THE HERALD.
FA H yf- 1 KIj A( KS.
HoU ni'arfc tlie country aud man lfttri;- trie town.'
Courier's view cf tho charm of
Country life as compared with life in
the town Ss a very natural one. The
Same veiw suggest itself to every cul
tivated deniten of the city who finds
liimaeif in the country en a beautiful
June morning, or under a warm Sep
tember or during the time of brih
Jiant lUUttinn foliage, or when the sun
feets with a warm glow, pilding the
K;lean, bare boughs of November trees,
vr when the whole countryside is cov
ered with spotless snow, or when the
prass and leaves and buds and birds
liftt feel the awakening warmth of
fcfring. The scene Is full of a charm
d a novelty which appeal to him
robst strongly, and he believes, for the
irfement at least, that nothing could
make him so entirely happy as to spend
liia life away from the noise and con
fusion of the town, and amid such
scenes of rural peace and beauty.
Filled with this enthusiasm, one builds
with reference to a magnificent view,
nnd without regard to the practical in
conveniences of the site, fancying that
true happiness require only a continu
ance of the novel charms which have
enraptured him.
The cultivated countryman, too,
ne who has learned to use his eye3 and
to see what nature has to offer him,-
appreciates even more thorougly. if
not so keenly, the never-ending and
uver-changing interest by which he is
surrounded. His admiration and en
thusiasm, however, are tempered by
familiarity with some disadvantage of
country life, just as the romantic
house-builder finds on closor acquaint
ance that, magnificent though a hill
top view may be, a hill-top residence is
not without its grave drawbacks, nor
free from annoyances and practical ob
jections which too often throw a veil
over the most majestic outlook.
A blue-sided, white-capped moun
tain, rellected in a broad, placid, shim
mering lake, and framed between fleet
ing clouds, graceful trees and verdant
lawn, is beyond compare the strongest
inducement and the best reward one
can offer to a visiting friend; but vile
roads, distant neighbors, discontented
nnd transitory servants, and all the
thousand and one obstructions to the
machinery of domestic life, soon blind
the eye of the unhappy householder to
the beautv which lies ever before him;
Until, at last, the one great good thing
which commands his constant thought
is that romantic and pecunious friend
who shall come some happy day to pur
chase his estate.
There is another class, and a very
large one, whose opinion concerning
the gold-like character of tha country,
it is our especial purpose to considor
here. The farmer and the fanner's
family may or may not bo cultivated
persons. Cultivation does not come
by nature; and the incessant and in
creasing duties of farm life leave one,
however well-disposed, but little time,
and but scant strength, for aesthetic
study. The farm-house is the center
of home life and of the homely thought
and feeling of ita inmates. The farm
on which one has been born and bred
is the center and stand-point from
which he regards the world without.
All those more tender emotions which
re common to our nature, and which
attach themselves to the home, find
their developement on the farm as
well as in the town. Sentimentally
considered, it matters little whether
the object of these emotions be on the
farm, in the wilderness, in tho village,
or in the city. Fortunately, man is by
no means a creature of emotion alone,
and the satisfaction and good of living
are less a matter of feeling than of
activity, industry and intelligence.
The place in which one lives is more
or less satisfactory in proportion as it
facilitates and encourages tho better
and more useful living.
Ju9t aathe citizens feels the
tion3 of tho country, which
attrac
are so
niwpl tn his town-bread taste.
so the
ountrvman finds a charm in the nov
elty of the town. As one is led to
ward the quiet and solitude of the
fields and woods, so the other is drawn
by the life and interest of the com
munity. As a rule, at least in America, where
the facilities for pleasant country liv
ing are far less than in England, the
countryman who goes to town is more
likely to wishjhimsclf back on the farm
than is the town-bred farmer to long for
the comforts and conveniences of his
former condition.
"Man is a social animal," and the
aphorism is especially true of his wife
and daughter! As the lives of the
wife and daughter are much more con
fined to the immediate surroundings of
the domicile than is that of the man
himself, so the question as between
town and country should be considered
more especially with reference to
them.
