The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-01-08

reared, grew thick in forests and to
great size and height The soil was
almost wholly sand. 1t was common
~ said that the soil was so poor that |
il took two cow-peas to sprout As
a matter of fact not even a cow-pea
v ould have grown. Now the COM |
munity life throughout that section |
was correspondingly poor. One would |
travel for miles and never see a house, |
and when ne did it was no more than
the crudest sort of a shanty. Further |
back from the coast where the soil ,
was not wholly sand, it was so nearly
so that no crop could be grown in
sufficient abundance to enable the oc-
cupant to live except by the barest
necessities.
Many miles to the north, in the fer
tile valley of a great river the soil
was different The inhabitant did not
have to spend all of his time in eking
out mere livelihood. There was
time for building better homes, pos
sible to wear better clothes, oppor-
tunity and incentive to build better
schools and churches, time for lodges
and lectures and money for an DC
casional trip to the city. More and
better books and magazines found
their way to the home. The preach
ing and the teaching and the lectures
were of a higher type In a word.
there was high type of civilization
The writer recalls spending a few
weeks with a friend in an eastern
state few years ago during which
time much thought was given to an
other phase of this subject The
friend of whom we speak was a nat
ural-born scientist, if we speak of
one in that way. He had almost com
pleted the course required for gradu-
atlon III his state university when he
was young, but had gone back to the
i farm where he had lived close To Ma
ture ana had been just as close an
observer OF men in their environments
and struggles for advancement. He
pointed out thing which has fire.
quently been observed 1t was the
TACT that there is a close relation he
tween the soil in a given community
and the number and character of the
great men which go out from the
community to make their impress IN
on the larger world around them He
then pointed out two communities.
each comprising a pretty large sec
tlon OF the country. In one, the land
was pltlfully poor. The institutional
lie OF the community was poor. the
schools, churches and lodges being
absent or inefficient because made,
| quately supported. Extending hack
over a long period of time-and this
was one OF the first states settled
ne mad been able to trace the his
tory of the community He declares
20 me that during all those genera
lions there had never been a. great
man born or reared in that commu.
hlty' that is, If we are to measur,
greatness by achievement and bv now
or OF ones influence upon his fell
lows tor good. In the other comm
ny NY when when was quite the opposite il
oue ierlillty OF It's soil, there had gon
Out from this community. some !,
every generation, men who bad 1af
tnelr footprints upon the sands n
Time Some had been college presi
uehls' some had made their marks i
ene ministry, some in law. some i
neulclne, some in the field of financ,
10 my own personal KNOWLEDGE ther
we're many in that particular con
uuilyZahd IL was a rural commr
4I had made their marks i
che 1eid of agriculture, and had su,
ceeded in building for themselves fin
homes and comfortable fortune
ineir churches and schools were be
ter ana their community was a no
ter place in which to live
put already l fancy 1 can hear son
asking, But what has all of this
90 with us?' AS a famous old writ,
would say Much in every way"
uS. ever De remembered that sc
Iertiilty is not, like the hills. eternf
dnere was time when the soil
'ne new England and Middle Atlant
states was as rich and productive
nuch OF the western land. But h
cause the New England farm
thought it was quality of the So
winch was not only inherent but De
manent, he took little care of it. N
result has been that for several ge
eratlons the soil has been so imno
erlshed that its productivity has be
so diminished as to offer little ince
i've to serious effort at agricultur
pursuits. The community life h
suffered the consequences. Scho1
and churches and all other social ;
INVITES have suffered. Many of
old families have moved to the citi
or out west A new type of sett
has come-the type which invarial
comes from southern and southea
eIh Europe The proud old New Ell
land states which in the generate
past contributed so much to Americ
civilization are no longer able to no
- OF a higher type of community 1
The reason lies in the fai1ura ~ !