Established 1899 Farmers Short Course Edition. A Young Catawba Farmer's Chance Eugene Isenhour the Luckiest of All the Ten Children "BACK TO THE FARM." Opportunity Today Beckons to the Southern Boy from the Midst of the Cotton and the Corn "No, I didn't get to go to Lenoir College. It fell to my lot to stay on the farm and take care of the old folks. There were ten of us boys and girls, and they have nearly all gone out into the world and are doing well. Sister and I only are left on the old home place. Somebody had to stay and look after father and mother. I know I'll always miss education I was so anxious to get. It will be a handicap all through my life." It was a sturdy young Catawba county farmer, Lawrence Eu gene Isenhour, who was thus speaking to the Democrat, whose editor in the genial company of Mr. Frank A. Ciinard had driven all the way from Hickory to Taylorsville that day and thence back homewards as far as Oxford Ford. Night had fallen and a place must be found to spend the evening. The hospitable home of Mr. Isenhour's father was open to the tired wayfarers. And such a home! A great fireplace was aglow with huge pine and oak logs, three feet long. The genial warmth kept one constant 5 / pushing his chair a little farther back. In one snug corner of the chimney place sat Mr. Isenhour, the father, the snow of life's winter on his head. Next to him sat Mrs. Isenhour, the mother, happy over the thought that of a life work well done—ten strong boys and girls all grown, most of them married, and all out in the world doing the world's work. The family circle was com pleted when young Mr. Isenhour, his pretty young wife and his sweet young sister seated them selves in the glow of the fire. As they all sat there talking to their grateful guests, the eight members of the circle who were off in cities and towns were keep ing off the cold, not before glow ing wood fires but with furnaces under the house, with registers, with stoves, or with smutty coal heaped grrates. When bedtime came and th o travellers climbed the stairs to the company room, what beds! What splendid old time furniture! What downy mattresses! What amplitude and superabundance of covers, layer after layer crop ping out on the top n the counterpane. Why there was enough there to keep &. man n T.-ooniand or Iceland or the North Pole. . a vau:e as the good wo menfolk in the I&enhour family set be tore the ravenously hungr> traveller. Cream and butter from a fine herd of Hereford* Light-bread and fluffy biscuit*- from the finest of wheat all grown on the rolling farm lands visible from the dining room windows. Aromatic kraut; potato custard, rich in flavor as a plum pudding, and jellies and jams galore, the saccharides product of the orchard over the hill. . Food, shelter and raiment a plenty, with the orchard and vineyard's trophies as an extra. To this little agricultural Canaan of 150 acres, already being brought to a high state of culri vation by the raising of fine stock, Gene Isenhour has already, fallen heir by staying home to take care of the old folks. And yet when he spoke to the Democrat man, there was a tone to his voice which indicated that he felt he had not had quite the chance tne other boys had had. Everv now and then, you know, a Intter drops iritothe R F. D. box up by the side Jot' the road, from this boy over in Durham, anil tnis other son and brother some where out west, and it telis ot achievement, ot promotion, of success, (such as Catawba boys always have) and then it is but natural that a tiny touch of dis appointment creep-, into a fel low's heart, and he think-: "I would have done that way too if I had had such a chance.'l The country boy has been allowed to THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT believe too strongly that the town boy is the fellow who is doing the world's bast work. It isn't so. They showed us a photograph of the Isenhour family group. Ten manly and womanly men and women. And the favor to the old folks in every face. What a treasurer photograph of one of these old-time, big families is! Open, true, honest countenances all. No wonder all these are making a success in life. And yet the best ch'ance of all the chances that has come to any iiember of the -Isenhour family has