The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23
LA@@J


a-' orkney or Caithness. the east coast
tTslrsdale 10 Berwick. the shores of
-, or where you will-invest him with
l,---,lsr suavity OF expression and courtesy
.-.,rer derive him OF the means of &C
- ~ spirituOus liquors until his stom-
- ,scolls from the very suggestion of any
-.s-,,,lant stronger than the lightest beer.
=, Won will produce something indistin-
.,.hoble. till he begins TO speak, from the
- Norseman OF the fjords and dals. OF
.,,,la.ion OF about two millions, three
tiers or thereby earn their living from
=. coil or from the sea, oftenest by a
-,,hination Of both, for the towns of Nor
-, All told do not contain more than 500,-
90 Inhabitants
crave resourceful, dignifed, thrifty, dar-
49,, temperate. the Morse peasantry hold a
Afch Mace among the children OF men.
D-orhere need the advocate of compulsory
ignorance search for more convincing ar
.,,,-,ent in support Of total prohibition than
~ shaU find in Norway. Formerly, those
..u us who remember the country a gen.
eratiou ago. there was no more drunken
rstion on the face of the earth than the
Morse: at the present day the people do not
II.
cberubs can't sit down-they have not the
vberewithal a modified Gothenburg sys-
tom has stamped out the vice by removing
the temptation. or. at least, made it well
nigh impossible to crafty the craving; and
with the vice has disappeared most of those
uelv blots which mar and impede civiliza-
ton in other lands. Wives are not battered
70 death: horses have nothing to fear from
the lash; poverty remains, it is true, but
Il is not embittered by close proximity to
excessive luxury. The whole rural popula-
tion-three parts Of the cOmmunity-is poor;
but their poverty has not it's source in the
rublic house: il is that noble poverty which
conceives but simple wants. and gratifies
them by wringing subsistence out of
physical environment that would overcome
any except a dauntless race. So the poor
man holds his head as high as his richer
peighbOr, who salutes the other as punctili-
ousy as he does the English millionaire
who rents the salmon fishing, and is
source of such profit to the owner of car
roles.
POVERTY-NOT SQUALOR
II is seldom. also, in Norway that poverty,
even when extreme assumes the COM
plexion of squalor. Bellies may be empty
and backs but poorly clad. yet the house
that shelters both generally has a trim,
cheerful appearance, owing to material
whereof it is built, and that which fur
nishes fuel for the hearth. The abundance
Of wood and the absence of coal, with it's
cOncomitant CRIME, tend TO keep the aspect
bright without and fragrant within. Wood
en- Walls resting on a stone foundation, is
the uniform plan for houses great and
small, and a lick OF paint from time to
time keeps these weather-tight and cheer
ful 10 the eye Wood is an excellent nom
conductor, and as there is no stint of fuel.
these houses are warm in winter. But
they noisy dwellings,; every football re-
sounds through them. Rising at this
morning, stealthily, so as not to disturb the
sleeping household, L was painfully aware
that, in stamping into my fishing boots,
sent reverberation from end to end of
the whole structure Red-tiled roofs are
the rule near towns and harbors, especially
a. the south; but toward the north. wooden
shingles are generally used, which some
tines get a coat of red paint, at other
tmes are left bare. TO assume lovely
tones from bleaching in the sun. The hum
bier dwellings are sometimes rooted with
turf. which becomes a perfect parterre of
delicate brilliant flowers. Yesterday, half
way up the Suldal, 1 saw a truly exquisite
roof garden. a deep growth Of moss, vary
ing from the rich russell TO the intense
green was half yelled by purple mist of
blossom. spangled with gold. The sun be-
ing behind the house, I was puzzled at
first TO identify the flowers, which had the
appearance of raised embroidery upon dark
velvet Nearer inspection showed them to
be those Of small wild pansy and scat
tered plants of yellow hawkweed. One is
accustomed 10 wonder at the elaborate and
ingenious combinations in the flower beds
of London parks, but here was haphazard
loneliness on the roof of this lowly noun
tain cot surprising the cOstliest efforts OF
the gardeners craft. Perhaps it is in the
profusion and beauty Of their wild flowers
that is TO be found the reason for the
general neglect of horticulture by the
Morse peasant farmers. 1t is the rarest
thing possible to see any attempt at decor
alive gardening. even round the houses OF
the Weather farmers. In the cemeteries,
II is true. ii is the custom tC plant flowers,
perhaps in traditional symbolism of the
resurrection; but nothing of the kind is
done near the homestead. Then, all
through the summer the woods are full Of
small fruits-blaeberries, bilberries, cow
berries. cranberries, raspberries, strawber-
ries; higher up the hills you may fill your
biggest baskets with the most delicious of
all, the orange cloudberTy; and therefore 1t
Is that nobody follows the example some
times set by the parson OF the parish, in
growing cherries. plums and gooseberries.
The utmost that is done is TO plant a few
apple trees and these, at this present time
Of writing. are weighed down with rudy
fruit Fruit farming is perhaps a trifie
overdone everywhere at present; but GER
tainly the favorable climate, the extraor-
binary abundance of fruit produce under
the prolonged sunshine OF summer days
and the facilities for transport offered by
suggest that the Norsemen might derive
their share of profit from the industry.
Leaving matter-Of-might-be for matter
oi-iact. It must be owned that the re-
sources OF the country are no more than
70 suffice the existing population, which
has remained almost at the same figure.
slightly over two millions, for a very long
ume. upon a total area of 1850 square
miles. Compare this with another country
which has many features i'm common with
Norway. but without the important one of
a seaboard. Switzerland maintains popu-