Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-08

election promise"
Outside Point of View.
We must all admit the effect of en-
vironment on animals and down to the
lowest order Of creation. Scientists can
tell at glance where, when and how
specimen reptile, came from, what
age it lived in and what it lived on,
Roosevelt and other hunter naturalists
assume with certainty, certain condi-
lions and habits of the animals they
are in pursuit of, and the knowledge
of these conditions and habits, assists
very much in the capture of such an
imals. Our so-called domestic animals
are only beasts with a changed en-
vironment. They dog is full brother to
the wolf "The call of the wild' owes
its fascination to the reader, because
every one admits all that is claimed
in the foregoing, and enjoys the story
of the tracing of the pure bred New
foundland dogs descent back into
wolfdom. Yet, while every school boy
and girl knows of this effect of sur
roundings on the animal creatures,
only few of our philanthropists make
any determined effort to change the
environment of the lower classes of
human beings.
With no reference just now to the
effect of environment on the weak and
wicked side of human ma tllre, it is in
teresting to observe, what for instance,
the underground life of the miner
brings out. Has the reader ever seen
a coal miners house surrounded by
flowers. Isn't it true that even the
miners wife is affected by his manner
of living. and as such fails to beautify
and adorn the inside of their home.
Notice the lack of lace curtains in the
windows of the houses in an Iowa min
ing town. it's not because of a lack of
money to buy these things that the
miners home lacks the hundreds of
little knick knacks your. wife and
daughter find pleasure in owing and
adoring the home they live in.
Said an observing school marm'
who was then teaching country
school, Il can't understand why the
people in this school district have got
into such sloppy weather habits. The
men don't shave for days at time, the
women don't comb their hair every
day, and time and time again 1 have
to send children home to have their
faces washed. / can understand why
such things exist in some families.
They were born that way, hu, why
should Mrs. Smith be such siouch,
care so little for the looks of the inside
of her house, her personal appearance
and that of her children. She was
raised in a neighborhood and in a
house where things were kept no and
know her mother was a good house
keeper. OF course everybody knows
Smith, her husband, had no bringing
up, and was unacquainted with a tooth
brush till he married Lizzie. Now the
whole family are Smiths" The an
swer is that environment in the
form of Smith has brought this about.
IF lizzie had been ola strong and pos
tive nature, the whole Smith family
would be using a finger nail file today.
Smith would even own a safety razor
and use it.
Here's some talk from a city doctor
that brings out the better side of coun
try environment and no credit 70 that
Of town life. When Pm called out of
town and reach the sick room l invar-
iably find the neighbors there doing
good and kind work This even before
the day of the telephone. Not only
women but men act as nurses for their
a;rh ".
town for me when the neighbors had
sickness in the house. They brought
out medicine, did the farm chores when
necessary, and If the man of the house
had long spell of Sickness time and
time again have the neighbors got to-
gether and harvested a ripening crop.
But in town, in hundred cases have
/ been called, where not a neighbor has
done more thon drop in to see how you
are this morning No doing up the
dishes, cleaning up the house getting
the children ready for school. It's this
very Indifferent unneighborly manner
of town life that has made the voca
ton of trained nurse SO large in num-
Der and a necessary adjunct to the city
practice of the city doctor. One would
think the closer people live together
the better neighbors they would be.
But it's the opposite. Selishness thrives
on paved streets and in the modern
city home" Again the answer that
suggests itself is environment. It's easy
to explain why our country homes are
full of men and women that practice
"do unto other" And just as easy to
tell why your best friend in town
hasn't heard you were sick" 1t dates
back to when the nearest neighbor was
mile away and the doctor had to
drive half day to reach his patient.
Such environment made the care Of
the sick as necessary and common as to
help put out prairie fire. In town
there's paid fire department. SO there
is a doctor a block away and a trained
nurse as easily called. In other words
1--WE are all creatures Of environment"
That encircling word sometimes spells
virtue, sometimes vice. How's your en-
vironment?
/ M~>ahezs