There is a certain amount of truth
on both sides of every question, and
the on which we are now considering
is not to be answered by a decision in
favor of tho heart of a great city, or of
the entire solitude of an out-lying
farm. As is so often the case, its so
lution lies between the two extremes;
and if one may be permitted to imag
ine tha conditions best suited to the
perfect physical, intellectual and so
cial development of the human being,
one would naturally think of a small
town or a large village where society
is sufficient, where facilities for in
struction are good, where communica
tion with the large centers is easy,
where the conveniences and facilities
for household economy are complete,
and where the country with its beauty
and quiet and freshness is close at
hand, where one feel3 on this side the
influence of a complete social organiza
tion, and on that the sweet breath of
mother earth.
Unfortunately, the imaginings can
never be freed from the practical
bearing of the bread-winning and
money-making interests. Men must
live, not where they prefer to live, but
where their interests compel them to
live. The town and the country have
their mutual economic duties by which
their life must ba controlled. All that
we can hope to do is, on one hand, to
ameliorate the hardness and solitude of
country livimg, and on the other, to
bring the citizens into nearer relation
with the invigorating fields and wods
and boundless air of the country.
Devising no modern Sybaris, where
all possible good of live may follow
from the unaided operation of a per
fect social and industrial organization,
I propose to confine myself to the sim
ple question of the best practical de
velopement of village life for farmers.
The village or its immediate vicinity
seems to me to offer to the urbanist
the nearest approach to the country
that is available for his purposes ; and
m like manner village life, so far as it
can be made to fit his conditions, offers
to the farmer as much of the benefit of
town life as the needs of his work will
allow him to obtain. If those who
now seek the pleasure of retirement in
costly and soul-wearying country-seats
would congregate into spacious and
well-kept villages, and if those who
now live in the solitary retirement of
the mud-bound farm-house would con
gregate into villages, we should secure
far more relief from the confinement
' af. the town, arid a wider-reaehiiig at-
tractiveness in agricultural life: this
latter leading to the improvement of
our farming by a solution of that long
mooted problem: "How to keep the
boys on the farm."
Nearly everywhere on the continent
of Europe those who are engaged in
the cultivation of the land live in vil
lages. An observation of tho modes
of life and industry of these villages
has led ine to consider w hether some
similar system might not tend to the
improvement of the conditions of our
own farmers, and to the amelioration
of some hardships to which their fam
ilies are subjected.
In Europe, as here, the methods of
living have grown from natural causes.
There, it was a necessary condition of
agricultural industry that those who
tilled the soil should be protected by
the military p:ver of their lord or
chief, and their houses were clustered
under the shadow of his castle wall.
The castk-s have crumbled away, and
the protecting arm of the old baron
has been replaced by the protecting
arm of the nation.
The community of living, which
grew from necessity, having proved
its fitness by long trial, is still main
tained ; but there seems to have been
no general tendency toward tho for
mation of such little communities
here. Save in a few exceptional cases,
as in the old villages of the Conneo
ticut Valley, where protection against
Indians, or safety from inundation,
compelled the original settlers to gather
into communities, -the pioneer built
his cabin in his new clearing, and. as
his circumstances improved, changed
his cabin for a house, and his small
house for a larger one. and finally es
tablished his comfortable home in con
nection with his fertile fields. This
method has been adopted throughout
the whole country, and the peculiarly
American system of isolated farm
life has become almost universal
throughout the length and breadth of
tha land.
I am not so enthusiastic as to be
lieve that a radical change from this
universal system is to be hoped for at
any early day, but I beliave that it is
worth while for farmers to consider
how far they may, without permanent
harm to the interests for which they
are working, secure for themselves, and
especially for their families, tho bene
fits of village life.
To this end are adduced the follow
ing examples, both of which are of
course purely imaginary. The first has
reference to "a new settlement of wild
land, where, by the Government's sys
tem of division, the boundaries are
rectangular, and where the political
subdivisions are of uniform measure
ment. The second relates to the ne
cessary change of conditions now ex
isting "in the longer settled parts of the
country.
For this latter, the illustration is
taken from actual accurate survey of
a purely agricultural di-dr:c, in Ilhode
Island, showing the roads, houses, and
field boundaries as they now exist,
followed by a suggestion as to the man
ner in which the same divisions of es
tates might be made to conform to the
assembling of their owners into a vil
lage. The Government division is into
townships, six miles square. It is pro
posed to divide each township into
nine settlements, giving to each a
square of two miles, or 2.5G0 acres.
