4—Lancaster Farming, Friday, February
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly Newspaper
Established November 4, 1955
Published every Friday by
OCTORARO NEWSPAPERS
Quarryville, Pa. Phone 378
Lancaster Phone 4-3047)
Alfred C. Alspach ;
Ernest J. Neill
C. Wallace Abel .
Robert G. Campbell
Robert J. Wiggins
Subscription Rates: $2.00 Per Year
Three Years $5.00; 5c Per Copy
Application for Second Class Mailing Privileges Pending
BENSON ASKS EQUAL TIME
Whether it’s within the province of Lancaster Farm
ing to turn radio-TV critic or not, a reply to the Jan. 26 Ed
Murrow “See It Now The Farm Problem; a Crisis of
Abundance” on CBS television is deemed necessary.
For 45 minutes the cameras swung around the na
tion, filming the small farmer-being forced out of business,
the big farmer waxing rich on government subsidy. Many
of'the scenes were familar tu Lancaster Farming’s staff.
The conclusion only can be that distress cases were picked
up and given as a measure of the American agricultural
problem.
At the farm sale, .the lenses focused on the farmer
being forced out of business. In another sweep, they rested
momentarily on a neighboring farmer in this “distress
area.” There’s a Roadmaster in his garage, two planes he
owns on the landing strip behind the barn.
Times have been tough in that neighborhood. Taxes
(sometimes as high as $3 an acre'or more) go on despite
three years that have reduced farm income and bank ac
counts. Drought has hit.
Television cannot offer background detail that would
correctly weigh the merits of circumstances portrayed.
What could a comprehensive.report of each of the three
farmers discussing the Agriculture Department’s program
show? What are'the circumstances of each farmer involved?
Is the present farm program all Secretary Ezra Taft Ben
son’s doing, or did he inherit a depression-plus-wartime
plan promulgated by predecessors? Is a crop loan a subsidy
when the crop is mortgaged to the Commodity Credit Cor
poration?
Secretary Benson has asked for equal time to reply.
In 15 minutes or less there was no opportunity to cover a
field as vast as the farm problem. In 60 minutes there is
not enough time to cover the farm problem with words and
film. The Secretary is justified.
In the particular county where farmers were in
terviewed, there has been a trend to larger farms. Popula
tion in this -county increased 25.6 per cent between 1940
and 1950. During the same period it lost 22 per cent of its
farm population. This, too, is an isolated case. Fewer farm
ers left the soil in the past three years than the preceding
three in the United States as a whole.
How was Mr. Murrow’s program planned? Who
guided his travels? The bankers, Keith and Floyd Whitt
more, spoke against organized marketing resistance that
would price farm products out of reach for consumers.
The National Farmers Organization gave its view. JBut the
successful farmer who walked into one meeting of the NFO
and walked out a few minutes later saying he wanted
no part of such goings-on was ignored. He is one who
favors a free market, based on supply and demand, with
out government guidance or government thumb. A measure
of the NFO might disclose many farmers who were un
successful farmers and-have joined up to publish their
protests.
How qualified is Mr. Murrow to probe the problem?
True, he was but the interviewer. Were his subjects the
best qualified?
This is not the death of the small farm. Farmers
r e weathered war and drought, flood and fire, capable
linessmen capable of taking care of their own problems,
not by force or labor-union tactics.
Mr. Benson’s reply will be significant.
FARMERS ARE CARELESS
Over thp holidays, there were many reports of rural
robberies in s< nttered sections of the country. Some farm
homes were ransacked, television sets and other valuables
taken. Three daylight robberies were reported in one coun
ty alone during the holiday season.
Farmers are careless. For too many years they’ve
had too much trust to bother Idcking the door when they
Whether the situation wil^become more general or
is purely on a local epidemic basis, no one knows.
The old saying about locking the barn door before
the horse is stolen can be easily applied today.
STAFF
. Business Manager
Advertising Director
Circulation Director
Over The Shoulder
Moss-Covered Tracks. Cause
Trolley Runaway 50 Years Ago
The motorman' operating a
trolley on the Rawlmsville-
Martic Forge line on Tuesday
evening, Jan. 30, 1906, lost con
trol of the car when it suddenly
gathered momentum and went
racing down a hill near Mt.
Nebo at a great rate of speed.
A moss covered * track pre
vented the motorman from hold-,
ing the trolley with the band
brake.
