Home Owning Contest Enthused California School Children

The California Lumber Merchant believes sincerely in the_ value of the publicity to be had by reaching the ,sc'hool children with home building and.home owning-philosophy, and is always delighted to see our lumber frienos take ailvantage of their opportunities and privileges in this directron.

The Ward Lumber Companv operates a retail lumber yard at Ripon, California, of which M. M. Daubin is the manager. Mr. Daubin recently initiated a movement aiming to secure the cooperation of the Ripon High School students, and at the same time instill into the people of the city through tjheir children, the idea of the importance of home owning. So he offered for his firm a silver trophy cup for the beJt essay to be written'by one of the niio-t High School tpupils during the year on the subject, "Home Building." The name of the winnqr was engraved on the cup, and a great deal of interest was awakened, and the scholars strove earnestly to win it.

Mr. Daubin writes tLat this cqntest attracted unusual interest among the children and the townspeople gener- creased a hundred fold by green velvety lawns and beautiful flowers, trees, and shrubbery. Nothing adds so much to the cheerful attractiveness of your home as a garden. Work dqne in it is lifted to a cieliglht and ploasu-re. A home su-rrounded by a fresh green lawn and cheered by the songs of the birds that gather there is 'a pleasure to live in. It reflects an air of comfort and hospitllity to all who see _it. A garden is truly the keeper of home happiness.

"Such happiness is rarely found by the renter. -Because he cannot remain to profit by his investments he does not plant a garden and consequently cannot expelience t'he pride and elation of the home owner and beautifier.

"The renter does not consider it to his advantage to care c-onscientiously for the property of other people. Neifher does he take the same interest in the communitv in which he lives, and of which he is not a part. He ,pioduces, in fact, a positivelv detrim.ental effect upon it, because of what he takes away without ever building it up or partrctpattng rn rts enterprrses.

"A lhome can always 'be afforded' because it is a sound ally, and made very fine publicity indeed for the Ward Lumber Company. The trophy for the trest essay was 4warded .the other day to one of the senior girls, Miss Olive Obert. The following is the essay that won the contest:

HOME BUILDING

"Home is where love and happiness reign supremewhere loyalty and com.munity pride are formed-where poets and patriots are inspired-where the nation is born. Home is the place where time passes gently, leaving behind treasured memories of the hours spent there. Home is where the present is enjoyed ,to the fullest, where the future is planned, where the business of living{ is cordudTR smoothly and efficiently. ,

"However large and beautiful i dwelling ptrace may be, sentiment is lacking if the dwe{ers regard their house as merely a temporary place in rvihich to live. A 'irome brings to its occupants the pride of owneiship.

"A home, ly'hether it has a garden or not, is still a home -it is yours. But the pride of' home ownership is in- financial investment. The home owner, by virtue of the fact that he owns his own home, acquires a reputation as a man of thrift and business sagacity. His credit grows. He achieves financial, as well as social, prestige.

1'It is very true that building a home usually calls for sacrifice-but it is worth all the ,self-denial it ever costs, and more.And, like other things, the more hardships encounterid in securing it, the dearer it becomes when it is finally attended.

"The home owner and builder p.ossesses the added pleasure that the constructive instinct craves. A great dial of the joy of o-wning a home must always come w*ith the plan- ning and the .materialization of tho:se plans. The hbmebuilder appreciates joys ihat neuer corne to the renter or e.ven owner of a'ready_-mar1l' home. He takes a loyal pride in planning and building his home to beautify tiris iom_ munity and add-to its value. The home-buildbr is given the chance to imbue his home with his own Dersonaliiv. to h-ave .exactly the things he wants in the way he wants them."