Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-24
IDEAL SETTLEMENT.
A Swedish Community In Kansas
 That Is Model.
NuH a Cooperative syutem Ye* the People Work with Unity of Par
 pose and Are FrogressivA and Prosperous.

S
 The Swedish colony in the center of Kansas, which has for it's educa- tional business nnd amusement seat the town of Lindsborg, is one of the most independent communities in the United States. The original settlers, most of whom came directly from Sweden to take up their homes on the plains, are not yet aged people, while the. younger generation has just taken hold of affairs with the certainty and intelligence of early maturity and augmented by the thousands of recruits that have come from time to time from Sweden and from other colonies in this country. Yet this settlement of naturalized cit- izens, who are as thoroughly Ameri- can as adoption, assimilation md pa triotism can make thems has given to the country one of it's most laudable examples of local sufficiency, says the Kansas City Star.
 The Lindsborg community is not a cooperative settlement. While there Is great unity of purpose and mutual helpfulness, there is strong degree of individuality. There is nothing visdon- ary about the lives or the govern11 erst of the people. They take broad view of things. They are not arrogant to- ward others who are rivals in trade or educa tional affairs. They have simply endeavored to provide for themselves in the largest possible degree, aiming above all to make their homes and their local institutions attractive enough to keep the colony intact. So far there has been little tendency on the part of the younger generation to seek elsewhere for opportunity or amusement. Bethany college, the an- ishing school of the settlement and the largest denominational institution in the state, employs more than 30 teach CTS. Yet the graduates turn from their studies to the stores, the farms or the factories of their fathers and find ap- plication in their daily. lives for the cr,- Hghtenment they have gained in books.
 The rich lands of several counties about Lindsborg have been appropri- ated and utilized and still the conn munity grows. The town has aimed to make the best possible market for the products of these farms. What is said to be the finest broomcorn district in the world is among these Swedish possessions and a large broom factory has been constructed to nnake local market for the raw material. Grain elevators of large capacity handle the wheat crops. There are also several fiourighfng flour mills. Every local fa- cility that can be utilized for shipping such products as are not consumed at home has been supplied.
 For plain country town Lindsborg is g. model of neatness and cleanliness. The streets and private premises are kept in good condition. There is no at tempt at beIlishment at the expense of utility, for the simple reason that the original settlers had but limited means and that the time is not yet quite at hand for ornamentation. For example, when the festival chorus, which has done much to entertain and hold together the younger people, grew to more than 300 members, 1t was deemed necessary to erect . large hall. This is of the simplest style of con- struction, being octagonal in shape dAe 1nht4c OA tdlS pldAACsV hiat Adla The organ. an immense affair, is any thing but ornate, yet it cost the col ony $5,000. The aim in the purchase, as in many other investments, to speak fgnratively, was to get the best and most music for the money.
 Of course, the great progress, the en- thusiastic unanimity and, the local reli- ance that characterize the Lindsborg community would have been impossi. ble without strong leadership. This was supplied In the person of Rev. Carl Swensson, president of Bethany col lege, who has been the master mind of t all Anyone who pays a vdsit to the little town in the Smoky valley, espe- cially if he happens to be present on some festival occasion like that of the other night, when Mme- Nordica sang will understand why Mndsborg and Dr, Swensson are so well known in Sweden, And if he meets Dr. Swensson and has some comprehension of his personal force and intelligent administrative powers he will see the fitness of the knighthood that was recently bestowed on him by the king of his native land