Each of these settlements should have
us whole population concentrated in a
village at its center. A suitable method
of division would be that indicated in
figure 1, where a public road crosses
the middle of the tract north and
south, and east and west. The outside
of the tract, for tho width of half a
mile all around, is laid off in farms of
80 acres and 160 acres. These are
bounded on the inner sides by a road.
Inside of this road again is series of
smaller farms (40 acres), and inside of
these a tier of still smaller places (10
acres), separated from the central vil
lage by a narrow road. The village
itself occupies-forty acres.
The division of the agricuUural laud
is as follows:
4 farms of 110 acres
16 - 80 -12
" 40 "
12 " 10 "
in all, 44 tracts,
C40
1,280
480
120
5.220
acres
aggregating
acres, and averaging
nearly 60
each, the most distant being less than a
mile from the village green. This di
vision is arbitary ; in practice, the more
industrious members of the community
would buy land from their less indus
trious neighbors, and the size and ar
rangement of the farms would vary.
Often, too, the devision would be into
farms, averaging more than sixty acres.
In such cases there would usually be
about the same population, as the
larger holders would emply more work
men. "What is attempted is chiefly to show
how four square miles of land may bo
so divided that its occupiers may be
conveniently gathered into a village,
and it may fairly be assumed that, ex
cept in the more remote grazing and
grain-growing regions, the population
(including laborers) would generally
be about one household for each sixty
acres. In the more thickly settled re
gions, this limit is exceeded now,
and as population increases, this con
dition will extend. In any case, the
principle advanced remains the same
whether there be thirty households or
sixty.
A suitable division of the village is
shown in figure 2. Its center is occu
pied by a public square at the inter
section of the main road3. The road
surrounds a piece of ornamental
ground, containing about one acre.
North and south of the square are the
sites of two churcbos, a school-house
and a store and public house. Thi3 is
again arbitrary; tho purpose is to have
these spaces occupied by somewhat im
portant buildings, which it will not bo
necessary to enclose by fences, so that
an appearance of more size may be
given to the central feature of the vil
lage. The spaces set apart for these build
ings, as x?ell as the village green,
should be surrounded by regularly
planted trees, such as will grow to a
largo size, like the American elm. But
the whole open space should remain
otherwise free from planting. Smooth,
well-kept grass, and large trees planted
in formal lines, with entire absence of
fences, posts, chains, bushes, and all
decorations, will give a diguity and
character which an excess of ornamen
tation would spoil. A certain amount
of judicious bedding would be permis
sible, but it would bo best that even
this should be confined to private places
Any fund available for embellishing
tha villiatro green will be best used in
keeping its grass cut and its walks
clean entire neatness and simplicity
being its most effective characteristics.
On the streets leading east and west
from the green there are shown sixteen
lots 100x250 (one-half acre,) eight 50x
250 (one-quarter acre.) These lots all
open on narrow lanes at the rear. On
the streets leading north and south
there are twelve lots 50x050 (three-quar
ters acre.) and eight lots 100xG50 (one
and one-half acres.) These arc the vil
lage lots proper.but the twelve ten-acre
tracts which front on its surrounding
street would be the residences of their
owners, and the semi-detached houses
the most distant not a quarter of a
mile from the green would form a
part of the village, and come within
the operation of its rules of associa
tion. Probably tli", blacksmith, the
wheel-w right, and the builder would
occupy these outlying places, with an
annex' of farmingjto supplement their
trades.
The village lots proper all are large
enough for a kitchen-garden, barn,
barn-yard, etc., and all have means
of access from the rear, so that their
street fronts may be kept for ornament
tal purposes. .
It would be a good rule that no house
should stand nearer to the street line
than thirty feet, and that no fence
should bo made nearer to the street
than sixty feet. This would add very
much to the largeness of appearance
of the whole village; would decorate
every street with the ornamental fronts
of tlie houses, and with their plants
and shrubbery, and would, at the same
time, shut off from the ornamental
paris everything belonging to the work
ing department of the village life.
Even tho baker and shoe-maker should
conform to this rule, and their shops
should be made to help the neatness of
appearance of the village.
