The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1897-01-02

since the little country has had any
ching to equal 1t, but as for outside
aid it would take q series OF such
earthquakes to bring them to seek it.
They are peculiarly hardy and ex-
ceedingly intelligent. In fact, educa-
ton is with them Of such Importance
that where distances make ii impos-
sible for children to attend school the
mountain is brought to Mohammed;
In other words, the school, or rather
the itinerant teacher, comes TO them.
Almost every parish, If ii is any dis
lance from the coast owns, has trav-
cling pedagOgue, who, as rule, simply
directs the educational work in eacn
household, lays out the course OF study
and leaves the actual work of hearing
lessons and of calculating problems TO
the parents.
1t is a rare treat to go into the home
of one Of these Iceland farmer families
and during the long winter evening
watch the educational work as II pro
gresses. The parish priest-lcelanders
have been Lutherans since l54O-may
perhaps be on his monthly visit, and
this means not alone consolation Tor
the soul but a rigid examination OF the
younger ones in their studies. AT the
age of fourteen comes the final eXaml-
nation. and no child can be confirmed
until this has been passed.
Education for the farming classes
ends at this point; but for the amb-
tious there are the high schools IN va
rious parts of the country, the schoOl
of philosophy and languages at heyk-
iayik. and for many there is the uni
versity at Copenhagen, for no lncoh-
siderable proportion of the high school
pupils end up their curriculum OF stud
les in the Danish capital.
When they return they become the
leaders in the political contests whlch
are always stirring up this liberty
loving nation. NOminally Iceland is
deoendency of Denmark, but since
1874 when their constitution was re-
stored to them, they have been ENJOY
ing almost absolute freedom OF poht-
teal action. The Althing, or Iceland
narliament. meets every other year.
and of the entire membership OF thirty
sly only six are named by the King.
These six comprise just one-nalf OF the
nDnar house. while the twenty-four
members of the lower house are elect
ed directly by the people. The land-
sbofdinr or governor, is named Tor
IIfe Inv the king of Denmark, bit only
mn tho recommendation of the al
thing His power does not extend 70
the veto. for a majority vote OF ootn
houses makes q measure law, unless
- course. ii be a matter involving
change i'm the constitution, when the
Kings veto is effective.
mt in its literary life Iceland In
many respects even surpasses It's so
a.Iiad mother country. Its scholars
$50 tronsplanted the classics OF all
Gallons into their own yernacular.
TTsgazines and daily and weekly news
ns,,orS have excellent Calculations, ana
Tceianf's libraries are becoming eA-
cee,lingly massive.
n the student of American history
- rroat library building at Reykta-
lre sorms an invaluable aid In fact,
,,eIaod uas colonized by people for
49,, aducation took the place Of mil
W., Hfe Wars were unknown to
and their peaceful inclinadons
INe carly accentuateS by an isolation
W., Tho great European world, which
IT, Essentially condu 1--WE to literary
q n is that almost all the an
Isn scandinavian manuscripts are
GIen d;c Icelandic archaeologists re-
covered for us the great sages OF Inc
cos the Eddas, the Helms Kringla,
~. - tSS.,,,rIungasaga, the Njalssaga, the
S SnS and others as interesting:
N9,u as above stated, it is to the stu
- American history that the ut
49, Iabors of Icelanders are especial
efais 1ortsnt There is the story or the
~ IL - CoIumbus TO Reykjayik. where
,,,e learned of the strange advehture oi
ne ieat 81 Ericsson, and then travelled
S Saet .. again n to Bristol. thence to Mad
pach 80 : few years later 10 America
To a the eye Of the Traveller as n nsslsnf
presents many fsat S5e Arabic ol t circle.
VINE - !. stream gives It's coast a ndd
the So but in the interior there
telapsr r ,,ooSsipiiity for varied industry.
shs lew growing grass n Ss,,1 the fnls
ing OF p1 Iceland exports 5000 head Of