come to Eugene Isenhour. The trend of Opportunity used to lie away from the farm and into the city. Today Oppor tunity has sneaked out of the city by night and returned to the country, to the farm, between the plow handles. Opportunity is standing out in the midst of the cotton and the corn and beckoning the young man of the South. Prove it? Easy enough! All this chat in the magazines and the newspapers about the cost of living being so high is because so many boys and girls have quit the ountry and moved to town. We can. tell the congressional investigating committee the rem edy without their spending so much of Uncle Sam's money junketing around and asking questions. Write out your report and say "Back to the farm." Save money, save time, save printing bills, save talk by sim ply reporting "Back to the farm." Prove it? There never was a time in the history of the coun try when farming was made so practicable. One of the Twenti eth Century wonders of the world is the farm literature of the day. The farming magazines are full of suggestions, based on careful experiment and test, of how to plow, how to sow, how to fertilize, now to reap, how to market the product, and all the like of that. There never was a time when the government lent such intelligent aid to the farm er as today. This is the day to farm, and the boy who has come up on the farm —and that boy is the finest-trained boy in the world —will make a life mistake to go away off from the farm and sit down, in town. This was the burden of the Democrat's message to Eugene Isenhour as we went out to the barn to hitch up for the trip back home. (It was a new barn. The old one was struck by light ning some years ago and burned down and Eugene did valient work helping his father work oack toward Easy Street after this streak of bad luck.) Gene listened to a sermon on farming from one who has a sort of life long disappointment that he never plowed a furrow. The sermon was preached from the point of view of me man from town. Young Isenhour slipped a hal ter over the head of one of the finest little mares, brown as a chestnut and sleek and fat as one too. He interjected remarks ahout the fine points of the horse in between the firstlies, secondlie«, and thirdlies, of the Democrat's sermon. (A few days later Isenhour came into town and ordered the Progressive Farmer * and the Democrat sent to his address for a year. The Democrat is always h ppy when a sermon makes a convert.) A* we drove on into town, our thoughts lagged behind at the Isenhour farm, and we felt our selves wondering time and again whv the lord of 150 acres in Ca tawba, and the owner of a little chesrnut mare like Dolly, could ever lift his eyes in longing to ward the town. Gene Isenhour has the Golden Chanc° of all the ten, and the old folks for good measure! H. A. B. An Appreciated Comment To the Editor of The Democrat: I should like to add a word to t he comments upon your paper. Oar people are highly pleased with the paper, the editor and things in general in the Demo crat and its affairs. Your coming to our city has filled a long felt want for a good, wide-awake, up-to-date, clean newspaper. May your coming to our city ba a good move for you and to a I parties concerned. READER. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTORI A HICKORY, N.C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1910. importance of Good Roads R. L. ShuiorJ's Prize Article od This Subject UNANSWERABLE REASON Taxation is the Only Way to Build Roads—Mecklen burg Set a Fine Example In view of the fact that this paper is being distributed this week among the farmers at the short course at Lenoir College, the Democrat is printing the ar ticle on good roads by R. L. Shu ford, of Oakwood Farm. The ar ticle won the prize, at the Ca tawba county Street Fair, which was enterprisingly offered by the Shuford National Bank, of Newton. The subject is why Ca tawba should Build Good Roads." The best and strongest reason is, that it is the best investment we can possibly make. It will pay a larger per cent profit for the amount of money expended. It will help, not only the farmers and people living in the country, but our towns well. If the coun try makes improvement and is Drosperous, the towns are sure to be