The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-09-16

,LCopyrighted. 1914. BY Thomas ]. Sullivan.
Weather, books and roads contribute
largely to the Influences OF rural life.
Bad weather and bad roads mean
books.
And books they say are the light
houses erected in the great sea Of
fine. They are masters who instruct
Us without rods or ferules, without
words or anger, without bread or
money. II you approach them they
are not asleep. II you seek them they
do not hide. Ii you blunder they do
not scold. II you are ignorant they
do not laugh.
But the worst robber In all the
world is a bad book. 1t has long been
the DEVILS policy to keep the masses
of mankind in ignorance; but, finding
tiiat they will read, he Is doing all In
his power to poison their books. Now.
let's see what our rural friend Is read
ing. Oh, rara avisl oh, book without
parallel in the history Of commercial
destruction! ''The book is a huge pic
torial, tricolored retail catalogue.
The catalogues of mail order houses
are kind Of leaky boat on the waters
Of temptation; some OF the temptation
will get In anyhow
Mud : Great Help Too.
What is more natural with gloom.
darkness, rain and mud surrounding q
farmer or suburban dweller. when to
venture forth means either sacrifice
Of self or faithful horses, than for him
to turn to the alluring catalogue for
both pastime and a means of procur-
Ing the necessaries Of life? Thus 1t
can be seen that the third and best
factor in favor of the catalogue houses
Is mud.
Man is measured by his deeds, and II
seems strange that after mastering the
art Of reading the stars, discovering
the course OF the planets, controlling
the iron monster, the lightning, the
sea and the wind. man shows his In.
ability to conquer the one great prob
lem which is proving such draw.
back to the best expression Of his life
in rural districts as far as social and
commercial conditions are concerned
Poor roads seem to be his heritage, bis
master.
A country's stability Is measured BY
its agricultural Importance, as the
well being Of nation Is like a tree
agriculture is its root; industry and
commerce are its branches and its life.
If the root be injured the leaves fall
the branches break away and the tree
dies Community pride begins where
agriculture leaves of. and both are
equal and inseparable In their impor
tance to a healthy. happy, successful
existence for man.
Blue Grass Roads Are Best.
1t is a pleasure TO drive through the
blue grass district Of Kentucky. where
they have what they call macadmn-
lied turnpikes These roads are the
equal Of any paved city street and
of course are passable at all setsoni
Of the year. They cost approximately
$1,000 per mile. The highways In Ken
lucky are from thirty to sixty feet Ia
width. 1t Is estimated that were the
highways Of illinois regulated to fifty
feet $4,000. 900 could be added to the
wealth OF the farmers of the state
That alone would build more than 8O0t
miles of road
Spend $15o,0oo,OOO.
This country today has about 1850.
900 miles Of public highwayA on which
1T Is estimated that the people Of, the
country are spending S15O.000.000 an
nuaily Statistics say we also spend
81. 600 100000 for alcohol. $4,000, ,OOO.OOC
for tobacco. and 1t is said that the
ladies spend $S65OOOOOO yearly fol
candy. II all this money could be ap
propriated for road building we could
have turnpike 70 the moon
The principal cause Of the Roman
empires downfall was It's neglect 81
agriculture the exodus If Its mes dnd
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