Part 23 (2/2)
The society today owns a fine library of nearly 3,000 volumes of the best works of history, art, and literature in the Bohemian tongue.
Besides this, the Reading Society has always been helpful, and largely instrumental in starting, promoting, and encouraging other organizations of national character.
The Bohemian people are fond of the theatre and theatrical performances. At about the time that the Reading Society was organized, they started an a.s.sociation for the purpose of giving theatrical performances in the Bohemian tongue. The plays given were popular and successful, and on many occasions there was displayed splendid histrionic talent among the members of this dramatic club. Their performances were always clean, instructive, and educational. Today we have in Cedar Rapids two large dramatic a.s.sociations whose performances are a credit to our city and its people.
In the matter of education, the Bohemian people always took an active part. Besides having their children attend the public schools, they took opportunity to have them taught in the Bohemian language during their vacations and sometimes on Sundays. This was so from their earliest settlement. At first one or two rooms in a public school building were used. Later on a building costing over $8000.00 was erected for this purpose. The building stands on the corner of Second street and Tenth avenue. This building has the honored distinction of being the only building in our whole country built and used exclusively as a Bohemian school.
Another inst.i.tution that has brought fame and favor to our city in educational circles, is the Council of Higher Education. This was founded here in 1902. It is an organization whose object it is to furnish honor loans without interest to poor but promising boys and girls of Bohemian origin to secure a college education. Since its organization this inst.i.tution has aided many young men and women who were without sufficient means to secure a college education. Last year it had sixteen students it was aiding in the various state universities and colleges. Its operation is nation wide. It has students in New York, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa. The funds of the inst.i.tution are gathered by popular subscriptions among individuals and societies. Its scope covers every state in the Union where there is a Bohemian settlement. The inst.i.tution has achieved wonders in encouraging young men and women of Bohemian nationality to attend universities and colleges.
In musical circles the Bohemian people have distinguished themselves from early times. In the beginning when the Bohemian settlers came to this city they organized a musical society. This formed a nucleus for one of the most famous musical bands in the state. Kouba's National Band achieved state wide reputation; this band has always been composed of a large percentage of Bohemian musicians.
In the material development of Cedar Rapids the Bohemian people have done their full share. In the ranks of labor they are known as honest, industrious, peaceable, and orderly. They are very largely employed in all the big industrial inst.i.tutions of our city. They command the confidence and respect of their employers. This nationality is also well represented in every line of business in our city. All the professions are represented. When we consider that less than two generations ago their ancestors came here with bare hands and not knowing the English language and unacquainted with the customs and without any particular advantages, except those of honesty and willingness to work, it is remarkable that such strides forward have been made by this nationality in the realms of labor, business, and the professions.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CHAPEL, CORNELL COLLEGE]
[Ill.u.s.tration: CARNEGIE LIBRARY AND SPEER MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, MT.
VERNON]
In religious work the Bohemian people of Linn county have accomplished splendid results. With the first settlers in this county, the Catholics of this city had a place of wors.h.i.+p. From its modest beginning there grew one of the largest congregations in the city. And what enthusiastic and untiring workers this church has! The congregation consists very largely of the laboring cla.s.s, but they have accomplished wonderful results. A splendid church building; a large parochial school; an a.s.sembly hall and a new parsonage are the reward of the patience and perseverance among the members of this congregation. St.
Wenceslaus church of Cedar Rapids with its manifold work and influence is a great honor to the people of Linn county.
Way back in the late sixties, on a beautiful and secluded spot on Hoosier Creek, about one-half the distance between the present site of Ely and Western, there was erected a small church of the Reformed Evangelical denomination. There a band of devout men and women met to wors.h.i.+p in the simple manner of the Moravian brothers. Their leader and minister was a man of grace, of purity of character and rare and scholarly attainments. His name was Frank Kun. He was a great preacher and a great teacher. For a time he held the chair of Greek and Latin at Western College, but as his congregation increased he devoted all his time to his people. His congregation was entirely of the rural cla.s.s.
He loved his people and in turn was loved by them. His congregation was one of the best Bohemian congregations in the United States; his sermons were masterpieces of art and beauty, full of religious fervor, stately dignity and depth. His memory will forever be revered by the people of Linn county. This church is still there; broadening its sphere of work it now has two branches, one in Johnson county, and one in Linn county, the last being the old Baptist church in Putnam towns.h.i.+p.
