Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-02-04

Don't drive the boy OF the farm.
Arrange the farm work so that he will
like it."
The above statement in the Blue Val
ley Bulletin attracted our attention aud
then we fell to thinking: ~ How much
of it is true? (2) How much of 1t is not
true, or rather how much will not fit the
case of a large proportion Of boys who
leave the farm? Then We thought We
would say something about it.
| The above advice starts out with the
| presumption that the farmer is to blame
If his boy leaves the farm; that he
| "drives him off," How much Of that Is
true? But little Of it, so far as We have
observed.
Some boys leave the farm because
their makeup, their talents, and their
aptitudes call on them strongly for an
other kind of life. They don't expect
10 find their chosen line any easier, any
less exsoting, for if they have good
brains they can see that success every
where is only gained by hard work and
much sacrifice of bodily ease. Such
boys should leave the farm. The call of
human fitness for any particular kind of
labor Is just as compelling as any Of the
propelling assertions of nature. We will
never get beyond these governing i'm
pulses till we die. Men are born to
their line Of life just as much on the
iarm az elsewhere. But this class Is
comparatively small.
The main portion Of boys who leave
the farm are impelled by other motives.
In few cases, only a few, the fathers
may be harsh, narrow minded, lacking
10 natural affection, looking upon their
boys as just 80 many machines TO get the
greatest possible amount OF hard work
uut Of them.
In the old days when farm boys were
brought up very Ignorant Of the outside
world, they could DO kept on the farm,
made to endure Ill treatment because OF
the fear through their ignorance OF any
other kind of work. But those days are
past and gone. The transition from the
farm 10 the factory is easy now.
What is it that impels boys to leave
the farm? Well, in many cases it is
dislike of physical work. They think
they can get along easier somewhere
else. A good many of them are natur.
ally lazy. Watch them in after life, and
yon will find them drifting about from
one thing to another, trying TO find some
place where they can get good pay for
little work. OF course, the farm is no
place for lazy boy. DO you know OF
any other place that wants him? He
thinks the world is not half ss smart as
he is, and he can beat IL in his hunt for
soft snap. The natural fiusl tendency OF
such boys lie to q course Of crime. They
are not honest with themselves or others.
Our prisons are full Of young men who
started out to get living without hard
work, and there they are. We in
terviewed many such young men In pris-
on, while We were in official relation to
this state, and found some who were
from the farm.
Other boys leave the farm because
they think they can earn more money
else " here. They have boys vision OF
great things. They want to rise In the
world and they think that the outside
opportunities are much the greatest.
They are impatient with life. The farm
is too slow and 80 they leave il. But
how many of them achieve fortune or
fame? But very few compared with the
number who leave the farm in such pur-
suit. The chances to achieve q fortune
to day, say Of SIS, 900 to $4,000, are
much more certain ON the farm than OF
it.
A young man of pluck, intelligence
and honesty can fiud plenty OF chances
to buy farms worth $4,000 to $40, 600 on
the payment of q small portion down
and the balance secured By mortgage at
low interest. Close and intelligent at
tention to his business for few years
will land him in possession OF the prop
erty and he has had . good living all
the while.
There are q hundred such good and
certain chances for moderate fortune ON
the farm where there is one 10 town.
Look over the tradesmen and men OF
business In towns and you will find that
the farmers about them are actually
worth the most in clean assets. A very
large proportion of the merchants and
tradesmen in towns never get to be worth
more than 5000 to $1,000. The probate
court records will show this to DO true.
The whiri and rush of business life iu
the last few years has led many to think
that there was good deal more money
TO be made away from the farm. But
for one man who has made 1t, there are
hundreds formerly farm-bred boys who
are today living from hand to mouth.
A great and delusive glamour has
spread over the country In this respect.
To-day, taking into consideration what
he knows, his life Of training on the
farm, there is no place where the farm
boy can invest his energy, knowledge
and ability with so great degree Of GER
,ainty in fair results as on the farm.
And he is badly fooled in big proper
ton of cases If no takes up any other
kind Of life.
But he must face the facts as they ex-
ist. H. must get rid Of the notion that
father, or the farm and its work, is to
blame for his state of mind. He Is re-
spousible, young as he is, for his own
ideas. II they are sound, and just, and
true, we'll and good. But il not, he must
take his punishment just as thousands
Of other farm boys have taken it, who
would tell him, If they could, to stay on
Il ,ha farm -Hoard's Dairyman