The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-11-22


since the little country has had any
thing 90 equal 70, but ~ Tor outside
aid u would take a series OF such
earthquakes 90 bling them 20 seek H.
They are peculiarly hardy and ex-
ceedingly intelligent. In fact, cduca'
ton Is with them OF such importance
that where distances make Il lmp0s-
slble for children 90 attend school the
mountain Is brought 10 Mohammed;'
In other words. the school. or rather
the itincrant teacher. comes 20 them.
Almost every parish. II Il Is any dis
lance from the coast towns. has tray
cling pedag0nie. who. as a rule, simply
directs the educational work In each
household. lays out the course OF study
and leaves the actual work Of hearing
lessons aud Of calculating problems 10
the parents.
II isa rare treat to go into the home
Of one Of these Iceland farmer families
and during the long winter evening
watch the educational work a. u pro
gr,sses The parish prieSi-lcelanders
have been Luiherans since i5iO-may
perhaps b. on his monthly visit, aud
this means not alone consolation for
the soul but a rigid examination OF the
younger ones IN their studies. Al the
age OF fourteen comes the hnal exami.
nation. aud no child can be confirmed
until this has been passed.
Education for the farming classes
ends at this point; but for the ambl'
tious there are the high schools Ia va
rious parts Of the country. the school
Of philosophy and languages M Reyk-
javlk. and Tor many there l. the uni
verslty at Copenhagen. for no incun-
siderable proportion OF the high school
puplls end up their curriculum Of stud
les In the Danish capital
When they return they become the
haders In the political contests which
are always stirring mp this liberty
loving nation. Nominally Iceland Is a
dependency 81 Denmark, hut since
iSIl. when their constitution was ~
stored % them. they have been enjoy
ing almost absolute freedom of polii-
lcal action. The Althlng or Iceland
| parliament. meets every other year,
aud OF the entire membership Of thirty
six. only six are named by the King.
These six comprise just onc-hllf Of the
upper house. while the Mcny-four
members Of the lower house are elect
ed dlrcctly by the people. The land
shedding. or governor. Is named for
life by the kim OF Denmark. but only
upon the Recommendation OF the al
thug. Ills power does not extend TO
the veto. for a majority vote OF both
houses makes a measure a law, unless,
Of course. Il be a matter involving a
change IN the constitution. when the
kings veto Is effective.
Hut IN It's literary life Iceland In
many respects even SURPRISES Its 50
called mother country. lis scholars
have trnnsplanted the classics OF all
nations into their own vernacular.
Magazines and daily and weekly news
papers have excellent clrculatlOns. AMI
icelands libraries are becoming ex-
ceedlngly massive.
To the student Of American history
the great library building at Reykja.
vlk forms an invaluable aid. In fact.
Iceland was colonlzed by a people for
whom education took the place OF mil
Itary life Wars were unknown 20
them, aud their peaceful lncllnations
were early accentuated by an isolation
/ from the great European world. which
was essentially cOndu i've % literary
labor SO Il Il that almost all the an
clcnt scandinavian manuscripts are
Icelandlc. Icclandlc archaeologists re.
covered Tor Us the great sagcs OF the
North, the Eddas, the Helms krlngla.
the Sturlungasaga. the NialSsaga. the
Voluspa and others as interesting.
hut. as above stated, Il Is 20 the stu.
dent OF American history that the ~.
erary labors Of lcelanders are especial
| Is important. There Il the story Of the
| visit ~ Columbus 90 Reyklavik. where
| he learned OF the strange adventure OF
one OF Lief Ericsson and then travelled
/ back again to Bristol. thence % Mad
/ rid. and a few years later b America.
To the eye OF the traveller Iceland
presents many features OF lntcrcgt
| while u borders on the Arabic circle
the Gulf stream gives is coast a mild
temperature, but in the interior there
Is little possibility for varied industry
l The low growing grass makes the rails
ing OF ponies and sheep rcmunerailve
! In fact. Iceland exports 1000 head 81
| ponies annually and over half a mil
Hon sheep Six million pounds OF cod
fish aud 1000 pounds Of cideriown *.
ported last year give a fair idea Of the
Industries Of the country. Vegetables
aud grain which can rlpen quick make
up the only planted crops, for the sum.
mers. though warm. are very short.
In fact. almost all the hreadstufis used
are imported. 80 Is the wood, Tor trees
are n rarity there.
But for the student Of geology and
mlneralogy n town OF Iceland Il In
tensely interesting. though full Of an.
noyanccs. During the past year. how.
ever. a society was formed az Reyk.
iovik. the purpose o. which a 20 give
the prospective traveller al the lnfcr.
nation sc needs 10 pierce a. deeply