The larger farmers, having the most
cattle, would occupy the largest lots,
which would readily accommodate
their larger needs. The more ambi
tious of them would probably buy land
for night pasture or for cultivation,
from a ten-acre neighborhood opposite
their rear line.
The village population would be
somewhat as follows: 2 clergymen, 1
doctor, 1 teacher, 1 baker, 1 shoe-maker,
1 tailor, 2 store-keepers, 1 carpenter, 1
wheel right, 1 blacksmith, 1 dressmaker
1 inn-keeper, 41 farmers; total, 58
heads of families. Probably, including
hired laborers and servants, the aver
age would be six persons to each house
hold. This would make the population
of the village about 350. No part of
the whole scheme is more arbitrary
than this arrangement of its human
element; and no part of it would be
more modified in different cases by the
element of human nature. Still, this
sketch of the industrial division of the
community'would probably be approx
imated in any purely agricultural vil
lage of this size, with such changes
in the detail as would come from indi
vidual enterprise or indolence.
Taking the whole area at 2,500 acres,
and the population at 350 persons, we
have an area of about acres to
furnish the suj port and home of each
member of the oommunity, an ain't
ample for the purpose.
Figure 3 suggests the arrangement
of the central open space of the vil
lage, all of which should be in well
kept grass, except where roads and
paths arc needed. Paths should be re
duced to the lea3t amount that will
furnish the necessary accomodation,
and they should be kept in neat condi
tion. If no provision can be made for
this, it wili ba better to leave the peo
ple to beat their own tracks across the
grass as their needs direct. These
beaten foot-paths are never unsightly
(in small villages,) for the reason that
they are never large, and thai they are
only of such width as their regular use
will keep clean, the grass maintains
its effort to spread, and grow always
close up to tho necessary foot-way.
Even in Hyde Park (London,) where
tha people have made short cut3 across
the broad lawns, the paths thus marked
out, and receiving no attention, are not
only unobjectiouaOle, bus aie a charm
ing feature of that beautiful pleasure
ground. The foot-path indicated for the vil
lage green will be demanded by the
more ambitious village improvers; but
were I making an ideal village for
moderate and taseful people, the road
surrounding the green should inclose
only a level close-cropped lawn, neatly
trimmed at its edges, surrounded by
fine and simple trees, and traced
here and there with the foot-paths that
honest use had marked out and made,
an J by the suggestive diamond-shaped
t.'ack and vases of the village base-ball
club. It should be perfect in grade, in
outline, in regularity of planting, and
in mowing; but it should be a perfect
l&vrn, plus the wear of constant use
and frequent pleasure.
The second example is taken from
existing conditions in my own neigh
borhood. The United States Coast Sur
vey has furnished all the necessary de
tails save the farm boundaries. The
field boundaries and roads are exact.
The tract is of the same size with
the one just considered, two miles
square. Its center is in one direction
about two miles from a small village,
aad in tho other about seven miles
from a large town, which furnishes
the chief market for its agricultural
products, and is the source of all (r
nearly all) of its supplies.
Figure 4 shows the present settle
mont of this area, the houses about
sixty in number being scattered over
the whole tract, with no near approach
to a "neighborhood at any point.
These are practically all farmers
houses, some trade being carried on
here and there in connection with the
farm-work. A few of the houses be
long to farms which lie mainly outside
of my lines, deducting a fair propor
tion for this and others for tho wheel
wright, blacksmith, etc., we shall have
about the same number cf farmers - as
in the former instance (say forty-four,)
and taking the same area for the vil
lage, we shall have the same amount of
farm and village property for support
Figure 5 shows a suitable division of
property and the location cf the vil
lage, on a short cross street running
from one to the other of the main
north and south roads, and extending
a short distance up and down the
roads.
It would be a necessary condition
precedent, that the whole property
taken for the village should be set
apart for the purpose. This require
ment and the cost of moving buildings
from the farms to the village would
doubtless be an insuperable obstacle
to the immediate carrying out of the
plan. And thus the theory must long
remain a theory only. No sudden
change of the sort could be made in
prastice.