Fortunately the car kept to the
rails and no one was hurt.
Publisher
.. Editor
Boy Kicked By Colt
Enos Trout, youngest son of
Mr- and Mrs- Frank J Trout,
Bart Twp, suffered a deep cut
on the head and severe chest
bruises when kicked by a colt.
It was reported that the ani
mal was not shod, saving .the
youth from more serious injury.
Kicked by Mule
At Truce, J F, Wiggins was
kicked by a mule and knocked
to the ground, while assisting his
son to halter the anim'al.
The son carried his uncon
scious father to the house,
where it was learned later that
no bones were broken. His body
was severely bruised.
Carload of Horses, Mules
At Quarrtyville, A. H. Fritz
had received a carload of horses
and ' mules from Kentucky,
which he was selling >at public
sale that Wednesday, Jan- 31,
in 1906-
Fox Hunt
At Oak Hill, near Tayloria, a
large group had gathered that
morning to attend a fox hunt-
The fox turned out to be a poor
runner and wtes killed within a
mile from where it had been)
dropped- . ''
Edward Reburn and Ellsworth
Oarroll were the first to reach
the brush
Prepare Stone Quarry
Down along the Susquehanna
River, between Conowingo and
Bald Friar, a force of 50 men
Voice Of
Lancaster Farms
AND FARM FRIENDS
(Readers are invited to write
comments on Lancaster Farm
ing, about current events, or
other topics. Letters should be
brief, and must be signed.
Names will be withheld if re
quested. Editor;.
TO BRADFORD COUNTY
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
Enclosed please find check for
$lOO. Will you please send Lan
caster Fanning to Donald Bruce,
Troy (Bradford County) Pa. I
take the paper and sent them
several copies at Christmas time
and they laked it, so I thought
I would -send it to tliem.
Thank you. Willis F. Sturgis.
FROM WASHINGTON BORO
WASHINGTOjN BORO I
have" enjoyed the issues of Lan
caster Farming you sent to our
locality and am enclosing check
for $1 00 for our one-year sub
scription. Mrs. Florence K.
Shultz.
LIKES HOUSEHOLD
NEW HOLLAND Please en
ter our subscription for one year.
'Check enclosed. Enjoyed the pap*
er very much but missed a few
issues by being careless "and not
subscribing early. I enjoy the
recipes very much- I tried some
and want to try more. A
reader.
FROM NEW HOLLAND
NEW HOLLAND We have
received several free issues of
your paper and we enjoy it very
much Enclosed find SI .00 as
charter subscriber. John M.
Boots.
By Jack Reichard
was hard at work cutting limber
(along the wooded ridge in
preparation (for the opening of
stone quarries’ there.
The stone was ear-marked for
use m the concrete construction
of the power dam and electric
plant at McCall’s Ferry, which
was just getting started, 50
years ago this week.
25 Years Ago
Ground Hogs in Session
Twenty-five years ago this
week all rdads led to Quarryville
for members of the Slumbering
Gmpid Hog Lodge attending the
annual banquet.--
Falling'm line in the center
of town, and with members
crowned in hooded headgear
and carrying lighted red lan
terns, the procession moved
slowly to St- Paul’s Church to
the beat of a bass drum and
brass cymbals.
Heads Manufacturers
J. Roland Gilbert, formerly
of Quarryville, was elected
president' of the Lancaster
Manufacturers’ Association at
the annual reorganization
meeting.
Gilbert was (also president of
the Lancaster Press, Inc.
Form Dramatic Club
Thirty students of the Quar-
Background Scripture: Luke 17:1-19.
Devotional Reading: Psalm 100.
Gratitude
Lesson for February 5, 1956
Gratitude is not a lost art;
but it Is a rare one. Ten men
were cured of the same disease
at the same time, but only one
took time off to be thankful. When
you bear people complaining
about other people, one of the
most frequent complaints is that'
So-and-so was not grateful. “He
never said thank
you . . . She took
it for granted . . .
They never wrote
me . . . After all"
I’d done for them,
they left me alone
. , . With him
it’s all take and
no give . .
Many of these
complaints are Foreman
true, although (to be honest about
It) many of them come from
people who aren’t too grateful
themselves. ,
Why Don’t They Come Back?
When Jesus cured those ten
lepers, even he seems to have
been surprised that only one ol
them came back to thank him.
