Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-02-04
MORMON SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
Advantages OF Town Life blended with
u tho Chnrna of RnraI Existnnco.

Advantages OF Town Life blended with
\ the Charms of Rural Existence.
Social changes Of n marked character
will be wrought by the occupation of
the arid region In this matter also
Mormon experience is luminous, says
William T. Smythe in Century. Brig
ham Young sought to found his pros
perity not only on industrial ethics,
but also upon the happiness OF the PEG
pie. He would not tolerate idleness.
and the walls Of cobblestoncs still
standings in the older portions Of SAT-
Lake City were invented that the
church might pay for the labor of men
who would otherwise have been tenn
porarily supported by charity. rs a
means of furnishing entertainments
various diversions were planned, in
Guiding the Saturday night dance, led
by the bishops of the wards
The leaders wisdom is almost as
clearly exhibited in his social scheme
as in his plan of industry. The central
idea in it was the farm-village. A vii.
lage site, generally half-mile square,
is selected in the midst of a tract of
hive thousand or six thousand acres 10
be colonizcd In Utah there are many
small valleys between the towering
mountains. and the village site is gencr-
ally located near the center Of the
valley, and near the river from which
the water is diverted into canals on
each side at a sufficient elevation to
command the irrigable lands. The half
a square mile is then laid out into
blocks of four acres, with broad ave
nues between, ard the blocks ire divi-
ded intAlots of an acre each. On these
acre lots the farmers have thei- homes.
Here also are their commodiols barns.
Here they have their poultry ard swine,
while considerable space is devOted to
a market-gardcn. The farmeIthen has
his farm on the outlying lanCs, which
are divided into lots ranging from two
acres up TO twenty acres.
From the public park in til center to
the farthest outlying farm only two
and a half miles. Most farmrs traverse
a much shorter distance t. reach the
farm from their homes. Or the other
hand, the women and Children enjoy
sthe important advantage ofIaving near
neighbors, while the chuch, school
house, stores and post oflic are near at
hand Under this systemthe advan-
tages of town life arc blcn cd TO very
considerable degree with lie charms Of
rural existence # is a sstem full Of
delightful possibilities. he Mormons
have realized its substantial advan-
tages in ncighborhood association; but
their model will be mch improved
upon by many colonies o more recent
establishment. Farm lie under the
old conditions has invo,ed isolation.
The hunger for human ympathy and
company has driven tousands from
the country 10 cities already over
crowded. This factor responsible for
many a social tragedy, S well as for
the problems which ha1 arisen in con-
gested city populations
There is no reason WV farm villages
patterned after those # Utah should
not have a social life ad an outward
beauty quito as pleang as, for in
stance, the suburbs olBostOn. There
the architecture scemnlmost uniform
.ly pleasing. Attracte lawns, with
vtrees, vines and flower are everywhere.
People of small meanwill be able TO
surround themselvesvith similar adj
vantages in the fari villages Of the
arid region, while calizing all the
benefits of indcpcndtce and equality
inseparable from thtndustrial scheme
of irrigation.