Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-02-26
MORMON SOCIAL conp,ru,.x

nseges OF Town Life blended With
sns Charms Of Rural Existene..
Social changes of marked cbar.....
VIII be wrought by the occunat;or -
the arid region. In this matter .,so
Mormon experience is luminous. saws
"nham T.. Smythe in Century. Brio-
nsn 1oung sought to found his pros-
perity not only on industrial eth;c.
but also upon the happiness Of the neo'
pie. He would not tolerate idleness
and the walls of cobblestones st;l1
standing in the older portions az Salt
Lake City were invented that the
church might pay for the labor of men
VINO would otherwise have been tenn
porarily supported by charity. A .
means OF furnishing entertainment.
various diversions were planned, in.
cludinR the Saturday night dance. led
oy the bishops Of the wards,
The leaders wisdom In almo.t -.
clearly exhibited in his social scheme
e In his plan Of industry. The central
idea IN 1t was the farm-village. A vi
!sge site, generally . half-mile SQUARE.
y selected in the midst Of = tract OF
dve Thousand or six thousand screa ~
be colonixed. In Utah there are NAM
small valleys between the TOWERING
mountains, and the village site il rener.
ally located near the center Of the
valley, and near the river from which
the water Il diverted into canals on
each aide ct . sufficient elevation to
command the irrigable lands, The half
. square mile Il then laid out into
blocks OF four acres, with broad ave.
nues between, and the blocks are divi-
ded into lots of an acre each. On these
acre lots the farmers have their homes.
Here also are their commodious barns.
Here they have their poultry and swine,
while considerable space is devoted to
market-garden. The farmer then has
his farm on the outlying lands, which
are divided into lots ranging from two
Acres up to twenty acres.
From the public park In the center 70
the farthest outlying farm il only two
and . half miles Most farmers traverse
. much shorter distance to reach the
farm from their homes. On the other
hand, the women and children enioy
the important advantage Of having near
neighbors, while the church, school,
house, stores and post Office are near At
hand Under this system the advan-
tages of town life are blended to very
considerable degree with the charms Of
rural existence. It is . system full of
delightful possibilities. The Mormons
have realized its substantial advan.
tages In neighborhood association; but
their model will be much improved
upon by many colonies Of more recent
Farm life under the
Did conditions has involved isolation.
The hunger for human sympathy and
company has driven thousands. from
he country to cities already over
This factor il responsible for
many . social tragedy, a. well a. for
he problems which have arisen in con-
rested city populations.
There is no reason why farm villages
,atterned after those of Utah should
lot have q social life and IN outward
'eauty quite rs pleasing as, for in.
'tance, the suburbs of Boston. There
he architecture seems almost uniform
y pleasing. Attractive lawns, with
rees, vines and flowers, are everywhere.
People Of small means will be able to
themselves with similar adj
'antages in the farm villages of the
rid region, while realizing all the
benefits of independence and equality
from the industrial scheme
It irrigation.