We don’t know, but perhaps we
can venture a guess, as to why
nine-tenths of those men who had
felt the mirafcle-workmg power
of God, went their unthankful
ways in silence Once man may
have thought: “Who knows? This
cure may not be permanent. Bet
ter not rush around shouting Hal
lelujah till 1 see whether this cure
is going to stick.” Another per
haps said to himself, "Yes, I’m
cured. But I’m sorry It had to
be tfiat Jesus from Nazareth. He
doesn’t have too good a reputation
with the authorities, —it isn’t
healthy to be known as one of
his friends. I’ll play safe . .
Another one maybe really meant
to thank Jesus; but he "lost his
address” as we would say. He
kept on meaning to, some day—
but he never did. And perhaps still
another fully intended to express
t\is thanks, but he said to him
self, "Just an ordinary hasty
Thank-you won’t do. I’ll wait till_
I can do something _ really Big l
ryvillo High School wefC' or
ganized into two' separate Dra
matic Clubs under the direction
of instructors Miss Burkholder
and Miss Book
one-act play was to be pro
duced by each group. Only
juniors and seniors were eligible.
Spelling Bee Winner
- Howard S Kinsey, of Unicorn,
w>as awarded first prize at a
largely attended open-to-all
spelling bee held at the Ironville
school, west of Columbia, 25
years ago this week.
Drumore PTA Meets
The Parent-Teachers,’ Associa
tion of East Drumore,met at the
High School' building, with Mrs.
Charles Stoner, presiding. The
Rev. W J. B. Carruthers, of
Chestnut Level, was guest
speaker. J
During the business session
it was decided to give toxin
anti-toxin to all school children
of the township if • enough
parents were in favor.
"Poverty Social”
A “poverty social” was held
in tke social room at the
Quarryville M E- Church by
ladies of the Mite Society.
Men r women and children at
tended the affair dressed in
rags
Ice Sports Popular'
Down along the river in the
Fishing Creek area, ice sports
were reported in full swing. 25
years ago this week.
The river there was frozen
from shore to shore. J. Roy
Smith was cutting all "sorts of
capers with his newly construct
ed ice-boat
for htm, something that will re
pay him, perhaps with interest,
for what he has done . . But
the' lime never came. Aren’t
these some of the very reasons
you and I give for not being
grateful to God or man?
Cause for Rejoicing
Curing leprosy the way Jesus
cured it is a miracle in any
body’s language. - Most of us
think we would be grateful for|
miracles, if and when—; but for'
Ordinary days, the usual course,
of events, we don’t see God’s,
hand and we do not feel any call'
to be. thankful. As a matter of
fact, God’s mercies surround us,
on every side. We owe him lifei
to begin with; it was God’s crea-'
five power that brought life into'
being, in a universe-hitherto life-!
less. It is God’s providence that;
has kept the stream of life flow-j
ing down the ages; his providenca
that gave you the ancestors with-'
out whom you could not be what;
you are. When you think of tha
enormous number of accidents (to
call them that) which might easi
ly have prevented your being
born at all, and the “accidents”
without which you would never
have been born on this planet,
you begin to see how grateful
you should be. Most people, prob
ably, if saved from sudden death,
especially if others have been
killed right beside them, will
breathe a trembling “Thank-you”,
to God.
Gratitude and Happiness
When Jesus said to the one
grateful man, “Your faith ha*
saved you,” he was using a word
that means to restore to full life.
There is a hint here that giati
tude is a flower whose root i»
faith. Also there is a hint that
the thankful mind is the happy
mind. People who go through the
world convinced that the woildi
owes them a living, people whose,
prayers are mostly "Gimme,” j
are likely to be a little sour Thej
world does not give them the lush
living they want. God does not
answer their prayers when and)
as they fancy he should.* So a
seed of unhappiness festei s m
their minds. But if a man will'
think every day what he 'owe* 1
to God and to man, if it really;
dawns on him what a debtor he is,j
his mind will be blight All)
this—for me? he will think; and)
the thought will be a seed of hap
piness blossoming under sun and/
cloud .Time spent in being giata-J
ful—in living-out gratitude, is nev-|
er wasted It is a mark of the!
healthy mind and spirit. J
(Based on outline copyrighted by that
Division of Christian Education. NaJ
tlonal Council of the Churches of Chrlay
tn the u. S A Released by Coxnmumltff
Press Service.)
/