DRIFT TO THE CITY 107 



chant princes, the captains of industry, the railroad magnates, 

 the coal and oil barons and the notables in the various lines of 

 human endeavor, a large percentage of them were once country 

 boys. It should be more generally recognized that many and 

 various forms of farm labor have now been transferred to the city. 

 What is now the division of labor between farm and factory and 

 what was it formerly? The American farm of the first half of the 

 nineteenth century was really a diversified business in itself, com- 

 prising not merely the production of the raw materials of food 

 and clothing and tillage tools, but the actual manufacture and 

 preparation of foods, shoes and clothing, and the ruder implements 

 of tillage. 



Wakefield, in 1833, describes the American farmer for us in 

 these words: 



"Free Americans, who cultivate the soil, follow many other occupations. 

 Some portion of the furniture and tools which they use is commonly made by 

 themselves. They frequently build their own houses and carry to market, at 

 whatever distance, the produce of their own industry. They are spinners 

 and weavers; they make soap and candles, as well as, in many cases, shoes 

 and clothes for their own use." 



But now where are their shoes and clothes made? In the city. 

 So also with their soap, their candles, their lumber, their furniture. 

 And transportation by steam and electricity has likewise centered 

 in the cities. In short, farm activities have largely been trans- 

 ferred to the city. There are now 800,000 persons in cities engaged 

 in manufacturing automobiles and tractors most of which ma- 

 chines are for farmers. It is no wonder then that the industrial 

 growth of the United States has taken leaders and laborers from 

 the farms to the cities. The manufacturing States of the East 

 were the first to show a decrease in rural population. Thus in 

 the decade ending in 1890, New England and New York showed a 

 loss in rural population. In 1900 New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio 

 and Kansas showed losses. Out of the ninety-nine counties in 

 Iowa, the 22 urban counties showed gains, while the 77 rural 

 counties showed a loss. The great farming country of the Middle 

 West now shows a loss in rural population. Thus in 1910 the 

 following losses were registered: 



Illinois 7.0 per cent 



Indiana 9.5 



Iowa 12.1 



Kansas 0.5 



Michigan 0.8 



Missouri 8.0 



Ohio 5.3 



Wisconsin 0.7 



