The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-18
for domestic service and sturdy Irish lads
as laborers is beginning to run short.
The Land of the Films.

The Land of the Firms.
The average American knows little Of
Finland or its people. BY the well read,
even the country Is generally regarded as
backward to a degree; its inhabitants are
suspected of beng only half civilized aud
Of low standards with respect to culture
and the amenities of life. They are sup
posed TO be much like the Laps. But
nothing could well be further than the
truth.
The grand duchy of Finland IS the most
northerly European area in the Russian
empire. It is still largely covered with
forests. Beasts of prey-the bear and the
wolf-still persist, and in the far north
the reindeer is still an important factor
In human life. The winter is long and
the summer is short. The sun Will not
ripen wheat, maize or any cereal save rye,
barley and oats, or any fruit save APP
pies. Much of the territory is wet and
swampy but despite all these things, the
Finlanders of to-day are entitled to
high place among the nations Of the, earth.
They have developed agriculture TO re-
markable degree. They raise an abund-
ance of such grains will ripen. both
for home use and for export. and they
have transformed their damp marshes in
to dairy lands that will compare favorably
with any of the world They are better
supplied win railroads and canals than
any part of Russia proper. All through
Europe, except in the far south, Finnish
butter and cheese ere well known, and
the Industries OF the dairy fairly divide
the honors with numbering and fishing.
Literature and the arts, moreover, are
held in high esteem, and there is very
little illiteracy in the grand duchy OF
Finland, those under 50 who cannot read
and write being less than one-tenth of
per cent. of the whole population. There
IS an elementary school in every neigh
borhood, and all the children must attend
1t, not because of a compulsory law, but
because of a universal sentiment which
Is stronger than law. This sentiment is
complemented by the universal custom
of beginning the chidren's education at
home and not allowing them to attend
school until they can pass rigid examina-
tons in reading and writing.
The country is Lutheran to the core,
and the pastor is the leading parsonage
in many ways in every community. He
il is who examines the children for adj
mittance to the schools: his tour of ex-
animation every spring and fab is an
event eagerly looked forward to by all
the people, and the pride of the boy or
girl who has just read successfully be-
fore him and written to his satisfac-
ton Is only matched by the shame of
one who has failed.
RemaFkable Educational Movement.
The Firms believe the Russian gov
eminent would be quite as we'll satisfied
were che people of Finland less web in
formed, on the theory that then they
would be more amenable TO restrictive
Russian rule. This belief has brought
about one of the most remarkable edu-
cational movements on record. The
Firms believe in the higher education
quite as firmly as in the elementary;
the little country has many academies
and special schools, and the ancient
university at Helsingfors, the capital,
the impending restrictions first seemed
imminent there was a general agree
meut that the further extension of
learning among the people would help
them more than anything else to resist
Russian encroachments. Accordingly it
was arranged that special opportunities
for special study should be offered free
of expenses to all who desired them.
The plan adopted to this end was
novel and effective. Instead of estab-
fishing free scholarships at the higher
schools and universities, educated men
and women in every part of the grand
duchv volunt eered to give their services
as teachers without compensation. And
since many who wanted the training were
unable to go TO the teachers the teachers
decided to go to them. In furtherance of
this plan 4he entire territory of Finland
was unoffeially cut up into districts, and
the voluntary teachers now make regular
=
the scheme, while many among the rich
who cannot help by personal effort con-
tribute money freely 10 defray the ex-
penses of those who teach.
The Lighter Side.
The Firms have been made a serious
people by reason of the rigors of their
climate and through other causes, but
they are by no means without lighter
side.
They are extremely musical, for one
thing, and there is at least one singing
society in every Finnish city and town.
once year the singers hold great re-
union much like a German SaenSerfest,
under the auspices of the kansanValistus
Seura or Enlightenment of the People
Gathering. At this great musical meeting
the local bodies sing in competition, prizes
being awarded as at a Saengerfest; there
are also great choruses of thousand
voices or more, both women and men TAX
ing part. The Kansanvalistus Seura IS
held in August and its location is shifted
from year to year The singing is al
ways in the open air and attended by
great concourse of people.
May l is a great day in all parts of the
grand duehy. At Helsingfors 1T is given
over to the students, who appear on the
streets wearing their snow-white velvet
caps early in the morning, and go about
town all day long and till late in the
evening singing student songs, while all
the townsfolk give up their pursuits TO
listen Christmas is another big day, of
course, but the great national fete is on
Sliding Cay On Finnish Laskainen).
which comes on the second Tuesday in
February. Then all hands. rich and poor.
YOUNG and old turn out on skis or with
sleds and snowshoe races and coasting
are in order. Midsummer day, June q, is
another great occasion. Then the day is
longest, while the night is shortest. and
undoubtedly the celebration thereof is a
survival from pagan times. Then great
honfires, made Of light wood, tar barrels
and the like, are burned on the submits
of the hills, while girls and boys and
young men and women dance round the
fires and play games from the beginning
of the twilight TO the coming of gray
dawn.
There are also noteworthy harvest fes-
tivities but these have no special date,
extending over the entire harvest season.
The same spirit of mutual helpfuiness OBJ
ha hat