The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-08-29
The Avenue 10 tn. Cemetery.

The Avenue 10 the Cemetery.
What we most lack to make our city an
attractive place of residence, are pleasant
drives in the vicinity. 0ne-half of the
year our common roads are impossible with
mud, and large portion of the remainder
they are enveloped in clouds OF dust
They have all been laid out upon the cheap
est utilitarian plan TO serve imperious neces-
sites, when the population had neither
means nor time to think of pleasure and re-
creation. Times have changed wealth
and luxury have increased, and occasional
relaxation and amusement are now recogniz-
ed as essential wants for t he health and hap
piness of all classes, and which men in every
condi..on have Alright to claim. 1t isevery
where claimed to be the duty of municipal
governments to provide the means for the
people in every town to indulge in the en-
ioyment of fresh air and free exercise for
amusement as one of the bestmeans Of pre-
serving and promoting public health and
morals. 80
The first proprietors of our town COM
mitted a capital error in not appropriating
some portions of their plots for pub
lie grounds and PARKS. The city council
have perpetuated the evils of the penuriouS
policy of the early proprietors through all
time by refusing to buy land for public uses
when it was unoccupied and cheap. Atew
thousand doIlars,-which would have pur-
chased handsome central park ten years
ago,-would now be worth to the city, in
the value it would have impaired to all
other property in the. city,-one hundred
dollars for every dollar Of the original pur-
chase money. The mistake is now IRENE
diable within the present city limits and
the public spiritof the present dayis as caleu-
culating and selfish as it was among our pre-
decessors and we don't feel like buying and
building a park beyond our present limits
only for our successors to ENJOY. But a
beautiful and commodious avenue, extending
from the streets of the city into the coun-
try, for pleasant drive or promenade, can
be enjoyed by the present generation-who
can thereby get some return for its expend-
itures,-while it is providing, with paren-
tai care, for its heirs and successors.
A new road has been laid out and ordered
by the public authorities to be opened, lead
ing from Chestnut street to Oak Hill, dis
lance of one and half miles. 1t is pro-
posed to construct it in manner to make 1t
a pleasant avenue for a walk or drive, by
giving it width, and planting its sides thick
with shade trees. 1t will be public work,
in the pleasures and benefits of which every
resident and visitor of the city can partici-
pate. The road is over very eligible ground.
the proprietors of which give the right of
vay, and the whole expense of the plan
will not exceed, we are told, the sum of
$4,000. So great public blessing to old
and young, rich and poor, cannot be secured
in any other way so cheap. Our citizens
should insist on the immediate execution Of
the work. 1t will shorten the distance to
our beautiful cemetery grounds about one
third. 1t is opposed, because it is feared that
it may divert few country wagons from
passing the doors of some small grocery
stores at the upper end of Main street. 1t
may also disturb secluded neighborhood
enveloped in the stenches of filthy slaughter
houses, and cause the removal of their nui-
sancas. The health, pleasure, and Interests
of the city are to be sacrificed to crafty the
selfshness of three or four persons, who,
having no desire for the decent comforts and
innocent amusements of life for themselves,
cannot appreciate the want of them in 9TH
ers. The public voice demands that the road
should be built, and there is no reason for
de.ayicg the execution of the order already
on record.