Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-12-12
MUST THE FARMER LOSE
HIS BOY?

~ 1uIillcI -Ollc Vi Tic DCSJ
citizens of the county, in the
course of a conversation recent
ly, said, with much anxiety and
solicitude, 81 am afraid | am
going to lose my boy" Not by
death, as would be naturally con
cluded from this plain, unquali-
fled statement, that he was
about to lose his hoy, but the
boy had shown clearly Il restless
dissatisfaction with the life on
The farm, and limited more than
once that he intended, sooner or
later to seek a home and employ
ment in the city. Why? Why
the boys, andagirls, too, prefer
life in town to that Of the country
has been asked and answered
many times, but cannot be too
often answered and discussed.
SO long as certain conditions as
at present exist, a residence in
the city or the good town is
likely to be preferred by the
live, wide awake young people
of the country. We hunted up
one Of these discontinued boys
sometime ago, and heard his
side Of the story. This is about
what he said: "The boys in
town all seem to have a better
time than | do. They have more
money, wear better clothes. ]
seldom have any money. | work
hard all the year, father buys
my clothes at the country store,
always a cheap suit, and seldom
fashionable. My outfit for Sun
day is always comfortable, but
generally out Of style and some
times out of season. AS for
extra pocket money | have but
precious little. The boys in
town always have money. and
wear fashionable clothes. And
then. if | shine my shoes and
start to church on Sunday morn
ing by the time | get there | am
covered in mud or dust. Not so
with my brother in town. He
has nice sidewalks and a nice,
warm church. And then, there
are shows, lectures, entertain
ments and social privileges in
town nearly every night in the
week. When | come in night
after night from my work it is
the same thing-put away my
team in the dark, eat supper by
a dim kerosene lamp, go to bed
in dark. cold room, get up be-
fore day. feed and curry my
horses, help feed the other stock,
eat my breakfast and back to
work by myself all day. You
know this is not the case with
the boys in town. And again, !
want to go to school, all the
schooling | ever got was in our
little one room school house
here, from young, high school
girl, who was paid $500 per
month and her board. In town
there is a good high school, and
the boys there know something.
And so | am going to leave the
country Just as soon as | am of
age" This boy said more, but
the above is enough for the
purpose of this article. His en-
perience and feelings are shared
by many boy in the country.
And his sister-her lot is still
harder if possible. She, too, is
dissatisfied. Now, the conditions
existing which is driving the
boys and girls from the farm,
can be changed, and should be.
These boys and girls are needed
on the farm and in the country.
They are not needed in the
towns and cities, already crowd
ed with men and women who
are leading a parasitic life-con-
Stunning everything and produc-
ing nothing. The country needs
producers. The high cost of
living, after all, is due to the
scarcity of products, in the
main. More corn and cattle and
grain should be made. Hundreds
of thousands of men and boys
now crowding the cities and
towns. eating food they had no
hand in producing, should be
cultivating the cheap, unoccupi-
ed lands of the state and country.
If possible the boys we have we
should hold. Many of the others
will eventually hurry back to
the farm when they learn some
sense. Change this dissatisfied
boys surroundings. Make his
home more attractive and his
home life more pleasant. This
has been said but can not be
said too often. Better roads
good lights in the home, comfor-
table rooms and beds, better
barns, better farm horses and
"a mplements. better churches and
eRools, preachers and teachers.
.oi ti1aI1c of tho fov,no Loo