The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-12-14
PRAIRIE GOLD
BY G. II. CARROLL.

l have just returned from a trip to
st. Louis, coming home by Chicago
and the Twin Cities, eating my Thanks
giving dinner in Michigan. ! could
not help noticing that the system of
managing the railroads and carrying
the people is something wonderful.
How kind and helpful the trainmen
are. Tere are a few notices and
warnings on the time tables-"Help
Us to prevent Injury Safety First"
"a careful person is the best Safety
Device" Watch Your Step" The en-
gineer leads his train for 300 miles
throughout the dark and lonesome
night. His only companions are the
stars. His mind is on the t~rainload of
humanity entrusted to his care. Die
you ever notice him at each little
station as he looks back, careening his
neck out Of his cab to be sure that all
are safely on the train before he turns
a wheel? Some impatient people think
the train is slow, but he knows how
fast to go. The conductor is kind and
patient. The humble black man, who
guards the sleeping souls in their
births, what about him? He is always
trustworthy and kind and polite. Lots
of people who think they are educated,
might learn a lesson In kindness and
p%oliteness from the porter. Ella
Wheeler Wilcox was not far wrong
when she called kindness religion;
$50 many gods, so many creeds,
So many ways that wind and wind
When all this sad world really needs
Is lust the art Of being kind"
The policeman! Great big, corr fed
fine looking general! Did you ever
see him standing at cross streets, wav-
ing his arms like a windmill in a bliz-
zard? What is the matter with him?
Well, a whole mass a mankind, trucks
and automobiles are clogged in the
street. He beckons some to come on
threatens others if they move. He
said to the driver Of my taxi: "lf you
10 that again, | will take care of you.
could not see that the driver had
done anything wrong. When the pol
iceman has untangled the congested
traffic, he is as gentle as o woman,
helping the people in the kindest way,
holding back a hundred pedestrians
and vehicles to allow a child to cross
the street.
/ don't want to live in a big city
too many there now. ] passed by sew
cral large apartment houses where
hundreds of families lived. | wonder
ed where the children could n the
grass. May be in the parks, but there
Won see a sign which reads Keep on
The Grass" There is this much about
II, however, there is a great lot OF
humanity that seem to like tnat klho
of a life, and they all u be feo'
The farmer knows that there is where
his wheat. his beef, and his pork go
TO feed the masses in the cities-so
NAV be it is all right as it is.
I could not help but think as / rode
across the country that | was travel
ing over that great empire known as
the Corn Belt where three-fourths OF
the corn of the entire world is grown.
Take off your hat to this magic spot
of the earth! The Country Gentleman
has called corr Prairie Gold" and it
is. wonder If anybody appreciates
the gift of the corn. don't think so.
The human mind is not strong enough.
The mind has it's limitations. Many
things in this world man cannot ap-
preciate. Who can set a proper value
ON the sun? II the sun should with
hold its warmth for one day, every
living thing would perish from the
earth. The air we breathe, could we
live an hour without it? The cloud
that bring us the rain, what o the
clouds? We all know that water Is
one of the elements in nature that
enable us to exist on this planet. All
water comes from the ocean. How
could ma ever bring water from the
ocean. from the Gulf Of Mexico, be-
cause that is where South Dakota gets
her rain says the geography. n
way the farmer gets water on MS
farm Is one of the most fascinating
stories of the world. The u is a
good friend to man. The sun heats
the atmosphere above the ocean, the
school books say, making it so thirsty
that II actually drinks the ocean wa
ter, leaving all the salt behind. This
water is rolled up into balloon shaped
clouds and these clouds are swept by
the winds for hundreds OF miles across
the land until they reach the FARMERS
fields, where the rain is sprinkled out
so gently that not a stalk OF corn or
wheat is broken down, the purest and
sweetest Of water. The sun, the air,
the rain are free gifts to man. Who
is able to say what these things are
worth?
The Bible says that Jacob Of old was
a great farmer in his day, that his
crops yielded one hundred fold. But
what about our corn? We plant n
bushel in May. We harvest from zoo
to 500 bushels in November. And the
seed for an acre of corn only costs
FIVE cents. A five year average yield
OF corn, including 1921, for the whole
United States, is Is bushels. South
Dakota's average FOR the same period
is 30.5 bushels. 1 take these figures
from the United States Year Book
Just off the press. Every farmer
ought to have this hooK Of SS5 pages.
II is worth five dollars, but costs you
nothing-not even postage. Send a
postal card to your United States SEN
ator, or Congressman. at Washington.
Ask for Year Book 1921.
This is g great country Sour Wes-
tern Continent has more good farm
-. - ~ Az. AkAnr grsx. arn-