The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-02-27
AN IDEAL MARY
LAND COMMUNITY.
A Picture Of The Domestic and Agri-
cultural Life of The Quaker Set
Element of Sandy Springs.

The reader must answer the ques-
ton after he has read what follows.
Suffice for me to say in passing
that i'll read the account correctly
the original Paradise was hardly
ideal, with its domestic troubles
and eye enticing fruits.
In Montgomery County, Md. ,
twenty miles north from Washing
ton and some thirty south from
Baltimore, is Quaker community
of some two hundred families, oc-
cupying stretch of country about
ten by six miles. There is no
village in the neighborhood, Just
three little centres, with store,
postofice and blacksmith shop.
In one of these is bank, with
$4,000 capital stock, and a saw
ings department, with 81 900, 900
deposits, and a fire insurance COM
pany which does business over the
whole state.
About 1920 the ancestors of
these people-thrifty, industrious,
law abiding Quakers-came into
this county and bought these
lands, which had been large plan
tations, largely devoted to tobacco,
the property of slave owners. The
land was much reduced in fer
tility. The large holdings were
divided into small farms of about
one hundred acres.
The first generation have long
since been gathered to their
fathers, but their works do follow
them. 1t is conceded by all that
IN no part of the state are more
prosperous farmers than these
Sandy Springs Quakers, One will
hnd the original plantation houses,
still in good repair, with many
more modern ones that have been
erected on the smaller farms.
Most times they stand quite a dis
lance from the road, with green
fields in front. Steam heat and
bathrooms, with hot and cold
water, often section covered with
glass and full of flowers, are in
most of them. Books, papers and
periodicals Of the highest class are
on the tables. One gentleman re-
marked None Of us is very
rich and none poor; we have spent
our money for the best things"
Surely this is true. In my opinion
they are the richest people I know
of. Rich in things worth while.
Their sons and daughters have
been educated in the best schools
and colleges, and yet imbued from
their youth up with the dignity of
labor. One young man, the son
of my host, while waiting for sup
per entertained us with excellent
music on the piano. Afterward
he donned his old clothes and
spent most of the evening in fixing
dirty gasolene engine that had
refused to work. Whether in the
tarmyard, kitchen or parlor.
have never found more real culture
or more true ladies and gentlemen.
Industrious, cultured, God fearing
people. Each farm has a name,
and they speak of them not by
that of the owner but as one would
of a village. They are all con-
nected by telephone and by fine
macadamized roads. The fact that
they are ten miles from the rail
road has had no apparent effect in
standing in the way of progress.
They have for years maintained
three oranges. In addition to
this, they have lyceum, with a
building especially DEVOTED to it
and containing a library. There
are two women's clubs, one for the
young and one for the matrons.
In these are discussed not only
matters pertaining to the house
hold but those of broader scope,
such as Conditions in Russia"
and ITALY, It's History and Peo-
pie" These are plain farmers
wives and daughters, mark you,
city reader-if such there be-who
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