benefited. Good roads will place our people nearer together, closer to market, and eliminate distance to a certain extent. Would bring about a better understanding between the coun try people and town people. No country can be built up and ful ly developed without good roads. It is almost an absolute necessity, to make much headway in im provement. Gx»d roads have the same effect on the country that railroads have— and it is plain that we can make no progress without railroads. The value of all property is governed by the distance it is from market. Good roads mean cheaper transporta tion and increased value of all property. Another good reason is that adjoining counties are building better roads, which will mean a better market in their towns and will take business from our own country. It will not only take business away from the county, but will take a lot of our best business men and farmers also, for it is not hard for a man of good business judgement to in vest where property is growing in value, which is always the case where good roads are built. Bad roads in Catawba County are a. heavier tax on our people than all other taxes combined, and it is plain that we will have better roads, until they are worked by taxation. Our present system is a costly one and we. are getting nothing in return. Taxation is way to build good roads. The road tax of Mecklenburg County is not costing the country people as much as Catawba, if we put a reasonable valuation on our time spent working the road. The re sults in Mecklenburg County are over two hundred miles of Mac adam roads. Under our system in Catawba, we i.ave gullies for roads. The tax to build and keep up the roads in Mecklenburg County is, 20 cents per SIOO in Charlotte township, and all other townships is 10 cents additional. So you will see at a glance that it is cheaper. To say, a farm that has 100 acres in cultivation requires at least, two teams to cultivate this size farm. In Ca tawba the farms are, on an av erage, 8 miles from market or railroad, put the difference of the amount of work done by each horse at $5.00, hauling over good roads and bad ones, which makes S2O 00. ' A farm of this size usu ally has two wagons and two Other vehicles of some kind. Put the saving at - $2.50 each and you have the saving of SIO.OO more, which wiil make $30,000. The road tax on an average farm of this size, at 20 cents per hundred will not be over $3.00. The objections, made by some people, that we are too poor to build good roads, is a mistake. The fact is we are too poor not to build them. Increasing tariff makes the unimproved roads worse and worse. On them the cost of transportation is con stantly increasing, and, unless something is done, competition will force us out of business, ihere is not a single county in the State, where road improve- ment has been started, that the people are not anxious to carry it on as rapidly as possible. If building good roads is good for other counties, why would it not be for Cftawba? The factory and factory people all contribute to the good road tax, and the burden is therefore made lighter for the farming interests. Good roads, by stimulating business, will increasr demand for labor, so all labor will benefited. Practically, all the money will be spent right at home and will not leave the county. With good roads, our people can do their marketing at times when farm work is not pressing. As it is now;.hauling to and from market has to be done when our roads will permit it. Seams often stand idle for weeks waiting for roads to dry, so that hauling can be done. Good roads, will, bv shorten ing distance, very muck improve our country Schools. As it is now, many of our people who are able, move to the towns to educate their children.» This has the tendency to croud the towns and cities, to the disadvantage of the country. To build up the agricultural interests you must make farm life more attractive. This will be impossible to do without better roads. Capital is always invested where property is increasing in value. With good roads in Catawba County, land value would double in a short while. Some people argue, that they do not want to sell, so that increased land value will not help them. This idea is not cor rect, as it makes