face became a hero on the
field of agriculture.
He was on the corn boys fir
ing line in the battle for bread.
He had enlisted in noble cause
and before he was Is years of
age surpassed all that had been
accom- olished on the British
farm in the heyday of it's pro-
duction, when, as Goldsmith in
his Deserted Village" wrote,
Every rood of ground main
tanned it's man." He produced
on four roods of ground, or one
acre, enough corn to maintain
not four but IL men. He had
overcome difficulties that stood
in the way of generations of
farmers before him. He had re-
moved the barrier over which
thousands of farmers had
stumbled in their efforts to
make the earth yield her in
crease. He wooed the soil and
she told him her secret. He
touched the growing corn with
the magic wand of his skill and
genius and it responded with
luXuriant growth to his intelli-
gent touch. This young Ken
lucky farmer, this little wizard
of the cornfield, has rendered
his state and nation a great SER
vice in showing the productive
possibilities of the soil. He has
made a splendid contribution to
scientific agriculture. He has
produced from one acre of corn
six times as much as used to be
considered fair yield. We are
told that the man who makes
two blades of grass to grow
where only one grew before is a
benefactor. How much greater,
then, the service of this little
boy who made six bushels of
corn to grow where only one
grew before. This little Ken
lucky boy bade fair to become
an ideal farmer. The example
of his sturdy life and the work
that he has wrought will be of
benefit to his fellows in years
to come. He did not lean upon
his hoe and gaze upon the ground,
as did the desponding peasant
in Markham's Man with
the Hoe but with head erect
and light upon his face stood
there on his fathers farm a
perfect little prince in the king
dom of agriculture. The father
looks with affection and pride
upon such an Industrious, stur-
dy son, and the good mother
blesses the day that he was
born. Some boys despise work.
JOIlh RuSkln has truly said:
There is an idle class among
both rich and poor, weak. wick
ed, and miserable. There is a
working class among both rich
and poor, strong, healthy, and
happy"
Lester Bryant belonged to
the working class of which John
RuSkin spoke. He had enlisted
for life in the agricultural army
Of his country. 1t is sad thing
to see a boy drifting aimlessly
along, devoid of pluck and en-
ergy, lazy, and indolent; but
how Supremely refreshing and
how pleasing to see boy full
of vim and energy, buoyant, in
dustrious, and hopeful, doing
what his hands find to do. This
youthful Kentucky farmer was
such a boy. He was blessing
to his parents and a distinct
benefit to his day and genera
ton. Peace to his ashes.
The hoe that has welded wiA be
covered with dust,
The plow that he guided be still
| The trace chains be red with rust
While he sleeps on the slope of the
hill"
But the things that ba