New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-25
THE CITY MAN ON THE FARM
Why He Must Fail, Lacking the
Farmers Trade.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: SO much is written about cities
sending their jobless men to the coun'
try that | wish 10 register my protest
against il. ! am much amused at the
difficulty the city has TO induce her I'M
fortunte inhabitants 20 avail them
selves of opportunities the country Of
fers. not taking into consideration now
the country would welcome the propo-
sition in spite of the scarcity OF LABOR
in rural districts, the obvious fact that
the country wants labor and the city
has none TO give being sufficient Tor
the city's efforts to transfer, nolens'
volens. her responsibility. II such
plan succeeded / cannot imagine
greater calamity 20 both the country
and the jobless man, for Jobless ne
would remain. The farmer, with all his
exterior roughness. in comparison with
the groomed dweller in high briek
walls, is creature of keen observa-
ton, since il is through this sense
alone that he gets the knowledge that
he possesses, and on most OF the YER
satile things on which his existence de'
bends he is pretty sure 10 form cor
rect idea, so that IL We stop 10 think
what is required Of him. when he ap'
plies for a Job. we cannot fail 70 con-
slider how much he is capable OF shoul-
dering in comparison with the CITY
man.
In all probability your ioblsss man
would be pretty decent sort OF fel-
low. one whose capacity for work, how
ever. would be limited, say, TO sings
detail. If he worked in a factory he
would most likely do one thing every
day for all days, such as press but,
ton. oil a wheel, change threads and
so on, while the farmer whom he wolld
try 10 replace is the whole machine.
Watch the farmer See what IS re-
duired of him. Long before dawn ne
has had breakfast, been TO the barn
and stables, watered and fed his horses,
MIXED his cows, seen 10 his pigs, ealieu
his sheep 10 pasture and is ready ior
the days ploughing, from sunrise 70
sunset. Follow him again in the busy
springtime, through the long-stemmedi
grass meadows, peppered with via
flowers, where the ecstatic and rap'-
urous songs OF the bobolinks take
you of your feet, ard see how over
tasked he is, too much so 20 seize tne
glad notes Of the birds, to grasp the
meaning of Natures beauty that adorns
every minute of his life; for his soul Is
dead; it is bent like his form. les,
his only thoughts are on his crops the
weather. his cattle, the care OF tneni
which demands no mean veterinary
skill TO handle them well. And ~hen' ~
last. winter comes, and his crops az
harvested, no rest is his 20 enjoy; ms
responsibility is even greater; lseA
of vigilance on his part may mean VI.
death Of an animal. In the seVeres1
zero weather. when most people remain
near their freside, is just the 'ih'
he is pulled in all directions.
Do you think your city man eoulo W
all this work? | say, "No,' for the euu.
cation Of the farmer started al tne
cradle. When hardly big enough 10 war
he began TO carry wood, and soon si's'
/ TO handle the axe for his mother:
What you need, and we. too. IS GU
/ operative work ..f.
You should send US your self-saeII
fcing philanthr pists who are "illlnf
10 teach our farmer with the dead 500.
that there is in life beauty, some,t,n,iins
| that can be his, il he is only WHITES
10 try 20 better himself mentally %
we'll AS physically, and THEREBY ~
come so contented with his lot IN HIe
and country home, now becoming Hiy's
nroftable. that the exodus from tbe
rountrv 10 the city-whieh depopu'ates
US and overburdens you VIII eess,,
IVES {. CRENSHAW.
Meyhurst Farm, Orange, Va 1"nus''
81. 1915.