The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-07-31
A COUNTRY TOWN !|'l!!!!!!'| !.
REJuvENATED
How , Social Center Has
Succeeded
new COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
Dseauss Of Lack Of R.s;dsnt Initiative
and Leadership . Certain Village
etasnated and Then Finally Wske
Up 70 Enter Upon q New Regime.

AA0tAVV 01O AO0Oe4O04p OO0 VA4ABV "
Z. for many years had failed to make
any real progress. Similar conditions
prevail in hundreds Of other communi-
ties in our country. They call for
leadership, and many Of our young
men who have the vision and the per,
sonality and who an jeekdng aheut
for the bet way q! invest takAeir lives
might well consider the small town Do
q field Of service. On account Of the
intimate relationship q man has with
the people Of q small community It 10
possible for him, through leadership.
In . few years to transform an entire
village. g..
That this can b done IL shown BY
the memorial library In the village Of
K. The library was the gift Of q,
prominent man and his wife who saw
the need and gave the building to bS
used 40 q social center for the COM
nunity. The work was started q 1T
tie over i've years age.
The memorial library includes q well
lighted and ventilated auditorium &C
commodaang about 200 people. Here
entertainments, fairs and socials are
held. Glasses in physical culture. for
both boys and girls are conducted dur
ing the winter months. On two even
ings q week tho people are entertain
ed with the best motion pictures. This
serves to keep in their home com
munity the young people who had been
in the habit Of migrating to neighbor-
ing towns for these pleasures. A room
containing a billiard table and other
games attracts the young men and
keeps them from places that are OF
morally destructive character. Prac-
t1cally every boy and girl I'm the village
10 found at the library during the time
It IL open for their use.
A room with showers and q bathtub
vas added to the equipment about two
years ago and Il used BY the women
and girls ON specified days % well a.
BY the men and .boya 4 manual train
ing shop forms part Of ths- equipment,
Of tie sAsmosdald apsas1y-beSs ese1
twelve. to sixteen years OF ase have,
been instructed in making useful az,
ticles Of furniture.
A domestic science room With every
facility for Efficient and systemadc
work in sewing and cooking h includ-
ed. The girls thoroughly enjoy the
work and carry the training Into theas'
homes. One year the girls conducted
q fair and from the sale Of articles
realized a considerable sup. which
they used to pay their instructor In
physical worn.
The children are being educated to
thrift and economy BY . savings sys.
TEN which has been introduced. Fol-
several years q number Of the village
boys have attended . county camr
and have been Influenced for good
through the comradeship and influence
Of the other boys. One summer .
camp for girls was conducted.
Before the new agency came into the
life Of the village Of x. q spirit OF de-
preston seemed to pefmeate the entire
community. The Inhabitants were dis
couraged. 1t was under such condi.
lions that the Memorial library was
opened.
In the first year Of the work q VII.
lage Improvement committee was or
ganized. This wa appointed from the
representative men OF the village and
residents Of the surrounding estates.
who gladly responded when approach.
ed for financial assistance The first
thing the committee decided upon was
to light the streets with electricity. 1t
was thought that the taxpayers would
not assume this expense until they had
seen the great Improvement the lights
would make in the streets. The COM
mittee had the lights installed and for
two years met the expense through
public subscription. The amount they
were obliged to raise was $500. The
third year a lighting district was es-
tablished and practically every tax
payer signed the petition to have the
lights paid for through taxation.
One Of the greatest needs Of the VII.
lage wa a water supply. For five
years the committee tried to solve this
problem. and recently, its labors have
been rewarded. A company supplying
water to a village three miles distant
has been induced to extend its mains
to the village Of Z. A. fire company
10 to be organized with its home in the
Memorial library.
One Of the churches had been strue-
Cling for years with a debt The Sec
rotary Of the Memorial library offered
to cooperate in . canvass to pay on
the entire indebtedness. A large pa
per elephant blocked OF to represent
various amounts. the aggregate repre-
senting the church debt. was placed in
one Of the stores. Everybody was en-
listed to help. and two days before
the time appointed for the canvass to
close the, entire sun had been raised.
Everybody gave to kill the elephant"
The new community spirit which has
changed the life and built q new town
on the old site was brought about
through resident neutrality-suspicious. p.
Kellosg in Survey. M