It would not be impossible, however,
to bring about the end in time, if a few
of the larger proprietors coald secure
possession of the village tract by ex
change, and would dedicate it to the
purpose, agreeing at any future time
to sell small lots for building at a fixed
low rate. In the instance under con
sideration, the villaga tract is thinly
settled, and so situated as to be availa
ble at moderate cost. If a church, a
school-house, and a store could be es
tablished as a nucleus of tho village,
the young couples of the neighborhood
might incline to settle there, and in
time the settlement could be made so
attractive as compared with the out
lying farm-houses as to lead to the
concent rati an of the whole population.
TO EE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.
Fopest Tap,
For Throat, Lung. Asthma, and Kldmey.
Forest Tar Solution,
or Inhalation for Catarrh, Consumption.
lirouchiUs, and Aaihuuu
Forest Tar Troches,
or Sore Thrott, I?nariics3, Tickling Cougti and
Purifying the Uruutu.
orest Tar Salve,
or Ucnllnp Indolent Sores, Ulcers, Cats, Bnroi,
and for I'lles.
Forest Tar Soap,
Sor Coapport Hands, Salt Uheura, Skin Diseases,
9 Cie Toilet and ttattu
Porest Tar Inhalers,
or Jcnaling for Caiarrti. ConeaicptlOB, Asthma
for Sa by till IrugQ:tr
For lis nest '1ays we
sell Full asi si Wiaiter goods
sht greatly adduced pi'Iees.
t MB&ike Eii fE ii large
isiTIee f Sprlssg ra,
SCHNASSE & GRAM BERG'S
We have opened
DRESS
LANKETS,
Hi!
-AND-
The most Complete Stock of
Br
EVEll BROUGHT TO
We have also a
A Full
Our Stock was bought under extremely favorable circumstances and
we are able to sell at the very bottom prices, ar.d will five the
best bargains to be had in C;i?s County.
RE2IL '21 HER ALL KINDS OF COUNTRY VllODUCE TAKEN IN
EA'CUANGE FOIl GOODS.
&Mh5! SiWget 4Eie Place,
ONE DOOR EAST of THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK,
"My l"!:tsi::Kin. Tk'm!. -
SOOT
is pun i )mfflffimm
v 5- o 'i'tt' ; - - . .' tf' r Ak
on S-5 t 2 23 ? IvvSl z Ifcs-,' Pfis&wzg&l ik!'
m A W CT FA TI1 w
Fc Se White will fie tiiiis
space wltii EM'y ! aead
Notions Ms returns from
the Sasi for which eiaEE
et he will start ocxt week.
ILoofe. nt for IBarsalins.
our Xew Stock of
SO
CO
3
t .1
FLATTSMOUTII.
Large Stock of
Stock of
DCS
MF0RTS,
jvictid E3ZE3IOIEL!
GOODS
SOLD
7 to 8 or 8 to 7, jum as you: like, and
The cash is always counted out for there
as la IntiEBaialation at the
PMiflshSin
As it is generally our custom to gie you our prices for goods so that you can calculate at bonis what yon can
buy for your inone)', we will give you prices below which will be lower than ever and 10 per cent, cheaper than you
can anywhere in this City or State. We have the advantage of any merchant in this city buying direct from tho
manufacturers. AVo have opened a Wholestale Store in St. Joseph Mo., which will be attended by Mr. Solomon.
LOOK AT OUIt PRICE LIST.
20 yards prints for one dollar. Summer Shawls, 75c up.
" lirown and bleach muslin, one dollar, Handkerchiefs, 3 for 2-e.
12 "
10 "
lllue and brown denims, one
lied ticking, one dollar.
Cheviot, one dollar.
Grass Cloth, one dollar.
Malt Shades, one dollar.
Table Linen, one dollar.
Crash Toweling, one dollar.
4
12
As it is impossible to give the prices of our enormous
E$res f!s IepartiBieiat
we will only state that it is the largest and finest slock ever brought to this city and consisting of the followin new
styles
Poplins, Double Silk Pongees Japanese Silks, 3Iatelasse
Zephyr Suitings, Lawns, Grenadines, and Percales,
at prices ranging from 12J cts. up; also a fine line of IIAMIJUUG EMBROIDERIES from 5 cents up.
