Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1858-04-22
Public improvements.

Public improvements
There has been small exhibition of public spir-
1t in private way, in oui village. this Spring.
few trees planted in front dooryafds and in or
two instances along the principal thoroughfares.
The old Phelps Place. of late years occupied by
Mr. Smith IS summer boarding house. has receiy-
ed new coat of paint throughout, enlarged its pi-
azzas. extended its general convcniences and APP
appropriated to itself part of the naked common
stretching from its steps, which has been enclosed
with neat fence and handsomely decorated with
trees. 1t is-a pleasant sight. Instead of an une-
ven sandy strip, part side Walk aad part wagon
tasss we now have green grass-plot, and the pro-
liabilities of beautiful shade tfecs
This fact suggests a few thoughts upon improve
mcnts in general which We wish, might find tarry
ing place in the minds of our inhabitants
long enough, too to germnate and bear some fruit.
Our two parks, which for twenty years have been
leading most unhappy life, supported by the char
ty oil few individuals in the last stages OF
decline. The fcw stuntcd,. wind bowed trees are
Aopelcss ingalidsthe once slightly post, no longer
safe hitching places for teainsthe chain lightning
gats-ways lost of their novelty, and all the rails
time-worn and worm catch. What shall be done ?
We BEE imaginary hands Juggling away at invisible
buttons over their brooches pockets at the very
question! lille flock of cows with hungry faces,
are impatiently waiting the next northeast storm,
which will do the business for them. What shall
be done with them Our reply is, tear them down,
aud appropriate the land to be improved by private
individuals, who shall have the privilege of EXTEND
ing their yards to enclose at least third of the
present common-the street, running through the
middle What is now no ones business by this
movement, becomes fair ground for private enter
prise, and neighbor can vie with neighbor in i'm
provements, to do some good to community. For
what do we want streets save for wagon tracks and
Sidewalks? As they are now, we keep one grant
cattle pasture in the midst of our village, with all
the apparatus at hand in the old parks, to teach
them to unfasten gates, and corkscrew their bodies
through every loop-hole in the village Who. that
has an eye for any thing that is beautiful in Nature
woald not prefer TO- see large and weil-enciosed
Yards, and neatly clipped lawns, than the present
,aongrel combination Of gutter sidewalk and COW
vatb. which dsgraces the town? The children
then, instead of foekng to our green to associate
with latest arrivals from the work might be
seen in our front yards and instead of few dusty
syringas pruned by cows to the shape OF Lom-
hardy poplar and little shallow abortion of a
front yard not large enough for good sized poodle
to turn himself N, we might have green, wide
snrcad lawn where the little girls might arrange
their. play things, and their brothers fEolick at
pleasure.
If every fence in this village was moved six feet
beyond the line Of the elm trees, and good wall;
then established, of uniform grade-beyond which
should be thoroughly graded road, the town would
be the pride Of New England, and might challenge
the whole country to show equally beautiful pic
.ture Of rural life.
- Ia these remarks, we are in no way disposed te
uphold the, prevalent practice Of land-stealing
which las 81 late so infected the inhabitants Of oul
country towns. The act strkes at the root OF gov
.erament end inshtutes:a systsn of anarchy, where
every man has a. shake ~ IT il only more
feature Of plundering the public at the expense O
the government. 1t is wrong utterly, and unmiti
gated stealing, and should be punishable with {
penalty equal to that Of any theft, 1t is just al
mach stealing to take from the public domain 81
many feet of grauEd, asAit would be to take from
the treasury of town corporation SO many barl
bills We have no Il hit to do it; it is not ours
and to take what does not belong to and keep it
is stealing, downright stealing, and nothing better
We think however, cultivated fields, fine fences
and handsome grounds, far preferable to the rough
uAcultivated, mullen stalk growing banks, and
bitches that now shock all ideas of taste, through
out the State and if the towns would pass law
giving to every individual who would make q gooe
fence and improve the ground the right to enclose
the road sides to within few feet of the highway
they would confer benefit uron society," and ar
Improvement upon property. The cultivation o
estates in England is one of its most beautiful fea
TIRES and so the suburbs of our great cities arr
beautiful-every inch Of the soil that can be Oh
tanned, cultivated, and no longer scraggly, halffAi
en.down streets permitted.
Let the ,eople bear these facts in mind, and III
stea,l of living in a continual wrange, as one ate
another Of their neighbors encroach upon the high
ways, meet in Convention, and establish some UNI
form line, and arranging with the town Tor II :
move up all their fences, and forever put seop
the everlasting discussion Of highway Infringement
all this subject to some arrangement tor snow
drifts.
S-
LpcoMproN latest news from washington
gives no certain information regarding the maj fe
sult of the conference now being held By the Com
mites of the two Houses. The probabilities are
that It will not amount to any thing-and ofitten
den,s amendment will end the matter.
I,f1c tod
Mr.. Gwinr's Pacific R. r. bill has been defeateo
and all movement on the subject laid over to DE