The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-03-09
Vocational Column
THE RURAL PROBLEM
Nv Stout

Last week the Citizen pictured To
us the poor conditions of the roads
in our mountain section. II there be
any phase of rural life more neg
lected than the road problem. il is
1.-THE neglect Of the farm, the build
, ings, the farm machinery and every
thing else that goes TO make tho
home and its surroundings attract
i've. The accompanying illustration
gives us fair idea of what the con-
ditions are in some of the mountain
sections and what we have TO con-
tend with in solving these rural
problems. We see the barn fast go
ing to the bad through sheer neglect.
The farm implements, instead Of be-
ing under the shed in the dry. pro-
tected from rust and decay, are out
in the open exposed to all kinds Of
weather just as though they were
so much sand. cost nobody any
money and would last indefinitely
anyway. any where they happened
to be left at the end Of the season
for winter.
II is sin for any man with gray
matter enough To own piece OF
this sacred heritage 10 allow his
property to go to waste in any such
way. II he doesn't need il someone
else does and WE HAVE NO RIGHT
TO DESTROY ANYTHING that is of
benefit to others.
We also see the manure exposed
to the weather where il yields up
one-half Of its plant food elements
before il is spread over the little
clay knoll where the good farmer
delights SO much TO sit on his plow
and very energetically and enthu-
siastically chew his Kentucky Plug
and spit the juice on some nearby
grass-hopper that happens to fall
his victim. while anxiously waiting
for the faint tones of the dinner bell
to call him from his irksome task Of
worry and thinking all the forenoon
how awful il is for a fellow to be
farmer when he might just as well
have been somebody.
Just So long as men continue to
wear holes in the seat of their pants
sitting on goods boxes at the cross
road store swapping lies, discussing
politics and their neighbor's bust
ness instead Of being at home wearing
c0rns on their hands cleaning out
that fence row that the rabbits have
long since abandoned, just so long
such conditions as shown in this
picture are going TO prevail in our
mountains. Any person with any
power Of perception at all can just
look at this picture, and tell that
the owner of such conditions is not
only negligent but lazy-actually;
too lazy 10 be healthy. and heap too
lazy To look healthy. The poor cow,
merely eking out her existence,
while eating such scanty food in the
barnyard that is provided by her
ungrateful owner, is typical ex-
ample of abuse Of dumb animals. |
fancy that scene in Belgium, where
the great German Army swept thru
leaving everything so devastated
that a Carrier Pigeon flying over
has TO carry his rations, can be no
more pitable than such a neglected
and forsaken farm as this scene de-
picts. Think of il readers. Aren't
We as American people, Boosting of
our freedom as we do, living in an
age Of unsurpassed prosperity and
plenty the most enlightened and civ
iliZed age that has ever been re-
corded in the annals Of history; !iv-
ing in great Republic as We are,
nation that has planted the highest
standard of morals and Christian
brotherhood a land that is free from
the horrible scenes of carnage mat is
undermining the foundation Of ev-
erything good in the Eastern hemis- +
phere? Aren't we, | say, in tbs pres
ence Of all this responsible for such
appalling conditions? Then IL we
are. aren't you aware in judgment
We are 10 give an account Of every
item that we were responsible for in !,
this lfe2 So let's get busy friends
and exercise every ounce OF influ-
ence we can muster towards stimu-
lating a spirit against such abomi-
nable conditions. Let's cultivate the
aesthetic side OF life TO the extent
that shall be appreciative enough
OF the beautiful TO regard II our
duty TO make these homes and sur
rOundings as attractive as those OF