The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-01-19
Abandoned Country Homes

very great pleasure to her.
Abandoned Country Homes
Mention is made elsewhere in this
issue of the Grange Educational meet
ing at Bingham One of the articles
that presented by Mrs. l.. A. Bradbury
is published herewith as follows. and
the other two will be published sub
sequently At the time the article was
referred to 1t was not believed pos
sible to prepare any OF them for pub
LEGATION until week later. hence our
reference accordingly
The first speaker of the afternoon
was Supt l.. A. Bradbury of the An
SON Bingham union. Her subject was
Abandoned Country Homes. Mrs.
Bradbury said in part: We are bring
ing to your notice today fact obvious
to all, but unfortunately so common
as to pass almost without comment
the uninhabited country home, whose
windows stare at the passerby with
unseeing eyes whose broken fences in
vite unlawful tresspaGs and whose
fields covered with a weedy, struggling
growth bear evidence of ruinous neg
lect
The farmhouses that once were
comfortable homes have been left by
the younger generation as soon as the
fathers and mothers dropped the reins
,of government we must all believe
that all veal progress is in spiral pro
hight astiiy 'dtssi1iftes.. Y tft %aVeffhgup
ward and downward as conditions ex-
ea,t helpfhltofl Nnhhlpful .ipflu4Nes -
happy If at any time the finn III the
upward strob ek is,1n excssR 9Hahose
tending downward. We believe our
country. lis nrogresstYe.--1ut--Y We must
own that our line of progress has de-
ecribed downward carve when we
.pqe. tho tlpntf hqsfeiYiH Witch our
and hasten to the nearby villages and
far-away cities. Very few who thus
abandon, their bames arg able t9. cope
sussessftHy wfh kondisops asalopnd
in AW Sk, yjhsg@ anlS hardShV and
failure close the account of The at
The reasons for those removals from
the rural home are easily found and
may be resolved into two, general
causes: the desire to go where living
conditions are thought to be easier and
opportunities for pleasure more easily
reached.
As to the conveniences of the viii
lage. we grant you there may be some
reason. The mother in tho rural
home becomes discouraged at the
hardship of bringing wafer from the
well with its muscle straining sweep
or windlass and she longs for the con-
venience and comfort of the city's
electric lights in place of the never
ready kerosene lamp. But If that
dear mother had made use of the
springs Of water in her hillside pas
ture, she might have had a generous
supply of water in her own Kitchen
and bathroom and water power to turn
4 dynamo for her own electric lights.
Let our fathers and mothers be ever
on the alert to find means of improve
ment on their own farms and homes
and pass the enthusiasm on to their
sons and daughter Children must
be kept Interested and happy and their
interest will be strong in their rural
homes II the father and more especial
~ the mother regards the home as
the most wonderful place in the world
This matter of the abandoned conn-
try home has bechme so critical that
every intelligent citizen should be
looking about for some means OF rem
edy The successful farmer who
stayed and still stays on his farm
while others flew away for pleasure
or excitement can do most toward in
fluencing the rehabilitation OF those
neglected country homes. Let it be
the care of every good granger tC
bring one good neighbor, at least. tc
his community BY so doing, vol
will help all kinds of home improve
ment and one of the greatest benefits
will be to the rural schools.
At present in Bingham oul
four rural schools aggregate only
thirty pupils. There would be one
hundred pupils there if the farms apt
homes were properly inhabited. There
is much to encourage the farmer
more to encourage than otherwise. Lei
him keep on and develop the resources
of his own home. Two children
looking out from the windows of theil
own home saw the windows of far
away house blaze ia the glory of thu
! setting sun. and thought those win
dows were golden windows. 81
on the next day they set GU
| to find the house with the colder
windows. They found the house, bu
the windows were dark and cold
YEARLY they retraced their steps ant
toiled up the slope toward home JUS
as the sun was setting--and, behold
the windows shone as of molten gold
Then the children rejoiced and SAT-
Our own house has the golden win
dows and here we will stay
Let the farmer expend his hes
thought and effort in the development
of his own home and he will need t.
look no farther for success or happi
ness"