Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1917-02-14

Cnfee II ) 10 llls SoHS anu N"NSA
ters OF Pilgrim and Portuguese,
sitting side by side on the worn
benches; central school, fur
nishing the first two years OF a
high school course; six churches,
all struggling but usually scat
tered with some regard to geo.
graphical needs; one or two
lodges, and grange, the last
named the principal centre OF
the towns community interest
and social recreation, with fire.
auent meetings thru-out the Win
ter, discussion of crops, debates,
suppers, dances, and dramatics.
The average level of country
morality. Nominally dry
town, with one or two blind
tigers" doing considerable bust
ness. The ballot, if not as pure
as a high grade baking powder,
is probably much the same as in
other New England towns, great
er and smaller. A general de-
termination to keep down the tax
levy, which is 70 cents on the
hundred, and some grudging of
the cost of the schools.
A public library of 5000 books,
mostly old, except for what
comes from a small annual SUBJ
vention from the state. The lib
rary, open for distribution two
afternoons in the week, is housed
in a room of the Town Hall, nom
fireproof.
Little public pauperism. No
town farm. A very few unfor-
Inmates boarded in a distant
place, without special inspection
and where friends cannot visit
them too readily. A few families
suffering restitution but none so
bad as to require official poor-re-
lief. A "cage" at the town hall
with seldom a criminal occupant,
The industry is farming, most
ly poultry-raising. In t n S V e
farming or planting of crops un-
familiar to the fathers meets lit
tie favor.
In a word in this community
individualism, ascendent, collec-
tivism, recessive. Each man
looks after himself and his own,
and expects his neighbors to dc
the same. He rather resents any
suggestion of betterment. "We
are we'll enough as it is, What is
the use of stirring up things?"
Pilgrim and Porrugese-wha'
basis for civic solidarity? TIL,
amalgamation is no simple Of
rapid one. The elders do no
speak our speech readily, and tn
big family aggregations of littl
people rather swamp our schools
and increase our pecuniary edu
cational liability to very no
ticeable extent. At first, there i
no channel of communication be
tween teachers and taught. TIL
schoolmarm must give up som
of the time that would otherwis
go to the Children of the Prom
Use, to teaching the little strane
ers to speak in the vernaculal
The school playground become
cosmopolitan much earlier tina
the home plays or social amen
ties. The organizers of the frs
general children's parade or fes
tival noticed the slightest draw
ing aside of the little starche
Pilgrim skirts, probably a refec
ed maternal attitude. But littl
patient endeavor secured that tn
several groups" were not all un
racial. 1t was found that the Ii
tie dark-eyed ones could be mao
up very easily and convincing
to join the band of pilgrims g
ing to church" The ingeniol
lady who organized the 'farmt
couples" was noticed to put IL
skimming milk pals quite gene
ally into the hands of the blond
little girls, while their rake-bea
ing partners showed under the
big straw hats the undoubtt
pigment of Fayal or San Migus
Do these associations betoken f
ture closer alliances? Religio,
affiliation doubtless offer co
siderable obstacle to general i
ter-marriages, but a number
these unions have taken pla
where results appear to be
happy as the average.
A few people had been sowi7
seeds of "divine discomfort" b
these seeds fell mostly in sto
places. Something had been do
in the way of bicycle paths a
better roads, but the individu
istic appeal for each household