Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-08-21
SAD EXPERIENCES
OF A FARMER BOY
IT'S the Old, Old Story, Lure of
the Big City.
LOOKING FOR EASY MONEY
Ran Away From His Good Farm
Home, but Was Mighty Glad to
Get Back to Mother
and jamie.

ut amt what / expected 1t would
be-" his said rather sorrowfully, sit
ting up in his invalids chair in Kan
sas City hospital. Il thought it'd be
fun and freedom and money and lots
of things. But it ain't-and I'm goin'
home as soon as the doctor1l let me.
Il been up here a year now and /
amt sorry. I'm just hankerin' to get
home That's all. l had a dozen jobs,
/ guess, maybe more, but shucks, they
was harder'n what / done at home.
And / didn't get morn a dollar fifty a
day. That'd be a lot down home in
s., but up here where they've fer
got the bees are buzzin' and the flow
ers bloomin' it amt much.
You see, / didn't know it'd be this
way in the city. Down on the farm
us young fellows all thought we were
havin' a hard time of it. We didn't
like the farm and we thought every
body in town made good money and
didn't have to work hard to make
it. So / decided to quit the hard
work down home and come to the big
city
The folks at home didn't want me
to leave home, but got up and run
away. Well, when / got here and
found out what a mistake I'd made
was ashamed to let 'em know about
it and l was afraid to write home
for money, or to ask 'em about my
going back, because / didn't know
how they'd take it.
When He Got Sick.
But when ! got sick and was OWN
the landlady, and had to be carted out
here to the hospital, asked the nurse
to write to ma and tell her all about
me. Say, let me read you the letter
that / got today from ma, and then
you know how l am feelin'."
He read the scrawled lines slowly:
Dear Jim: We're looking for you
home real soon. Pa says to tell you
he'll meet you at the station with the
buggy and for you not to worry about
things. Let us know just when 1t will
be. We're all SO anxious to see you.
jamie Brown was over yesterday and,
honey, she's as curious to see you as we
are. She's pretty girl, Jim, and
wanted to send you cake. But /
told her to make it when you get
home, and she said she would. The
wheat looks fine. Pa says the 40 be-
hind the barn ought to make 80 bush
els or more. O, Jim, get well quick
and hurry home. With lots of love.
Mother"
Jim smiled. "The doctor says I
can leave in three or four days. he
said.
He paused moment. Then, did
you ever work on the street? Have
you ever been hungry and broke and
afraid to go to your room because the
landlady wanted her money and you
didn't have none to give her? That's
why I'm goin' home. had enough
of that"
The boy told his story slowly, finger
ing the blanket q nurse had flung
around him. 1t was neither new nor
unusual. It's like has been enacted by
hundreds of country boys since the
present day civilization began the
building of huge cities. The psychol-
ogy of his case was the psychology
of dreams and longing-beyond the
horizon of his farm life he felt the
allurement of distant things, the en-
chanting spell Of the far-away city.
But he did not know that city life
is composed of the same amount of
labor and longing and restraint. that
is the farmers. That was for Jim to
learn-and suffer.
Nobody Smiled.
II ran away" he went on. my, it
was lonesome! / remember wonderin'
If somebody up here wasn't my friend.
The sun was shinin', but / couldn't
see 1t in the street. The buildings
were too high on either side and every
body kept rushin' around and crowdin'
and none of 'em was smilin'. reckon
they felt lonesome, too.
Then / got breakfast-two eggs
and glass of milk that ma wouldn't
have fed the pigs. 1t cost me quar-
ter, and, mister, ! amt had good
meal such as the folks down home
have since / came up here. / found
a room after I'd been lookin' nigh all
day. 1t wasn't very clean and the
house smelled like burnt cabbage. But
/ couldn't afford no better
~ had $40 and / figured it ought
to last me two weeks, or till got a
job. But there wasn't much | could
do. / found that out mighty quick.
Everywhere / went there was dozen
city fellows ahead of me. One place
they wanted me to give EN- references
but / didn't have none.
The money didn't last like l ex-
pected it would and pretty soon / was
broke. But / got job workin' for
the street car company, layin' rails
and bandlin' a pick. 1t paid $3.50
day. Mister. 1t was hard work.
harder'n plowin' or milkin' or any.
thing I ever done at home and 1t
only lasted three days.
Il tried out an employment agency
then. Golly, it was dirty place, but
was hungry and so couldn't mind
that They gave me railroad job,
sorkin in a construction gang. but