In Cedar Rapids the Bohemian people have three protestant churches: the Fourth Presbyterian, the Bohemian Methodist, and the Reformed church; all three are prosperous. All of them have large and substantial members.h.i.+ps and all of them are fortunate in having strong, capable, and popular men as ministers. Under the wise and liberal policies of these leaders these churches are doing excellent work among the Bohemian people.
There is a large, respectable element of the Bohemian population that does not belong to any church organization. They are not opposed to churches, nor to religion, but do not affiliate with any church organization. They believe that every one should be permitted to think and believe as he pleases in matters of faith. In the Bohemian language they are called ”Svobodamysli.” This word does not mean Free Thinkers.
”This Bohemian word is made up of two words 'Liberty' and 'Mind,' and it means the broadest toleration for the religious beliefs and opinions of others; and further it means that you should give the widest lat.i.tude to the religious beliefs and forms of wors.h.i.+p of your neighbors, and that they should do the same to you; and it further means that you should honor and respect the religious views and professions of your neighbors and they should do the same by you.”
No sketch of the Bohemian people in Cedar Rapids and Linn county would be complete without referring to the Sokols. This is a society whose purpose is physical culture. The society is well represented in Cedar Rapids, and has among its members some of the best all around athletes in this country. In 1909 a team of six men of this organization captured the first prize at the National Contest in New York city of the Bohemian Sokols Society in the United States. The society owns a fine building and gymnasium here. It is an old organization, dating back to about the time when the Reading Society was organized, at that time being a branch fostered by the Reading Society. The society has several instructors of physical culture and gives to boys and girls, and young men and young women, a thorough course in gymnastics.
The Bohemian people of this city are thoroughly and actively interested in the principle of modern fraternalism. Among this element the fraternal orders and societies find much favor and popularity. There are very few men and women of this nationality who do not belong to at least one fraternal order, and there are many who belong to a half dozen fraternal orders. In fact the Bohemian element in the city of Cedar Rapids is honey-combed with lodges, orders, and societies of fraternal character. The Reading Society, already mentioned, was the nucleus, from which, as time went on, manifold ramifications sprang, finally developing into an extraordinary number of fraternal societies and lodges.
At first these societies were more of a national spirit and character, but later the insurance feature became an important part. The Bohemian people have great faith in fraternal insurance. The next thing after a home is acquired, fraternal insurance is provided. Some of the societies are exclusively for men, and some are exclusively for women, but the tendency of the last ten years is to permit both s.e.xes to become members of the same lodge. This too has its advantages, and if fraternal orders are to be more than mere insurance companies, a greater diversity of members.h.i.+p, greater benefits and advantages will flow from them. All the orders and lodges are in a prosperous condition. Three fine and capacious halls have been built and there is need and place for them all.
The C. S. P. S. hall was built in 1891, the Z. C. B. J. hall was built in 1908, and the Sokol hall in 1908. There is a Bohemian hall in Ely, Iowa. The Z. C. B. J. is a large and flouris.h.i.+ng fraternal order whose supreme lodge has been located in Cedar Rapids since its organization in 1897. This in English is called the Western Bohemian Fraternal a.s.sociation, and it is doing business in ten or twelve states in the Union.
In 1885 there was an Odd Fellows lodge inst.i.tuted, whose members are all Bohemians, and whose rituals and work are in the Bohemian language.
This lodge has the distinction of being the only Bohemian Odd Fellows lodge west of the Mississippi river. The spirit of fraternalism has had a remarkably good influence upon the character and intelligence of the Bohemian people. The financial benefits to the widows and children flowing from these societies may be great, but the moral, intellectual, and educational benefits to the members are immeasurably greater.
In the United States there are many Bohemian communities and settlements. In some of the eastern cities the settlements are very large, for instance in Chicago there are 100,000 Bohemians; in New York about 40,000; in Cleveland about 40,000; and there are very large settlements throughout Minnesota, the two Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas.
In intelligence and educational advancement, in the broad scope and high ideals of modern fraternalism, in social progress and in business and industrial enterprise, and in the professions, the Bohemian people of Linn county and Cedar Rapids rank foremost among all the Bohemian communities in the United States. This is a recognized fact among other Bohemian communities and cities in our country. We are proud of the fact that our city has won the beautiful t.i.tle of ”Parlor City,” but more proud should we be of the fact that in all the Bohemian communities and large centers of Bohemian population from New York to California, Cedar Rapids is known as ”The Bohemian Athens of America.”
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