The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-03-31
TIE FARMERS LIFE.

\ statement at once interesting
and saddening was made TO the prize
winners of the boys corn clubs at
the dinner given in their honor Fri
day night. David Il. Coker, son of
. farmer and himself farmer de-
clared that it had hurt him to OBJ
serve how few ,armovs get any real
I pleasure out of their occupation.
Mr.. Coker's life is that Of farm
er. He has a sideline as manufac-
turer and also as a merchant, for
he in part conducts the most beau
tifully housed mercantile establish
mcnt in the south. But for these
things Mr. Cokcr cares little.
He is farmer, and from choice.
Any profession, any business calling
was open to him. but he preferred the
life of a farmer. His creative in
stinct and executive ability would
have found n welcome field in our
greatest center of trade and of fl
nance. But he became a farmer
through his love for the soil-and
its miracles
To ID. r.. Coker, Of Hartsviile, and
to r.. G. Keenan,, of Columbia. the
south owes more than it can ever
repay, because of the wonderful va
vieties of silky staple which they
have seen born into the world of
agriculture under their fostering
care.
This is one of the many gifts from
Mr.. Coker to the waiting, imploring
world our cottontots, cursed with
the burden of n short lint and low
price, have been given by Mr.. Coker
a vision of freedom, of comfort, of
happiness on the farm.
His experiments in propagating
new varieties of oats, corn and other
field crops, leading up to a prolific,
hardy and season resisting kind, have
given new hope - the farmers of
the south. As prophet, as scientist,
as discOycrcr. he has been a success,
and We are pleased to think that as
business man he is equally sue.
cessful and that the world is repay
ing him in kind for the thousands of
dollars he has spent in making his
experiments.
But the greatest crop has not been
harvested by Coker, ana that is the
crop of happiness of human hearts.
farmers regard their life as a drudg-
cry, but times are changing, and the
man on the farm is beginning TO re-
gard his place in te world as real
life, and not as drudgery-because
the gruelling monotony is being re
moved by such men as Coker.
|, AS he described it, too many men
have failed TO get the rapture of
drinking in the glorious sunsets of our
own south, an ecstatic vision which
has been caught upon canvas by men
inspired. But the reason is that our
southern farmers heve felt the yoke
of debt so heavily upon their should
ers that their eyes have been chained
by heavy circumstances to the clods
in the burrows just before them.
The day of deliverance is com
ing. is at hand. The southern farm
er shall be free. Coker, Williamson
r. j Watson, w. w. Long, such
knights of the plowed field, are en-
, gagged in the struggle to lift the bur
den from the backs OF our "one.
horse farmers" so that this race OF
, sterling men may straighten up In
the furrowed way and, taking into
: their CONSTRUCTED lungs the deep
sweet breath of natures perfume
, may exclaim, This is my job, this
. is my life, i love It,"
The day is here. Farming has
now pull upon mems hearts, and
the soil will respond most readily
TO those who love II. most appreciat
lngly.-Coiumbia Record.