Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-04-30
A MUNICIPAL UTOPIA
PLANS FOR TRANSFORMING ANDREW
CARNEGIE'S NATIVE TOWN.
Social Service Institutes Iden For
Aiding DunfcrmIine, Scotland, In
cludes Fairgrounds. Clubs, Tours
and a Museum For Industries.

Social Service institutes iueh roH
Aiding DunfermIine, Scotland, In
cludes Fairgrounds, Clubs, Tours
and a Museum For Industries.
Andrew Carnegie's wish that the
American Institute of Social Service
should formulate q plan which would
make Dunfermline, Scotland, his native
town, u place in which life would be
made more pleasant for the toiling
masses, a scheme toward which he re-
Gently transferred by trust deed Pit
tencrieff park and glen and S2,5O0,OOO,
recently was made public by the Or
ganization to which he appealed for CO
operation in the matter.
The request to the institute was made
by Professor Patrick Geddes, the trusts
representative, at the suggestion of MIR.
Carnegie. The entire plan covers twelve
closely typewriter pages, all suggeS
tons based upon personal studies OF
Dunfermline's needs made by DR.. W..
ii. Tolman, director of the institute. The
plan, if carried out, seems to suggest
a sort of municipal Utopia, in which all
the dreams of men with idealstic views
of what a city or town should be will
be realized and which will be a model
for the world to follow.
The plan includes among other rec
concentrations a regional museum, a
district for city beautiful, a social
center, department of civics, boys
and girls flower gardens, children's
Fairgrounds and outdoor gymnasium,
holiday tours and historic pilgrimages,
"Get Together club" and system Of
awards for prizes.
The general outline for city beauti-
full suggests that somewhere on the
confines of the park land should be set
aside on which can be built model
dwellings, of diversified architecture
with due regard to the individual
needs. One of these houses, it is sug
geSted, should be set aside as work
ing model by which clerks, artisans
and laborers are to be furnished with
an object lesson in utility, decoration,
etc, exterior appearances, porches,
clambering shrubs and the surround
ing garden also to be made n model
worthy for others to follow.
mo division of fences should Sepa-
rate the gardens" the official synopsis
of the plan goes on to say, because
this area should be small park or
open space. BY this form Of object les
son teaching the wage earners will be
shown that 1t is just as easy and as
cheap for them to live in beautiful and
comfortable houses as in the midst Of
gloomy and untidy surroundings.
Under this plan the social center
should be building in the park, easily
accessible, so as to be resort for all
the people, children for the most part
by day, adults at night and on holt
days. 1t should contain a hall for lee
lures, concerts, dramatics, dancing,
musical and OratOrical contests. flower
shows and other entertainments. There
should be classrooms for instruction In
music. choral, vocal and instrumental;
art in its various branches, lecture
rooms for demonstrating the latest ap-
plication of science to local trades and
Industries; domestic economy, show
ing the art of hOmemaking and home
keeping. An annex or window or
this building should be devoted to n
winter garden filled with plants and
shrubs.
"In the regional museum should be
collected the various processes of local
industries, in order that the individual
workman may get an idea of how his
part in the process is related to the
great industry as a whole. In this
museum there should be Interpretation
by means of photographs, models,
charts and diagrams, with eXplana-
tons suited to the average mind. If
this museum is arranged according to
the carefully arranged details of our
plan citizens who have no opportunity
for travel will get an intelligent idea
of what is going on in the great world
outside of their city.
1.-The department of civics is intend
ed to inspire youth and to direct their
enthusiasm wisely, so that they may
raise the tone of their citizenship.
This department includes life saw
ing brigades, directing the mind to the
virtues of heroism, courage and honor
and first aid to injured classes.
another feature of this department
is the reading unions enforced by tray
cling libraries of pictures, In which
there are to be included portraits of
famous men and women, with illustra-
tons of what they did in painting, ar
chitecture and statuary. These pic
lures are to be framed and may be
kept one or two weeks in the home just
as a book may be borrowed from IL
brary.
''The details for the children's play
grounds include arrangements for su-
pervision under which children are
taught how to play.
"Under the Get Together club de-
tails are given for the discussion of
subjects of vital interest
"Under Holiday Tours supervision Is
made for tours of single day or for
weeks, with hints and suggestions as to
subjects and institutions of special in
terest and how to reach them.
'"The idea of the award and prize d.
vision is to stimulate interest and
arouse wholesale competition. In this
division plans are given for the award
ing of prizes to adults as well as to
children for meritorious deeds, for sug-
gestions of devices that shall safe
guard the life and limbs of wage earn