Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-07-07
KEEPING YOUR
OWN TOWN ALIVE
Make Suburban Life Attractive
For Young Folks.
READING ROOMS VALUABLE.

Should Be Organized.
1t is the opinion of the author of this
article that one of the first things
needed for the upbuilding of any town
is the necessity of combating the tend
ency of communities to lose sight of
the cooperative spirit and become di-
vided into factions. The second is the
important use that may be made of
libraries and reading rooms that may
be established at various social cen
tiers Of the towns.
There are communities and towns
whose capacities for social enjoyment
are limited. just as there are indi-
viduals whose capacities for self en-
t%ertainment are limited. There are
towns-dead little towns-where en-
thusiasm has been banished from the
inhabitants vocabularies. which seem
to have been built only for people
whose faces are turned toward the be-
ginning of life. while they reluctantly
step backward toward the grave.
Who is there that has not been in
some community where a p%uritanical
ban is placed upon the joy Of living.
where the innocent enjoyment of the
young people has been changed to
gray and somber forms and the beat
Of the community pulse has been low
cred to a faltering sixty-two?
A careful watch upon these places
would see them gradually empty them
selves of their young men. who are
seeking wider and more responsive
fields than are afforded by the con-
sentative attitude of their elders in
their home towns. In this way the
red blood goes out and the soul of the
town is shriveled. its vitality sapped,
it's capacity for growth stunted. And
here is the best Indication of the spirit
Of a town-what the young people say
about it.
If they are suppressed in their nat
ural and normal efforts to give them
selves wholesome pleasure they are
sure to find little attraction. If they
say the town is dead it is dead. They
know. But if they get enjoyment out
of living there the visitors are sure to
find it out. and it attracts other people
people who desire to share a pleas
n community life.
Beware of that town where the
young people complain that there sis
nothing to do" That town needs a
municipal doctor to prescribe a social
tonic. 1t needs a social magnet to
draw the people together. 1t needs
allopathic doses Of the brotherhood Of
man.
We u remember. however, that
when our young fellows go off to the
cities and our daughters are taken by
"discerning" young men away to 9th
er places we have conditions where
the doctrine Let well enough alone"
will not apply. We have created Il
double problem. First. we must re-
energize the languishing communities:
second. we fill u cities and cause di-
lemmas. AT present in the second
problem we are not Interested. 1t is
with the languishing community. the
near source of the nations red blood.
that we must deal. These. commune
ties must generate power and enlarge
capacities for social enjoyment and
intellectual activities.
Organizations should be organized
in these dead towns. and they should
get together and decide upon some
plan of interesting the whole popula-
ton Public spirited citizens could
take upon themselves the work Of COM
m%itteen1en and make provision for en-
tertaining the people. In the spare
room Of the building d school library
might be installed. and the people
might have access to it. A reading
room would be easy to provide and
maintain.
A small tax levy or a popular sub
scription could provide for equipment
Of a gymnasium and payment for such
services as would be necessary. Boys
clubs. girls clubs. mems clubs and
women's clubs could be organized to
meet on certain nights or in after
Moons. Domestic science meetings.
sewing circles. civic improvement
clubs. debating societies. amateur
bands and orchestras could be organ
lied.
On certain evenings when the peo-
pie meet for general entertainment
there might be addresses by the may.
or, councilmen. county officials, the
health officer. some physician or some
other citizen interested in and an au
thority on some phase of municipal
community progress. On these even.
ings the people from the rural districts
could be invited and a simple enter.
tainment in the way Of refreshments
served.
At these gatherings the right Of free
speech should be considered sacred. II
must be e~verybody's meeting. and q
chairman for each meeting should be
elected every evening. The reaso fol
coming together should be the common
good. and such a reason will soon gen.
crate warmer community spirit AND
higher ideals'o Of civic righteousness.
There's a Moral Attached to This.
The merchant who is trying to dc
business without advertising is wink.