Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-09-05
Wanted: A VILLAGE Improvement Assa:iatil

That Burlington is almost without riva
in the beauty of its scenery and natural sur
roundings. is 50 often said that it is tircSomC
TO repeat it, That Burlington equals many
other places of its size in the matter of i'm
provcmcnt of its natural advantages
cannot be said In important and expcn
sivc arrangements for the comfort OF its i'll
habitants our city is not notably lacking. a.
regards watcrworks, sewers, street lights, anC
tagging of the sidewalks in the business
streets. rs much as been done perhaps. a:
could be reasonably expected OF any wldt
awake and cnterprising Eastern town, Ger
tainy as much as the taxpayers, under oul
most unjust and unequal arrangement of the
tax lists. can stand But in the matter Of
iHerpeaSioG improvements, - things which
need not money 50 much as taste and al
tcniion.-o our town is not pre-emincnt.
What We need here is Village Improve
ment Society, such as are in successful oper
alton in many New England and Western
towns.
In anarticle in .ScriJners Monthly for May
1877, Col. George +. Waring described the
pioneer association of this sort, that of Stock
bridge, Mass. lie said
The first of these associations of which
have any knowledge Though, rs such work
is unobtrlsive, there may have been many
before it, was the Laurel Hill Association
of Stockbridge, Mass. 1t takes its name
from Il wooded knoll in the centre of the
village which had been dedicated To public
use. The first object Of the association was
TO convert this knoll into a village park
Then they took in hand the village burial
ground, which was put into proper condition
and suitably surrounded with hedge and
railing. Then the broad village street was
properly graded and drained, and agreeable
walks were made at its sides. Incidental
to this, the people living along both sides OF
the streets were encouraged to do what they
could to give it an appropriate setting by
putting their own premises into tasteful con
dtion and maintaining them 50. The organ
| izaton worked well and accomplished good
results. The Rev. n. p. Eggleston former
ly Of Stockbridge, in paper on village i'm
provements, written for the New York 1rf-
6une, thus describes the collateral work and
influences of the Laurel Hill Association
Next followed the planting of trees 10y the roal-
side whenever trees were lacking The children,
! sometimes disposed in their thoughtlessness 10
| treat Young trees too rudely, were brought IN as
helpers of the association, while, at the same time,
put under 4 beneficial culture for themselves.
! ANY hoy who would undertake TO watch and care
! for particular tree for two years was rewarded
/ by having the tree called by his name. Other chill
,lrcn were paid for all the loose papers and other
unsghily things which they would pick up and re-
move from The street.
| Gradually the work of the association extend
Al ia fl.a a
with the main street. Year 10y year II pushed out
walks from the centre OF the village toward its outer
borders. Year by year II extended It's line of trees
| IN the same manner; and year 10y year there has
been Il marked Improvement in the aspect of the
| village Little by little, and IN many nameless
ways, the houses and barns, the doOr-yar,lS and
| farms have come to wear look of neatness and
intelligent. tasteful care that makes the Stockbridge
/ of to-day quite a different place from the Stock
| bridge of twenty years ago. Travellers passing
through II ald to speak Of II with admiration
| 4 finished place and. compared with most even of
our New England villages, 1t has such look; but
the LAUREL I'LL Association does not consider lis
/ home hnshed nor It's own work completed. Still
| the work goes On. Committees are even now con-
nng plans for further improvements. BY itself or
by suggestions and stinuations offered To Others
the association aiming Al the culture of the viii
| lage people through other agencies than those of
outward and physical adjournment. II fosters libra
ries, readlng-foons, and other places OF resort
where innocent and healthful games. music and
conversation will tend In promote the social feeling
and lessen vice 10y removing some oi ITS caiscs.
NO one can drive through THIS beautiful
old place without realizing the effect of some
influence different from that which has usu-
ally been at work in country towns One
feels that it is village of homes that the
people who live in it love it, and that it has
no public or private interest So insignificant
as to be neglected.
Being tolerably familiar with Stockbridgc,
and having watched the operations of its
Laurel Hill Association for years, We can
say that this is by no means an exaggerated
statement of its influence. Stockbridgc is,
we believe, the most beautiful and perfect
country village in the United States; and
the reports of its Improvement Association
show that these results have been secured
with comparatively triiiing outlay. The
Association has an annual income of less
than Si00, and does not always spend that
Of course the work of such an Assoca-
somewhat from that of the Stockbridge
Association; but there would be plenty of
work for it of kindred sort, in fighting the
foes of true comfort and good taste Some
of these foes of Village Improvement are
thus sketched by the Springfield Republican:
The charming modern fashion of village
Improvement has to struggle against many
obstacles created by the sordid and obtuse
nature of man. Conspicuous among these is
the paint brush fiend, who skulks about and
plasters over fences and watering-tub rocks
and horse sheds, with hideous advertisements,
contrary to the statute provided against such
nuisances. Here is glaring red sign nailed
upon a fence rail or a tree, and next a daub
of yellow, brown or black, till the fence
which skirts some neat sidewalk looks like
the back-door of a painters shop. He is an
inventive scamp too, and has lately devised
a new variety of outrage; leaving the old
fences and the rocks untouched. he plants
sign post, with glaring sign-board directing
the passcr-hy TO Grip X SquceZe's store, or
some other fellows. Any abutter has a clear
right we suppose, to clear the highway of
these impertincnccs.
There is the road-patchcr, furrowing the
turf Of the village green and scooping it out
10 fill the ruts, destroying all hope of trim
roadside edges or shapely grades - and
making very bad road when ais done
Matchmaking, which ought to be both
science and an art, exhibiting skill and
beauty, and showing some respect for the
fitness of adjacent things is barharous and |
IN The ;Iiad iahor n,nnIa,,oi IL, -, ~
,,,o,o,,or,- rr,I;aes II I;,,h,,,, -, -,
nr;o,;ons ~ n,aia ,,,,rn,a,,a,,, - i'ia,',i
mi roodS d.n,ands aonnrn,'s ,, .tN ;,I;ri'',
ontl,y and nn Mil. honof ''''r 5'I , "
ba,,ar ;n ,a a., i ;a",,1 pays "'''
Nv, cnn,ns ,Io -. a,,idn, t; Il
Io,,,s 49, ' 'u ;ri Mi.i',i al-
and unknown grass 10 disigure the highway
mere IS general ana repulsive slovenliness
cho,,,,'s IL; 1 ~ ''iT "outt''S anu
distressed hy crooked, rickctty and in large
part entirely useless fences. The best
!iii'i5 ior Nlila9e where mere really eAlsts
n,irhI,ors all ~. aaai - WI ~. Wv
each others rights, is TO do away with fences
altogether; as any one will say who has seen
a,, 'I''u. as III "iiil'''lis'o"il' OF
one ar Two streets il, III H.