New Ulm review., 1922-10-04
The plan is known as the "New Civ

l.
portion to the swelling of your con-
science as you drop your coins in a
sealed iron box on the dashboard Of
the bus.
"Of course, man may drop in a
plugged nickel if he has a plugged
conscience,' says Edgar H. Bristol,
local manufacturer and town bene-
factor, who originated the plan.
| But so far, during seven busy weeks
of operation, there have, been only
two fares bordering upon the estate
of the plugged coin.
Clearly "The Gem of Norfolk Coun-
ty," as Foxboro is locally known, may
lay claim to highly conscientious
population. But the reason for this is
that the bus line is for the use OF mem
bers of the New Civilization, all of
iwhom subscribe to a lofty doctrine of
community and world harmony, brother
hood and service of which Mr.. Bristol
is the exponent.
I
ceived of this organization as one little
movement which might help to make
the world better So long as it con-
cerned itself purely with distractions
and meetings and discussions, home
folks remained either Indifferent or
skeptical, and it's membership stood at
the modest figure of ESQ. But now
that people have found New Civiliza-
tion means cheaper fares and money in
their pockets s-that is, service-its
roster has jumped 900 in a month,
and more thao one-fourth of the towns
| people of Foxboro are enrolled in it's
10-cents-per-year membership.
If Mr.. Bristol's preference were
| followed, he would be obscured in tnis
story He believes in an entente cor
dale rather than in splendid isolation.
Within the organization he is sub
merged; it's members make it go. But
all history has a beginning and Mr..
Bristol is it. AS he was the inventor
of the recording instruments which his
Foxboro company makes, he was the
inventor experimenter'' he prefers
to call himself-of the New Civiliza-
tion idea. -
Locally he is power, being an Off
Ger Of the bank, member of the local
coal company, publisher of the Fox
boro weekly newspaper and one of the
wealthiest men in the community. In
anticipation Of his birthday, March
II, 1921, he wrote a couplet and had
several copies of it struck off at the
print shop. 1t reads:
'My inmost desire and greatest
| ambition
Is to learn how to live without
an omission"
At a small gathering of friends in
his home he presented these cards and
asked them if they would like to join
an organization with tnis pledge and
others. That started it. AS the Globe
writer quotes Mr.. Bristol:
"The idea came to me because of the
disturbed conditions and the unrest
following the war. It seemed all so
unnecessary if people would only
stop and think The problem of world
harmony and peace is one Of edu-
| cation. My it'es was to set people to
tin! i,g and to unity their thoughts
and actions. I think that by doing
this eventually we may come some
where near the millennium, escape wars
and petty quarrels and attain harmo-
nious civilization. N
"In New Civilization we are leaving
out politics, relie eion and other matters
on which people do not agree; and we
are trying to associate members .on a
basis where they can agree. The thing
is not religious; nor is it philanthropic
so long as I have anything to do
with it, it will be economically sound
and people will put in only what they
get out of it.
1--WE held forum in the Town Hail
for a while and have held home meet
irgs in Foxboro and other towns. We
discuss questions Of all sorts, in fact,
anything suggested by any member Of
as of general interest"
Whatever broad ideas Mr.. Bristol
may hold of world harmony, his con-
certion of the practical working Of
his organizat'on in Foxboro is Of one
that serves the community. From the
beginning he promoted public discus
sion, through his paper, on the topic,
What Does Foxboro Most Need?t'
He admits: frankly that there has
been much popular criticism Of New
Civilization and its bus line, much
slurring and froWning talk.
h MANY people are suspicious of
it," said he. "They think I have
some ulterior purpose. One Of my
friends joined it originally out Of
sympathy for me, he said. But I
don't need any sympathy. There are
enough people enthusiastic about this
to make it GO.