Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-10-07

Some years ago Jacob Riis wrote
little book entitled "How The Other
Half Lives. 1t was an endeavor to
show that half the world does not
know how the other half lives.
Humanity is just little careless
about the living of the "other half.
We are so engfossed with our own
affairs, concentrating our efforts on
those things we think will benefit
US, that we haven't time to consider
those of our neighbors. These
thoughts came to me as I stepped
out of Pine county for few days
and for the time being was in another
world.
1t is a remarkable transition this of
going from community where the
people are mostly engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits to the
voice of nature and trying to learn
her multitudinous ways so as to un-
derstand and take advantage of her
forces, to community where barter
and trade, manufacturing, compiling
and classifying the data of large con-
Germs engaged in shipping and trans
portation, railroading and the profess
sional pursuits are the dominant
characteristics. 1t is in reality a
transition to another world.
You meet thousands of people ON
the street all hurrying and trying
to get somewhere, not one of whom
knows you or cares anything about
you or where you are going, just so
long as you keep out of his way.
You can't understand where they
are all going, or what it is all about.
You see these things with your own
eyes and they are facts. And then
you wonder, What is it all. for?"
This situation was not -brought
about in a day. In fact, lit is the
result of years of struggle of hui
mainly to better its condition. People
who live in the city try to be human
and to be good men and women, just
the same as those in the country do.
1t is this struggle for better adjust
ment that brings people to do things
not in accord with our conception
of right. 1t is the attempt to do
something that causes the maladjust-
ment. No one ever knew anybody to
go wrong who never tried to do any
thing. 1t is sure sign of life and
activity when people do things you
don't like. Perhaps they should be
| commended instead of condemned.
Men and women write books, others
make them; some sell them, while
others read them, and some profit by
them. All these processes are in
operation and before you. You see
the great daily papers in the making
1t all looks easy, interesting and at
tractive. You see men writing books
This looks like a mere pastime, but
you don't see the inside: the days and
toll and waiting trying to find the
truth, perhaps trying to find just the
word to express the idea. You see
statesmen, some of whom have learned
the art of being kind and delightful
/ This, too, looks very easy. But they
have been years in acquiring the
habit of being pleasant. Some read
and profit by what they read. II
looks easy enough from the outside
but to read profitably calls for &C.
tive thinking resulting in a broad un-
derstanding. 1t is not so easy as il
looks. No, we don't understand how
the other half lives nor what they
are thinking about.
Trips are wonderfully broadening
and enlightening pastimes. Ever
little journeys to the homes of neigh
bors are of value; and sometimes Of
great value. But when we take the
! old flivver and motor off the paved