their property worth ver much more to. them. 5 The Week in the t Women's Clubs. J Mrs. R. A. Grimes was the hostess to the Round Dozen Book Club on Wednesday after noon, a round dozen in attend ance. After the quotations, and ex change of commtnts o. \; books, Mrs. Grimes told most caleriain ingly of her book, "Antonio," and the author, Ernest Oldmead ow. Current events were discussed, after which a • delicious supper was served in the dining-room. The table was beautiful; red car nations, candles with red shades, dainty hand-painted boxes of candy tied with red ribbon, and hand-painted place cards con tributing to the pleasure almost as much as did the delicious heart-shaped biscuits, and cakes and all the other good things. For the last course, young mas ter Grimes presented each guest with a Valentine, a souvenir of a most delightful afternoon. The next meeting will be with Mrs. Fox. Mrs. L. R. Whitener enter tained the Study 131ub on Thurs day afternoon, 17th, and, in spite of the rain, fourteen members and two visitors were present. Continuing the study of Hol land, Mrs. Bost read a delightful description of Zaandam and Alk maar, and Miss Margaret Bost sang "The Cork Leg," a legend of Rotterdam, both of which were much enjoyed. Many items of current news were given, and the club ad journed to meet next with Ml-s. W. H, Little. A supper was served in the dining room, the cherries, and cheese straws and cakes of hatchet shape being reminders of the approaching birthday of Washington. Sky History Repeats Itself There are two comets in the heavens today, the newly dis covered Comet A of 1910 and Halley's Comet which is due to be visible to the naked eye in April or May. That history re peats itself in the heavens above as well as in the earth below is evident from a paragraph in the Piedmont Press (the Democrat's predecessor), of July 2, 1874, 36 years ago. From the files of the Press this item is gleaned: "Another comet has been dis covered in the vicinity of Jupiter, so there are now two to be seen in the heavens. The Richmond Enquirer thinks if they should be running on the same track, a collision is imminent unless one or the other switches off." Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTO R I A Bill of Quantities Is Submitted Material Necessary for the Pro posed Creamery GOVERNMENT FIGURES Estimate For Just Such a Build ing as Farmers of this County Propose to Establish The following is the bill of quantities for Creamery, G-1., made out by the U. S. Govern ment. Catawba farmers are in terested in this: EXCAVATION 46 cubic yards. Cement, 148 bbls; Sand, 87 cubic yards; Stone, 78 cubic yards; Lime, 48 bbls.; Hair, 4 bu.; Plaaster Paris, 230 lbs. LUMBER . Sills, 148 lineal feet, 2 x 10; sills. 14 lineal feet, 2x6; plate, 168 lineal feet, 4x6; plate, 48 lineal feet, 4x4; plate, 14 lineal feet, 4x4; Rafters, 66 pieces, 2 x 6, 22 feet long; 1 piece, 2x6, 20 ft. long; 10 pieces, 2x 6. 13 feet long; braces, 17 pieces, Ix 6, 16 feet long; Studs, 6 pieces, 2 x 4, 16 feet long; 7 pieces, 2x4, 18 feet long; 24 pieces, 2 x 10, 18 feet long, ceiling joints—lß pieces, 2 x 10, 28 feet long; 14 pieces, 2 x 12, 20 feet long; 10 pieces, 2x6, 10 feet long. Par titions —50 pieces, 2x4, 12 feet long; 2 pieces, 2x4, 18 feet long. Bridging, 16 pieces, 2x3, 16 ft. long. Roof board, 3500 feet, B. M., 1 x 10, T. &G. Walls, 2300 feet, B. M., 1 x 8, T. & G. Floor ing—1800 feet, B. M., 1 x 6, T. 6 G.* r 75 feet, B. m., Ix 3, T. &G. Refrigerator Walls—l3oo ft., B. M.,1x8, T. & G.; 800 feet, B. M., 1x 3, T. & G.; 9 pieces, 2x2, 16 feet long: 38 pieces, 1 x 2. 16 feet long; 9 pieces, Ix 2, 10 feet long; 5 pieces, 2 x 6, 10 feet long. Ceiling, etc.—looo ft., B. m,l x 3, M. & B. ceiling; 1400 lineal feet, Ix 2, finishing; 34 bundles of laths. Roof and outside walls—24,ooo shingles; Bevel siding to cover 700 square feet. Finish, etc. —375 Hneal ft. crown mould; 375 lineal ft. facia; 375 lineal feet plancer; 375 lineal feet bed mould; 110 lineal feet 1 x 5 finish; 1 piece 2 x 12, 8 feet long (shelf); 4 pieces, 2x6, 12 feet long; 28 lineal feet, Ixß, baseboard: 28 lineal feet, 3-4 x 5, chair rail; 138 lineal feet, mould ing; 120 lineal feet. 1-4 round. Doors —2 pairs outside doors, 5 x 7 feet glazed with frames; 2 out side doors, 3x7 feet with frames; 3 inside doors, 3x7 feet with frames; 4 inside doors. 