Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-11
From State and Nation
whas We Pat Into ana C.. ou, Of TATE.


An inquiry recently concluded In Ohio shows
that IL per cent OF the city folks were born on
tarms that u per cent more are sons or daush:
ters OF AZ least one country parent. and that ~
per cent more have ~ least one Erandparent
who was raised In the country. Practically all
the rest. Il 10 added. trace back to farms In the
A few years ago friend very proudly COM
mented upon the fact that % per cent OF the
names OF those persons listed In . certain Who's
Who" publication In one OF our largest cities
were persons who had been born In the country.
lie asked mo II do not feel that this was some.
thing in which country folks generally should
take great pride. replied that did not. that
satisfaction In the fact that those born ana
reared on the farms or IN small towns had
achieved large measures OF success after going
TO the city. there was another side
Each year there 30 from our farms and from
country towns thousands OF the most capable
young men and women. They 60 TO the cities
ana as result the country loses them forever.
In the cities many OF them succeed. That In 70
say. they succeed as success Il measured in the
somehow II seems that they have TO overcome
fewer Jealousies than would have been the case
had they remained In the country. Commercial
life. big business" II you please. Is quick TO
recognize ability and instead OF penalizing Il,
places II at premium. II 10 not always SO in
the country, The country boy who shows un.
TO carve out place for himself, all too fre.
Quently nnds that instead Of receiving encour-
asement. which he should reasonably expect.
obstacles are actually put In his way. II not
this, II may be that instead Of the home neigh
borhood giving him "boost" there are those
who. fguratively speaking, are hanging TO
his coat tails. hoping that he will pull them up.
II not. they will pull him down.
or course. the cities need this new blood
from the country. Can we. though. afford 10
have this drain OF our very best continue? Would
Il not be profitable for the country to give larger
thought to securing permanently the aid. advice.
counsel and cooperation Of moro OF these prom
ising young men and young women? How 10
this to be? Largely, believe, by a proof OF
appreciation. by willingness to recognize worth
and. In 90 far a. possible. to pay for the SER
vice rendered. but most Of all by the setting up
Of right standards and through measures a. to
what really constitutes success. Large incomes
do not always stand for satisfaction, certainly
not for the more durable satisfactions Of life.
With comparatively small income many q man
on the farm or In the small town 10 getting more
out OF life ana giving more in return than would
be possible on . very much larger income in the
big cities.
OF course, whether We live at the end Of the
lane, whether our hoe be In Main Street. or the
metropolis. we are only going to get out Of life
What We put into it-that and nothing more.
Country communities get out Just what u put
into them. The best that can be put into any
country community Is put there by country folks
themselves. The biggest loss that any commun-
ity can suffer is the loss Of its leaders. those
leaders which have been developed or those
who may become leaders.