Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-22

in the art Of combining utilitv. convenience
and eleoance Men Of worldwide rcnowp.
and neerless women. forncrlv lived upop what
wa should now call tbe roarsa.t fire. and
naced the tile, or board. ON the floors of their
rooms with as hipb thourht. nj. their better
fed and better clothed descendants. who live
upon delicacies and tread upop tapcstry. So.
ciety moves forward very slowly into the refine
ments and beauties of life. Il first content,
itself with the hare peees.arics. and then adj
vanees to convenience. and finally reaches
forth to luxurie. Bu, the degree of ciyiIiza.
ton in any community 4. measured alway, by
the extent of IL. inproycmcpi. by thc de.
gree in which il combines art with utilitv
elegance with convenience The sayape i.
content with hole in the ground. or cayo
in the rock He makes his own highway. and
builds no fences TO his fields Tho son,i.ciyil.
lied man builds hovel. or log house. and
makes a road from one poin, 10 another and
hedges in his territory A civilized man en-.
larres his house adorp. if with pictures rar-
nets IL. floors. constructs substantial biebvo,s.
railroads. means Of commerce and commupi.
cation. adds sidewalks 10 the street. Of his
towns and villages and builds residence. and
sbops. so as To meet the requirements of beauty
as well as the demands Of utility. Ircyil-
ization is better than barbarism. c5mmu.
nifty where thought and money are given to
improvements is better to live in than one
that is thrifless and decadent An ugly
thing is potent for evil. 1t deiorms the taste
Of the thoughtess. 1t frets all the men who
know how bad and ugly it is. 1t isa dis.
grace to the man who owns it; dishonor to
the community that tocrates it an example
and occasion for more and worse monstrosi.
ties An ugly, ruined. tumbling down build.
ing on public street which is daily passed
by thousands makes them all the worse for
it corrupts the taste Of some, and endangcrs
the even flow of the temper of others II is
an unsightly object, that ought to be done
away 1t is the more hideous for the sensible
or beautiful structures around it. Next to
the folly Of building ruined. wrecked. dilapi.
dated house that is falling to pieces. with all
its Joints yawning apart and all it. timbers
disocated, and all its angles obtuse. unpain,.
ed, rotten and rottine is the folly of keeping
such building, and permitting it TO occupy
slightly aud public place. To get rid Of il.
as well as to put something better in its placo
is public Improvement that indicates bo,b
the progress of civilization and Cbristiopitc
In community where side walks are the
rule, and break in the side walk the exccp.
ton, then the long continuance Of the break
marks the ebbinc tide Of civilization 4 tenn.
porarv interval Of soil and mud may occnr and
continue for n time far a snecial local reason
without noticeable detriment To the taste off
town or the temnor of individpals hint
when that break lasts lonrarer the reason for
if has ceased to exist and continues 70 Mas.
ter with the dirt Of every storm and the
mud Of every thaw. the boots of respectable
gentlemen and the shoe. and dresses Of deli.
cate Indies. who have no Walter Raleirbs to
carpet the foul way for hem with their
cloaLs--,bep II rcacc,s imam tbo cood so,so
or pnblic spirit of a community. The break
in the clconlv wov ,hcn bccomc. tho ru,e and
the side walk the execution. Then no ono ol
the thousands who daily 90 from one end Of
the street to the other. lint will find his boot.
as foul at the end Of his walk Ms if no sid,
: walk had existed An who arc obl;ec,
every day to traverse the streets will he com
pelled to keen mir of rubbors for tba
special break In year if will cost III,
y community ten times mare in over shoes an,
o Day & Martin than it would tn repair IT, /
renders yalueless whole miles Of side walk
for one gets as uncomfortable in a rod O
h mud as in mile. If any of the yiloe
c fathers fail to sec the pertinency Of this ilus
traton, we trust they will take adyantap
: of a stormy day to walk from this Office 70 IN
e corner. We imagine that utility. as well a
t nice sense of beauty and fitness Of things
o would then suggest TO their minds a YER
! obvious and long needed public improve
= ment
But such improvements are sometime
2 very difficult. MANY diverse minds have 4
be persuaded. The individual or elias. re
| ! sistance to the public good has to be over
!. come We have often noticed how some IN
t tie individual matter of most triAing conse
quenco will hinder the most valuable i'm
provements. The State House grounds ar
: susceptible of very high culture and orna
t meptation at very little expense One woul
think that the establishment of the capito
and its grounds would be work which IN
/, Legislature would keen a steady hand unor
; They can do what individuals cannot do 7
concerns them to do it. too as it tells upop tn
| taste, morals, education and refined pleasures