Show Shining imn Stockholm S ii 4 S t f i it t t Scene on Stockholm's Q QI Quays I Prepared by National Geographic Society Washington D. D C. C W C.-W C. U Service Is celebrating this S I year rear the one hundredth anniversary anniversary anni annl of the opening of the Gota canal which connects the Swedish S capital with on the North sea miles across the king king- dom dome Even Een without Its party adornment which it has donned for the celebration tion Stockholm Is a city that fairly fairl shines Its qua quays s 's are arc the city's front doors with steps alwa always s 's freshly scrubbed Under brilliant summer sun even the cargoes of many of the thc harbors harbor's sailing craft moored in front of oC royal roal palace town hall hull and house of or parliament glisten for they are la laden laden laden la- la den with countless cor cords of oC silver birch the city's fuel Every year ear In gorgeous midsummer floral regalia Stockholm stands faultlessly faultlessly fault fault- lessly groomed to rece receive e only a few score American visitors while other continental capitals included in customary customary cus cus- tomary tourist itineraries are with thousands from western shores The average tra traveler eler does not decide decide decide de de- cide casually upon a trip to Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm Stock Stock- holm nor unless he conies comes directly from New York by ocean route does the American alwa always s 's arrive In the most amiable frame of mind It Is a along along along long hard Journey from western or southern Europe to the historic city founded seven centuries ago as a fortress fortress for for- tress to resist the forn forays s 's of Baltic altic pirates From Paris for example unless one selects the speedy and exhilarating airplane mode of travel tra the major part of one day must be spent on the train to Amsterdam thence there Is Isan Isan Isan an night all journey to Hamburg then another anomer lUll frill day on me tile tram train to Copenhagen Co J and finally by train ferr ferry and antI train a again aln a second night is required required re re- re to reach ones one's destination Stockholm's prosperity like that of the entire countr country Is founded In large measure on forests the forests the cIt city's s name Isle of the Log suggests It but It-but but there is no evidence of this in external ap ap- ap There was a time when the metropolis was built of 00 wood 1 and it required six disastrous conflagrations recurring over a period of two and a half halt centuries to convince Its citizens that their safest insurance against flames lay luy beneath their feet City Built of and on G Granite anite Stockholm holm toda today is built of granite upon granite foundations A landowner land owner blasts his building material from the site of his proposed structure structure ture and b by the thc same operation makes his cellar The result Is a cit city of somber some som ber her unadorned stone gray ra stone apartments and business buildings come conveying the impression of having been erected for eternity one enters a new world on reaching Stockholm No slightest suggestion Is to be found found or of that classical Greek Creek influence so conspicuous conspicuous con con- in most of the capitals and antI chief cities of southern central and western Europe For twelve years ears Stockholm labored on its town hall It was finished as planned 1 for formal dedication in 1923 the four hundredth anniversary of the he beginning of the reign of Gustavus Vasa Yusa Sweden's first hereditary ruler The hall In contrast to the customary custom ary granite Is built of exceptionally large red bricks s. s Its interior is us as impressive impressive im e as Its exterior On one side of a great reat Inner court Is the famous blue room rising from the ground to the full height of the building f This its Is used for official banquets and similar situ sim liar Bar cl civic vie affairs Here each year cur on a Sunday in August Au u. August gust a picturesque event Is staged when awards are mc made to Stockholm's great arm army of workmen farmers one of ot the most Interesting groups to l be e found In Europe The Swedes are ure noted for their love lo of ot the soil and antI all nil that It produces and this passion for growing things cannot be stifled b by the circumstance of metropolitan existence so the city has set aside countless acres of or suburban suburban sub sub- urban territory for conversion Into garden gutlen plots und and these are rented to workingmen for the equivalent of ot 5 for a summer season Here the laborer builds a tiny Uny cot cot- one tape tagi one room and anti porch usually Ile lie can cun l buy uy u a complete house read readymade ready ready- made trade for and set it up like n a jl saw Jig saw puzzle All summer he lie and his wife and and children live II on their little farm lIe continues his wOllIn work In shipyard rd or f factory but bitt early inthe In Inthe Inthe the morning before he goes to his Job joh In the city and amI when he lie returns in III the afternoon he Joins hi his wife In hoeing the vegetables 1 hits the roses over o th the doorway cultivating the dahlias pansIes violets and antI sweet peas pens