Milford chronicle., 1938-08-12
.- sssas sssss
DOWN THE ROAD
BY Charles N. Ubham
Engineer- Director
American Road Builders Associ-
alton, Washington, ID. G.
ROADS AND RELIGION
ROADS AND RELIGION
-sssss =

WOman's three mayor interests
according to an old German proverb
are her children, her kitchen and her
church. While modern civilization
has considerably widened her hori-
zons, these interests stilF remain
supreme In the life Of the typical
American woman. Especially is this
true OF the small towns and rural
communities where both men and
women find their chief social and
cultural life closely interviewer with
their church.
The church gatherings in many
areas form the top spot in the en-
teftainment program for the entire
year. The weekly meeting Of the
missionary society provides an ideal
opportunity for the ladies Of the
community to get together for a
needIe-and-talk session. Chicken
dinners in the church basement DUR
ing the winter and fee cream socials
and such on the church lawn during
the summer bring the members OF
the congregation together at inter-
walls throughout the year. Within the
church are formed numerous clubs
Of men, women and children with
study OF recreation at their chief
aim
Il IS, OF course, on Sunday that
the church assumes It's greatest i'm
portance. Sunday school for the chill
dren and morning and evening ser
vices for the adults play their part
in keeping up a high standard for
the moral and spiritual life Of the
community.
Because Of the important part
played by the church In rural Am
erican life, the fact that many of our
citizens are unable to attend church
because OF bad roads becomes espe-
cially serious. Sixty per cent Of the
80, 100000 farm people in the United
States live on unimproved dirt roads
which bad weather often makes COM
pletely impossible. This means that
more than 16.O0O.0OO Americans are
unable to get to church during many
months of the year.
What can be accomplished by a
church congregation with the aid Of
good roads is effectively demOnstrat-
ed by the activities of the Hollandale
Baptist Church. Until recently. the
rural life IN that section I'm the heart
of the Mississippi Delta had been the
old southern plantation system with
negroes farming the land and max
ing up the bulk Of the population.
Within the past few years, however,
a large number of white people have
moved there to buy and develop the
land reclaimed by the government
program. Since there were
no churches for white people In the
rural districts OF that section, there
was soon established mission, a
branch Of the Hollandale Baptist
in a community II miles
east Of Hollandale. The mission
church has since become a thriving
with approximately half
Of the congregation dependent on
buses for transportation TO Sunday
school and church. These buses,
which are the same type as those
used in carrying farm children to
and from school. also serve to bring
he congregation from the rural dis
.ricts south, east and west of the
.own to the Hollandale Baptist
Church.
"Good roads have been one of the
factors in the success of
his work." writes Reverend E. l..
Douglas, pastor OF the Hollandale
,hurch. washington County. In
which Hollandel is located. has
ipIendid road system. The main
highways are paved. while the sec
,ndary roads are either gravelled or
'ock surfaced. Without this system
Il good roads it would be impossible
or us TO do what we are doing. since
he nature Of this delta soil is such
hat 1t is practically impossible to-
rive heavily loaded bus over the
,ativa dirt roads when wet"