The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-28

| has just read successfully before him !!
| only matched by the shame of one whC
1 has failed.
| The Firms believe the Russian Govern
| ment would be quite as well satisfied
were the people of Finland less well 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 al
Helsingfors, the capital, has very large
student body. When the impending re-
strictions first seemed imminent there
was a general agreement that the fur
Their extension Of learning among the Deo-
pie would help them more than anything
else to resist Russian entertainments. Ac-
cordingly it was arranged that special OPP
portunities for special study sh0Ild be Of
fered free of expense to all who desired
them.
The pIanadopted to this eni was novel
and effective. Instead Of ESTABLISHING
free scholarships at the higher schools
and the university, educated men ard
women in every part of the grand duchy
voluteered to give their services as teach
ers without compensa ton. And since
many who wanted the training were I'M
able to go to the teachers, the teachers
decided to go to them. In furtherance of
this plan the entire territory Of Finland
was unoficially cut up into districts, and
he 70 y IA,
trips over their districts in carrying out
the scheme, while many among the rich
who cannot help by personal effort con-
tribute money freely to defray the expen-
ses of those who teach
The Firms have been made a serious
people by reason of the rigors of their
climate and through other causes, hut
they are by no means without a 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 a great re-
union, much like a German saengerfest,
under the auspices of the Kansanvalistus
Seura, or Enlightenment Of the People
Gathering. At this great musical meet
prizes being awarded as at saengerfest;
there are also great choruses Of a thous-
and voices or more, both women and men
taking part. The Kansanvalistus Seura
is held in August, and its location shift
ed from year to year. The singing is al
ways in the open air and attended by a
great concourse of people
May is a great day in all parts of the
grand duchy. At Helsingfors it is given
over to the students, who appear on the
streets wearing their snow-white velvet
caps early il 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 day, lin Finnish, Laskianen,) |
which comes on the second Tuesday in |
February. Then all hands, rich end poor |
young and old, turn out on skis or with |
'leds and snowshoe races and coasting |
ire in order. Midsummer day, June a, |
5 another great occasion. Then the day
s longest, while the night is shortest. and |
the celebration thereof is a
survival from pagan times. Then great |
'onfires, made of light wood, tar barrels
md the like, are burned on the SUBMITS
II the hills, while girls and boys and
-oung men and women dance round the
Tres and play games from the beginning
# the twilight to the coming of gray
"a wn.
There are also noteworthy harvest fes-
ivities, but these have no specialdate
VI r
he same spirit of mutual helpfulness OBJ
aims among the Finnish farmers that
sed to be characteristic of the farmers
ere in colonial days. All hands who are
BILE to help in the harvest field turn out
nd go from farm to farm gathering in
he crops. Often the neighboring band
/ harvesters will number forty or frty
ersons men and women and boys and
iris. They will generally accomplish
ne harvesting on a medium sized farm
I less than one day, wages not being
bought of, since those who are helped
oday in turn help others tomorrow.
' lille the harvesting is being done in the
elds great feast for the harvesters is
eng prepared in the house. and when
he work is finished all hands turn to and
at and drink. Later there is dancing.
nd games are played, songs are sung,
nd countships go on among the young
Dix, while the old folk visit"
Away to the north the sun never sets
| summer, and the days are tremen-
ously long, even so far south as Hell
ngfors, where in late June and early
uly the darkness lasts only two or three
ours. Then the farmers begin work by
or o'clock, and rarely leave OF be-
IRE or To- except TO eat In midsummer !
ley never get along on less than four
reals, often taking five two being large I
composed Of meat And, of course
leir hours Of sleep are rs brief as their
ours of toll are long. In the winter, s
hen the days are short. they make up
IMPLY for their lack of summer sleep
Shooting is a favorite and necessary J
port, owing 10 the prevalence of big
anne, and the Firms generally are al
ost as good marksmen as the Beers.
he speeding of horses is another amuse- =
ent in which they take delight. es-
2cially in winter, when time is plenti-
Il. The Finnish ice sulky'-light run Z
srs on which a high seat IS perched-is {
curious looking continuance. Much OF Z
lie cloth made into wearing apparel for S
lie farmers and their families is spun t
I'd woven at home BY the women in the
ng winter evenings, and the oId-fash-
ned hand-loom is still TO be seen in {
any of the low, but roomy Finnish I
rmhouses.
Down To the present time most of the :
migrants have come from the shore re-
ons. but the young men from the in :
rior are sure TO come in greater NUM- c
srs from now on. They are OF q sturdy {
pc and picturesque in APPEARANCE with l
especially the COW boys " with their 5