Garden Prizes Awarded Toward the end of oC th the summer the housewife is kept busy canning and preserving the produce of oC her dollhouse dollhouse dollhouse doll- doll house garden while the husband concentrates con his efforts upon the flowers On the appointed Sunda Sunday in August each family takes its prize products products- blossoms fresh and canned vegetables and fruit fruit to to the blue room Here the women arrayed In the peasant attire of their native provinces display display dis dis- play Ilay the results of their summer rec recreation tec and diversion dl These workingman r gardens were introduced introduced in in- during the pinching years ears of the World orld war when Sweden was more or less isolated and when hen all food products commanded fabulous prices Althou Although h the emergency no longer longcr exists the gar gardens ens are continued not only because they are financially I suc suc- successful the ces the rul-the the e vegetables raised each year are valued at more than half a million dollars but dollars but because the they have promoted the health and happiness of the working v classes and ha have vc contributed contrib contrib- contributed materially to the attractiveness of ot the capitals capital's environs The little farm farms are a special boon to the children n of or the working classes who must store up energy y for those long dark hours of fall winter and spring schooling Judged by uy American American Amer ican lean standards the lot of the schoolboy schoolboy school school- boy or girl in Stockholm Is one of the most unenviable in the whole world of education School life begins at the a age e of six The rhe hours are tr trying ln and Saturday is lil Him o a ever other t lt 11 day iv il-iv 1 l In Tn winter 1 n J of course the pupil mus must t get up and dress by artificial light and he starts for school while the street lamps are still burning lIe He be begins ins his days day's task at 7 15 at 10 1035 1033 he goes home for breakfast returns to the classroom classroom classroom class class- room at noon and amI is dismissed ed at 2 35 or 3 30 according to his age In midwinter midwinter mid mid- winter It is dark darl at the later hour After the first snowfall children living living liv liv- In ing in the environs irons of Stockholm make their wa way to school on skis Fond of Stu Study y and Sports Under such circumstances it Is natural natural nat nat- ural that the children of Stockholm should take their studies somewhat more seriously than children In American American Amer Amer- ican cities yet et when the summer vacation vacation vacation va va- cation season arrives no youngsters oun In the world enter upon their outdoor frolics with greater jo joy The children of the wealthier wealther classes accompany their parents to summer homes outside outside out out- side the city Ulan many of them situated on the countless islands which dot Swe Sweden's Baltic shore line yet et even en here they pursue their studies in natural natural nat nat- ural history with the tIle zest of a sport One of the distinguishing characteristics characteristics character character- of the Stockholm youth Is his fondness for sports with a U special predilection for that most graceful of or orall all exhibitions of or skill throw Javelin In Ing Association ball hall pla played ed with a around around around round football In which the head is used ver very lal largely el as ns the propulsive force Is the national sport of or the country while bicycle cle endurance races skiing sling and anti skating and boating in summer are also aloo extremely i p It i Social Life in the Winter When the lo long days s 's begin to grow short when the well well-to-do o mid middle class and anti the aristocracy return from their country estates when the autumn rains set in In and the time li lights begin to twinkle In apartment windows In the early afternoon only the very vcr wealthy can afford to live In private b raes mes in Stockholm the social life of the cit city awakens from Its summer sleep Then comes a long Ion succession of dinners theater parties opera parties and aUlI suppers suppers At least one feature of or this Stockholm social life would meet with the beart hearty approval ap approval of the time n average euge American man manof manof of ot affairs there Is no such obligation us liS a dinner tInner call Swedes 1 s 's do not visit Informally nor 1101 would It ever occur to a Stoel Stockholm holm woman to telephone a friend un and 1 sa sty say that she expected to call all One goes to a n friends friend's home only when he or she has l been een especially espe espe- dully chilly Invited hut having accepted such Mich an aD invitation he obligates ates him himself himself self to reciprocal entertainment Thus the the to to man many weary many weary winter round begins ns The rn most st distinctive feature of or a Swedish repast Is the smorgasbord bord sandwich table variously described e eus us as a n super S liars hors do a Concentrated delicatessen store and a n assault lu on nil all the rules of or diet diN dieto o o 0 count while feasting ata nr Of a hard hord would r require tin l' l of an n expert t accountant M ii I tl w II several l adding ma ma- |