The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-06-30
of Pleasant village.--Streets
and Shade Trees.

NO. II.
In our last we endeavored to show
that good situation was necessary 10
pleasant village. This we did, not
so much by close, logical analysis, as
by the statement of truths which are
almost, if not quite self-evident. The
second essential we mention, we may
treat in a very similar manner.
When we say that good streets are
essential to pleasant village, we mean
something more than roads of the or
binary width, over which man may
drive at fast trot, with no great dan
ger of upsetting, and having path by
its side alike convenient for men, horses,
cows and hogs, providing they are
contented to walk in Indian file,-we
mean something better, even, than any
street that now graces (?) onr village.
In the first place village street
should not be less than eighty feet wide,
as the ordinary road width will not
permit US to secure all those advantages
we propose for our pleasant village.
Having secured, if possible, the neces-
sary width, care must be taken to build
good road for teams and carriages.
This accomplished, the next thing is,
to build sidewalks and crossings.
These should always be of uniform
heighth and width. If any of you who
read this article, were ever walking
with friend and were busily engaged
in conversation or intent on viewing
what was aroundyou and very suddenly
found yourself sprawling fiat upon your
face, as the result of some up or doaon
in the walk, you are prepared to appre.
ciate the advantage of walk of uni
form heighM. Or if you have CHANGED
to be walking with some fair one
(your wife we mean,) admiring at once
the fair face, the kindly expression and
the graceful undnlatlons of a vast ex
panse of crinoline, and while talking
lovingly, (as husbands always doO have
suddenly found yourself plodding in 6
puddle by her side, or following
puppy-like i'll the rear, you are also
prepared to see that there is beauty
even, in the uniform width of a walk
We regret that we are obliged to sa,
that, there is not a decent walk OIL
crossing in our village, but we trns
that the assertion will not long remain
true.
We have included shade trees a.
nesscessary to pleasantness and motto,
them here for the reason that, they
must constitute part of our gooC
street. Having good road and gooC
walk, the next thing to be done is, t.
plant and cultivate shade trees. Plan
and cultirdte them, we say; for thu
mannerin which they are usually treated
is species of vandalism which we hold
in special adherence. The course
generally pursued is, to dig hole il
the ground, stick in tree, fill up tn,
hole again and give it severe letting
alone. After setting out the tre'
properly, something should be pu
around its roots to supply the place o
the rich mold of the forest and car
should be taken that the cattle AM
hogs do not kill that which by bein!
let alone would perhapslive and prosper
There is nothing that gives such an al
of beauty to a place, as to have it
streets lined with shade trees. To an
one who has seen some of the beaut
fully shaded streets in New England
this statement needs no further verif
cation. And an individual who canno
discover beauty in the saplings of tw
or three years growth even, and VIII
does not have his heart cheered whe
he reflects upon what they are to be,
constituted differently from any on
whom we have the pleasure of bein
acquainted with. These trees shoul
be planted as near together as may /
and so near the walk that when the
have fully grown, they shall shade
I in all its length and breadth. Tree
: should also be planted in the middle Z
those streets not exclusively devoted
business, and if fenced around an
, carefully cultured, it will require but
few years to demonstrate the wisdo
of this suggestion.
IF these ideas could be carried in
practice in this village, it would NAL
it appear very Eden, and not villas
at the West, could successfully compe
with it's ever increasing lovliness.
> JUSTINIUS.
Dowagiac, June 2sth, 1859.
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