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About Nebraska herald. (Plattsmouth, N.T. [Neb.]) 1865-1882 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1877)
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.