on a farm in Indiana seems like the 1919 version of 'Work
& Travel'.
It was published in the April 1919 edition of the Istanbul
newspaper 'İçtimaî Meslek' (Social Professions). The
advertisement in the 12 October 1920 edition of the
Call-Leader of Elwood, Indiana, at lower right below,
may (or may not) be for the same farm. //
Letters from Ahmed Eşref Bey, an out-of-place farmer in America
We are presenting Ahmed Eşref Bey's letter about his experiences
and education earned on a trip to England and America with some
friends.
On Maple Grove Farm
I'm am sending this letter after six days of working on this farm,
which is quite a bit south of Lake Michigan and 160 miles from
Chicago. For the first time in my life, I'm on a real farm, far away
from any village or factory. There's not even a railroad nearby. The
closest town is seven miles away and the train runs eight miles from
here.
We are completely surrounded by other farms, where everyone tends
the soil. But the farms aren't endless fields. Some are 80-100 'dönüm'
(1 dönüm = 1/4 acre) and some others are 200-300 'dönüm'. The
owner of the farm I'm on is a wealthy pharmaceutical merchant from
Chicago. After 20 years of living in the city, he felt the need to buy a
farm and bought this place. Right now the land is being worked by
the farmer and his family who have always lived here.
This farmer should probably be considered superior to the farmers in
our country and even the so-called "agricultural specialists" there.
This farm is managed by one person and a helper: 100 acres, in other
words, somewhat smaller than 100 'dönüm'.
Henceforth, each week you will have to put up with my letters to you
about farmers and farm life. Since coming here my contacts with the
outside world have been quite limited. We don't pay attention to
anyone or anything other than our work. Life is simple and very pure,
I should say. The wide, two-story building on one side of the 100-acre
farm is at the center of the other buildings. A bit further away is the
smaller two-story farmhouse.
The morning sun comes through my window and I wake up at 4
o'clock when it begins to get light, to the sounds of the roosters and
chicks. Getting up before the sun rises and washing one's face with
the cold well water is very stimulating. The well is at the bottom of
the farm in a green area surrounded by maple trees. This is where
the animals stay during the night and graze on greenery instead of the
dry artificial feed.
//END of PART I//
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