2 ft. 8 x 6 ft. 8 in. with frames; 1 re frigerator door, 3 ft. x 6 ft. 6 in. with frame. Windows.—9 win dows 12 lights, 12 x 16 glass double hung box frames for brick?-2 windows, 12 lights, 12 x 16 glass double hung box frames for wood; 1 sash, 6 lights, 12 x 16 solid frame (inside); 3 sash, 6 lights, 12 x 16 solid frame (out side); 1 French window with frame; 3 transom sash, Note: All windows fitted complete with cord, weights, catches, hinges, etc. Hardware, etc.—ls sq. damp proof building paper; 250 sq. ft. expanded metal lathing; 200 sheets, 14 x 20, I. C: tin (roofs); 20 sheets, 14 x 20, I. X. tin (flashing); 1 wrought iron window guard with hinges; 3 pair 8 in. heavy T. hinges with screws; 13 pair loose pin butts with screws; 2 foot bolts com plete with screws; 2 chain bolts complete with screws; 10 lock sets; 11 sash fasteners com plete with screws; 3 pair butts for transoms with screws, 3 tran som lifters complete with screws; 6 4 in. barrel bolts; 1 pair extra heavy galvanized T. hinges; 1 wrought iron refrigerator door latch. Nails. 35 pounds, 3d shin gle; 30 pounds, 3d fine; 15 lbs., 6d common; 175 pounds 8d com mon; 15 pounds, 8d finish; 150 lbs., lOd common; 50 pounds, lOd casing; 25 pounds, 20d spikes; 40 pounds, 20d common. Mayor Wynne, of Raleigh, is being praised by the State press for refusing to allow an alleged indecent show, "The Girl from Rector's" to be presented-in Ral eigh. Democrat and Press,-Consolidated i 905 Honor Roll for the Fifth Month First Grade, Section A —Albert Chester. Marcellus Ken n edy, Peter Abernethy, Joe Pearce, Donald Johnson, Glenn Russell, Virginia Bryan, Louise Cilley, Clarissa Abernethy, First Grade, Section B —Reid Poovey, Ollie Wells, William Ballew, Stedman Councill, Mary Miller, James Whitener, Second Grade—Louis White ner, John Springs. Third Grade, Sec. A—Luther. Miller, Vernon Long, Moses Ken- 1 nedy, Harley Chester. Third Grade, Sec. B.—Aileen Aiken, Annie Killian, Jessie Pat rick, Clinton Cilley, Nelson Harte, Donald A. Shuford, Ernest Swaringer, James Swaringer,' Stewart Whitener, Clement Geit-) ner. Fourth Grade.—Ola Deitz, Earl Edwards, Robert Garth, Helen Springs, Harvey McComb, Harry McComb, Charles Menzies, Robert White, Miriam Whitener, Shu |ford Whitener, Willie Bryan. Sixth Grade. —Oscar Deaton, Clara Zerden. Eighth Grade. —Claude Aber nethy, Millie Kate McComb, Ed gar Lytle, Antha Lytle, Adelyn McComb, Edgar Fox, Kate El liott, Fannie Chester. Ninth Grade.—Estelle Payne, Grace Patrick, Sam Hawn, Leroy Deaton. Tenth Grade. —Mabel Cooper, Addie May Michael, William McComb, Henry Whitener. Deaths at Rollins Correspondence of the Democrat Rollins, Feb. 23. —The snow storm was hard on our R. F. I>. carriers. Our carrier, Ed Garri son. passed here at 3 p, m. but did not reach Morganton until 9p. m. His horse gave out after falling down three times, and Herbert Walton loaned him one so he could complete his tr^j. Mrs. Jane Crawford of Hen nessee died week before last, after a lingering illness and was buried at Missionary Cemetery. She owned a small farm next to Tom Norman and she and her daughter, Lettie, carried it on. Besides her daughter, Lettie, she left one other daughter and a son. Last week the personal property was sold and as soon as possible the farm will be sold. Lettie Crawford will go to live with her brother Walter who lives near Henrietta. Mrs. Katie Settlemier died week before last and was buried, in the private cemetery of the family. She had been sick for some time. She leaves four daughters and two sons. Rollins Local of .the Farmer's Union is growing rapidly. Nearly every meeting seeing one or more members initiated. Mrs. James Holland who has been very sick is greatly im proved and out of danger. OPTIMIST. A Trio of New Families Hickory deems herself fortu nate indeed to add to her social life all at one time, as it were, the three families of Messrs. W. C. Thompson, 0. K. McCartney and A. M. West who come here to launch the Thompson-McCart ney-West Co., the new dry goods notions, shoe and furnishing store already referred to by the Democrat in previous issues. To draw three representative North Carolina families all at one time is unusual