LIN EX EMBROIDERIES to match our LIXEX DRESS GOODS. A full assortment of BUNDLE PRINTS
and everything belonging to
-A. FIBST CLASS
Staple & Fancy Dry Goods Establishment.
We also keep a full line of
dy-madc
from 84.r,o up for whole suits. Jeans
line White Shirts $1 up; Calico Shirts,
ME IN AND BOYS' II ATS AND CAPS.
Hats, up; Caps, 10c up; Boots, $2 per pair up; Shoes. SI per pair up: TRUNKS and VALISES, a good as
sortment. We do not keep a little of evervthing, from an Axe Handle to a barrel of salt, but what we do t arry wo
have in full and complete stock. JEWELRY, PLATED WARE, CLOCKS, TABLE and POCKET CUTLERY, etc.
We would inform the ladies of Plattsmouth and vicinity that we are in receipt of the the finest
Pattern Heads and Bonnets Direct from Paris.
We have an Accomplished, Fashionblo Lady Trimmer who understands tho business thoroughly and can svit all your
tastes; also a full line of SILK TRIMMINGS, Ribbons, Flowers and Ornaments. Siish Ribbons from Ut up; Ladies
Tiimmed Hats, 81 and up. We have a large and complete stock Canvass, Perforated Card Board, Zephyrs. Zephyr
Needles, Mo.toep, and Silk Floss of all shades.
An immense stock of Carpets. Oil Cloths, Rugs and Mats. Hemp Carpets 23c per yard ; Ingrain Carpets, ."0c
por yard. Standard Carpet Chain, 5 lb bundles only S1.2-"3.
We hava also, for the accommodation of our friends, added io our already extensive assort incut a htrgy slock of
Oil Window Shadc-s in all colors. Lace Window Curtains 2"i cts per yard.
We present our annual price list satisfied that our customers will see that we can do belter for them tlrm ever
beforcand thankful for past patronage we most respec tfully ask a continuance of the sain".
rialtsmoutli, Nebraska, March 22d, 1877. .SOLOMON & NATHAN.
HENRY BCFCK.
nEAi.cn in
SAFES, CHAIRS,
Lounges, Tables, Bedsteads,
KTC. KT., ETC..
Of AU Descriptions.
METALLIC BURIAL CASES
Of ?.H sizes, rrudy made ami sold rlieap for cash.
With m;itiv thanks for past rutronat'o. I invite
Invite all to call and examine uiy
LAKUE STOCK
mf. ri niTi'BX ax
WITHOUT ARBITRATION f
dollar. Ladies Silk Ilandkerehier, 35c each,
Ladies Hose, 3 pair for 25c.
Men's Socks c up.
Cuffs and Collars, 23e a set, and up. !
I'ed Spreads, one dollar up.
Corsets, good, Wc up.
Men mul ESoys9 Oothing
Pants from 61.00 up. An unexcelled
40 cts. up
; Cheviot Shuts, cts. up;
OAR,Pi0TS.
m
DEALERS IN ALL KINDS OF
Jolm DBer & Co. V Sulky anil Gang Plows,
DAYKXl'OHT C'O.'S I'LOV.'S,
Weir Cultivators, Check Rows,
And everything that a Farmer may need.
Repairs on hand for all Machinery sold by us.
THERE IS MONEY IN IT!
Special IndGCcmcnts to tho Trade.
AGEIITS WA1TTED
ETerywlicio fr tLo
u u a ia
& a ti n m i
. SCVVING
-MACHINES
EitaH Pric:. tTs.tO. tbt abe tun
Simp!a, Lir;1i';'-t Tanning, Best Made and Ho6l
Reliable Macliiucs ia the world.
(Cut this out nti'l rrmcinbcr it.)
Aj. vesi Serlsg LVs Co., '
203 i 03 Wal'tab Ave., CLfcago.
Tcti .v: z ey
GO TO TUB
Herald Office
VOR YOUR
line GENTS' FURNISHING GOODS,
overalls, ou cts. up; i';tprr coiurs lUc.
THE PARKER GUM.
SEND STAMP FOR CIRCULAR
PARKER BROS .
WEST MERIDEN,CT.
E M C L r ri ti t-l v .t wwi w
1
i '1 I 'J I. J L.
