The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-12-31
The CrOw'S-NeSt

About this time of the year some
people are talking of quitting certain
habits and turning over a new leaf for
1919. Photographers make a great deal
OF fun about the breaking Of New
Year resolutions, and with good rea-
son, Tor a large percent are broken
within a few days or weeks. They do
not credit, however, the gain that is
made if only a small percent are kept.
Neither do they make any effort to &C
count for the power of habit. Good,
as we'll as bad, habits grow with S
and this ought to be taken into con-
S'deratlon in the forming of habits, es-
pecIally the bad ones. The latter are
the hardest to break and are the cause
OF most of the grief and sorrow in the
world. If any n is at a loss for a
good resolution for the coming year.
one that will afford as much peace of
mind as any other, consider the follow
ing as a basis for making up n that
will be profitable to oneself and
others: PAY your honest debt. Too
many people nowadays live beyond
their means, and do not pay their
debts. You cannot pay them if you will
not do without something you want,
of course. You get into debt by ex-
travagance; you may get out of 1t by
just the opposite means. Give up
some little things that cost you money
and do you no good, and pay your
debts"
There are two sides to the question
of p|atronizing home industries, a sub
ject that is being harped upon every
where, both in and out of season.
Other things being equal, or within a
small fraction of it, it is everyone's
duty to buy home made products and
deal with local business people. It is
the home people who, help to pay the
taxes and contribute of their means
to further every good work and pur-
pose. The mor money that is kept
at home the more is used for keeping
up good stocks of goods, the making
of improvements and the establishing
of new industries, so that when the
x,oIxo. l:Z oor, ro,,nI, hA
finds more property to assess and this
tends to the reduction of the tax levy
and is a benefit to all concerned. On
the contrary, the home industry peo-
pie have a concomitant duty to per-
form. They must give satisfactory
service, charge reasonable prices for
goods and make a product that will
be serviceable or fit for consumption.
If things are not salable or are not up
to standards and the public
ceases to buy or p~atronize it is not so
much the Lublic's fault as their own.
1t is time to try to improve, not to
complain.
Bird life is rather scarce in this vi
cinity this winter except the common
sparrow, which is always with us. A
few belated bluejays, an occasional
creeper, known as the nuthatch, a soil
tary crow once in a while and a few
hawks and owls, are spending the win
ter with us. The other bird residents
are off on a seeing the South tour.
This brings to mind the fact that not
so many of our citizens as usual are
seeking SUMMER climes this season.
Three or four families are gone al
ready and a few other are planning
trips for the remainder of the winter
months. 1t is a little cold but other
wise the weather has not been such as
to drive one to another climate.
It Is said that a Texas man landed
here a few weeks ago to spend the
winter in South Dakota. He had heard
that our vigorous winters were con-
ducive to the storing up of a certain
amount of extra energy to combat
the enervating effects of the summer
heat. They do not have enough cold
weather down there to brace them up
for the long heated season. If his ex-
pertinent proves a success the state
might use the fact in advertising OH
country as a winter resort. Come to
South Dakota for energy.