The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-09-03
The Physical Plant

guiding its economic me-
The PHYSICAL Plant
JTnon inspection one is Immediately impressed with
the planning that went into the sensible location OF
various dwellings, mess hail. barns, school, teacherage
shops chicken coops laundry etc Also, the very fine
state of repair and the exactng cleanliness of all
buildings is something marvellous
All Hutterte families have apartments, but unlike
apartments as we know them, they seem to be prin
cipaly for sleeping gathering place for the family
at the end of the day Food preparation and eating is
done in a communal manner similar TO the mess nan
of a logging camp Four Hutterite women handle mess
hall operations in spacious building which includes
a large cheerful dining room, large Kitchen bakery,
and a huge cooling plant for vegetables, meats milk,
etc AS an asde-the kitchen in addition to containing
2 restaurant stove butchers block food preparation
tables sinks ETC. also has two huge brick encased
caldrons coal-fired for providing hot water The din
ing hall finished in high gloss red and white colors,
has highly-vanished oak floors.
Apartments likewise finished in bright colors-
green and white with furniture in red and black.
Floors part of the apartments are highly
finished maple with unique linoleum trim There is
noticeable lack of pictures the walls and in some
respects for all the bright colors lends codness to
the atmosphere of the dwellings.
The school building and teacherage are in state
of perfect repair-the best kept oneroom school I've
ever seen Incidently-he butterflies permit their chill
dren only the minimum of education prescribed by
state law. eight grades. This. they feel is all that
mere farmers" need.
The People .
For all the interest the physical plant held of even
greater interest the people. This time
several previous occasions when I've talked with mem
bers of the again impressed with the kind
that shown the eyes of young and old alike.
1t is trait which I'm afraid is sadly lacking in most
Americans = and possibly. only be
counted by generations of strict observance of
Christian doctrine These people do not their
Christianity ION their cuffs Sunday. only to shed
it the balance of the week For that | admire them
very much
Hutterite mothers and daughters dress very much
alike with ankle length black dresses, bright aprons
flat heeed shoes, and shawls their heads Those
little girls repete with their aprons picture which
might well have out of a fairy tale They're
cute as they be. The dress more severely in
homemade suits of black broadcoth black hats. etc
understand, when they go to the little boys are
dressed exactly like their fathers-black broadrimmed
hats and all
Also impressing the very healthy appearance of
young and old alike. There's munutrition in the
Augusta colony Likewise, | doubt (even if their re-
hgion permtted) that cosmetic statesmen would find
much of market there. The women from the young
est to the grandmothers all have naturally pink cheeks
Pinkness under the heavy boards of men can also
be discemed. Single men smooth shaven-married
men wear the boards What a break for other men
and blow to the trust if such practice were
again to become generally accepted by the average
American male)