good fortune. The families of Mr. West and Mr. Thompson have been here for some time. The McCartneys came .in from Henderson ville last week and have taken the Martin residence. Mr. McCartney has had a large experience as a merchant in Beckley, W. Va. Mr. Thompson was for 17 years a merchant at Stanley, Gaston county, and for part of this time Mr. West, who is his son-in-law, i? moiiitsi with him. These able business men have cast their eye over the state at large and even over the border to other states, particularly Texas, in seeking an enlarged field for their energies and capi tal, and have settled upon Hick ory as the most promising loca tion they could find. The Demo crat believes that all their expec tations will be more than realized. Catawba Ships Carloads of Eggs One (My Store Has Bonght SSOO Worth a Month HAVE PURE BREEDS "Redwood" Thinks the Ideal Chicken Should be a Com if v bination of Layer and Eater Written for the Democrat. I read with a great deal of . pleasure the article of Mr. P. C. Henry in last week's Democrat on "Pure Bred Poultry." The manner in which Hr. Henry handles his subject? shows that he not only has the "hen fever" but that he has made a study of the business of raising pure bred poultry. We can not too strong ly emphasize the necessity of having poultry that is not only pure bred but that is well bred. The difference between pure bred poultry and mongrels is the difference between success and failure. Probably it is not known to very many of the Democrat's subscribers that Catawba county already ranks among the first if not the very first county in the state in the production of eggs and poultry. For some time last spring a car load of eggs was shipped from Hickory to the Northern markets every week. v To give a better idea of the size and importance of the egg business, the country store of which the writer is manager, has bought as many as $500.00 worth of eggs in one month. There is already quite a number of breed ers of poultry in the county and we would like to see the number increased. The poultry exhibit at the Hick ory Fair last October ,va&' r credit to the county, taking into consideration the short time in which the exhibitors had to get their stock in shape for exhi bition. We want to see another poultry show this fall. There is no reason why Catawba should not have a Poultry Asso ciation. We understand that there is a movement on foot to have another Fair this fall, but if there is no fair there is enough good poultry in the county to have a Poultry Show anyway. We heartily agree with every thing that Mr. Henry says in his article except he says that a farmer should make a specialty of either breeding stock, fatten ing young chickens, or eggs. In our opinion, no breed that ex cels in any of the qualities named by Mr. Henry, makes an ideal farmer's fowl. For in stance, some of the American * breeds, Plymouth Rocks, Wyan dottes, Rhode Island Reds, etc., COMBINE all the good qualities that we want in an ideal farmer's "chicken." We are fully aware of the fact that the Mediterraneans, of which the Leghorn is a type, hold the world's record for the production of eggs, but what the average farmer wants is a fowl that will not only lay a goodly amount of eggs, especially in winter when eggs are high, but a fowl that will make a fine table dish when the "preacher comes" —or when he don't come. After all the breed is only a matter of choice and every farm er should decide on that breed which he thinks will suit him best—anything before scrubs— and breed that breed, as near to the Standard of Perfection as possible. The better the quality of your fowls, the more you will think of them; the more you think of them the better you will treat them; the better you treat them, the better they will pay you. If vou have not already had the fever" get infected at once; it not only means pleasure but profit. "REDWOOD." An Unusual Cloud A cloud of unusual appearances was seen in the sky early Satur day morning. It was a peculiar round rolling form and extended from the ex treme southwest corner of the sky to the extreme Northeast and was of a pure white color. It resembled the milky way, but it was much larger in size,

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