Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1917-12-22
TaAT BOY ON THE FARM
AND NOT IN SCH

/ ut younger blbthNi AAeNN 6'ATN - " q
to enter the Academy of a neighborine
college. He was seventeen. bis next
older brother, bright fellow with fine
open countenance and winning dispo
sition, stayed home on the fan to helF
his father with the work. He was need.
ed there. This boy was nineteen His
high forehead and the clean cut, manly
features bespoke intelligence worth de.
veloping. His life is clean, which means
that he will have no moral handicaps tc
drag him down, and besides his mind
will be keen and alert. His parents are
excellent people and their home is an
ideal country home. So much for the
youth who suggested the article
Now, this ought to be interesting SO
let me hold your attention while | en-
deavor to drive this editorial straight to
| the bull's-eye within the target. II pos
sible, hope to score hit and receive
your coveted appreciation. feel certain
that the problem of which | will tell
you, concerns US all, provided you are
one of those interested in boosting the
neglected country youth who has already
or is likely to lose out in his Education.
We conversed together this farmer
youth and /. In nutshell it was like
this Did you finish the eighth grade
at the country school?" inquired. ''No,
did not quite finish" he answered
and ! detected a deepening flush under
the deep redblooded tan of his cheeks.
| did not ask him if he was going back
to the little country school this winter to
finish, for ! guessed he was not.
He was almost a grown man, this
strong muscular youth, and already do
ing mans work on his fathers farm.
But how about his Education? Was it
to stop? Was he to lose interest in good
books and study before his mind for
real mental effort had been awakened 4?
1t was impossible for his self-sacriGcing
father and mother to send both their
boys away to the college academy, be-
sides on the farm SO large be was need
ed to help with the work. Now, here
was situation worth someone's earnest
thought, for this farm boys problem
could be multiplied in hundreds of cases
in every township.
Every rural district finds a score or
more of boys, older boys, big boys, com
ing into their majority and their Educa-
ton stopped before or shortly after the
common school eighth grade. | am not
unmiudiul that the country girl is fre-
quently in the same class and / would
speak for her interests as well as for the
farm boy out of school. But the coun.
| try boys who lose out in a high school
or academic education will greatly out.
number their sisters In the cities night
schools with evening classes are main
| tanned by the public School Board OF
Education and by the y. NJ c. A. The
city boy who had to quit school and 90
to work to earn his living and help the
folks with the home problem has many
| chances to study and improve his mind
by attending these evening classes. The
country boy does not see his problem
something should be done to make him
see it. Are there those who care enough
to see that a way is opened?
Why, you might ask, does he not 60
back to the country school and at least
finish the eighth grade? Would you in
his case2 Anyone who asks this ques-
tion does not fully understand the feel
| ings of adolescent youth.
While we sat in the comfortable sit
ting room of that farm house, studied
! this boy who needed but the kindly
suggestion of a plan for self help from
someone who could sense his need and
offer in part the solution of his problem
As | sat thinking the matter over, |
pictured to myself the typical frame
country school house, which in its day,
has been great institution, n,-the little
boys and girls tramping along the coun-
try roads from homes a mile or two dis
tant, lunch boxes or pals in hand with
perhaps a few school books swinging
from strap or in knit bag that hung
at their side, little boys and girls mostly,
and only few older ones, the lads aud
lassies of the school district.
| pictured the typical country school
teacher, usually slip of a girl, just out
of neighboring village high school,
ambitious of course, and willing surely,
but tackling the task of teaching an I'M
graded country school. But why go on
with word pictures2 You can see them.
You know the conditions The point /
want to make is, that this over-grown
boy, this sJrapping country youth, would
be out Of harmony with this little frame
school building and its children's class
es lie has spent the years of his grow,
ing boy hood there, he has listened tc
the monotonous hum of the primer
classes, spelling simple words or labor
iousy reading out loud the pages of the
! primer readers ] eau see such youth
sitting with his long awkward leg,
stretched under the seat, usually toe
small, and trying to be absorbed in 1
textbook while be waits impatiently fol
8 the young lady teacher to get Al anC
B2, and fourth grade arithmetic; ans
fifth and sixth grade spelling out of tn,
,rnN nnIII nnulLN She cnmns IN tknt III.