Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-07-07
A MODEL COMMUNITY.
BY ]. o. Knott.

scandinavia, Wisconsin may be
called model community. The town.
ship is six miles square, and has from
fifteen hundred TO two thousand peo-
pie. The town Of Scandinavia itself
has probably one-half of the people
OF the township. The people are al
most entirely of Norwegian origin.
In the first place, the township is a
cooperative one. This is the first
community of the kind that our Chau-
tauqua tour has hit upon, and | was
anxious TO see the fruits OF this sort
Of social economy.
The people of the township own
practically all of the stores and agen-
cieS OF business, such as the telephone
system, the farmers suppmes, the COM
munity creamery, the general mer-
camille interests, and the people as a
whole own these as corporations for
the benefit OF the township. OF
course all buying is done on the basis
OF buying from ones own stores, az
all the people own stock in these agen-
cies of business.
The bank Of the place, for one bank
supplies the township, and there is
not that rival bank" condition found
in many Wisconsin towns, while cap
itaiiZed at twenty-five thousand dol
lars, has normal deposits OF seven
hundred thousand dollars The sum
runs between eight hundred and six
hundred thousand dollars.
Scandinavia has college for its
young people, where religion is taughJ
twice week. Ii has one church
That, of course, is Lutheran. If some,
persons who doubt the effect that rival
denominations produce upon small
towns could live in Scandinavia for
while, am quite sure they would
marvel at the policy Of Professionalism
and the waste of energy and temper
by our people trying to support in a
town Of about one thousand people five
or six different Protestant denomia-
tionS
The unity, the prosperity, the high
morality, the evident intelligence and
social cleanness OF Scandinavia can
not be too highly praised. | am bound
to say it is one place that | have seen
where the Church of Christ, Of the
Protestant faith, has had chance. and
most nobly have these Lutherans
taken advantage Of the opportunity
given them. II was Joy to come TO a
town where the young people of the
church had put on the Chautauqua and
mad taken all risks in doing it, The
advance ticket sale was managed by
them and the Chautauqua talent was
looked upon as guests of the Young
peoples society. Every business house
in town was closed for the opening
'afternoonl program, and every seat
under the tent was occupied. You NAV
be sure that the C1autauaua folks
felt. glad to do their best for such an
audience. AS further evidence of the
moral situation in the town and COM
munity, there is no "booze" sold-and
wisconsin lays Kentucky in the shade
for persistent selling. of intoxicants
in defiance of law. No boy of the col
lege can plf pool in the pool-rom.
Dances (public) are not known, al
though practically all of Wisconsin
outside of Scandinavia seems to dance
SIX nights out of seven
There has not been case of di-
vorce in the township for Nv enty wears
although there have been several sep
arations after marriage.
did not see or hear IF a single
"knocker" in the town, but everybody
looked happy and think were happy
hoidIng to the thought that their town
was the best place in which 10 live ir
the entire State.
We ma" hit upon other communities
that run affairs as these Scandinavia
people do and | hope We may have
dealings with other and similar towns:
nut once seeing such town and the
OBVIOUS fruits of such a policy as the
town follows, could wish the whole
country. made up of numberlcss com.
munities, could or would follow a sim.
ilar plan. and thus solve forever the
most reXing problem of beth state and
church.