The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-07-07

y der, but the number OF handsome resi-
p dences is small and It's number Of well KEEP
co. up grounds even smaller.
5 The scheme of the Siockbridge Assoc
alton Is not to beautify the homes of TIT
wealthy-their owners will do that with
out hint; but it IS II cultivate u spirit o
emulation among the less wealthy and poor
er house holders that shall induce them Il
take better care of their grounds, plan
tr front of their lots, NOW then
lawns, paint their dwellings, train vint
over an unslghtly clubhouse and eventually
make II possible to remove ungainly fences
be nelghborly and comfortable, for
f clean hovel may be comfortable.
. Cultivation will soon seed spirit OF i'm
proyement through the city like wild fire
when once started Experience has shown
this already here, when w. ii. Hull, Fiske
a. BEEN, f. Y GrIggs put in plate glass
It was but a few months before plate glass
adorned nearly every tirst-class house
around the square The same infection
can be rapidly infused through the army OF
housewares II properly directed.
Rockford Is town accounted one or the
handsomes. in the state; and the "Forest
City" has improved herself in part this
way.
We don't know that Des Moines, Ia, has
such an association, but the visitor cannot
fail to be struck with the infectious spirit
of improvement which prevades that town.
1t was our good fortune to spend few
days there this spring, in which we saw
nearly all parts of the city. Des MONIES
IS q rapidly growing town. Most of the
town is comparatively new. It's built on
hii,. and over old creeks and ravines-the
eastern part particularly, and yet we be-
lieve we never saw city with so many
handsome houses. 1t is in q town 80 new
and 80 busy one would expect to sec evi.
dences of hsste--slovenly work, because of
haste. But there is none. On the grand
drive "a double width street, such street
as our Ottawa avenue) leading from the
city to the fair grounds are many hand
some places everyone surrounded by beau
.iful lawns and we'll kept grounds
magnificent driveway. In other parts OF
the city are many fine houses, but the ma
jority are houses of people IN comfortable
circumstances only: yet the houses are
very tasty though small, built generally IN
gothic style, well painted, neatly fenced
and all surrounded by we'll kept grounds
large and small A great many of these
places are on grounds that required much
filling in and much money to make hand
some; but this has been done; and the re.
suit is one OF the prettiest residence towns
we ever saw. Every builder and owner
seems to take particular pride in keeping
his place IN repair and attractive. Property
therefore brings good price; vacant lots
change hands rapidly and are soon i'm
proved; gullles become handsome resi-.
dence lots, and an appearance of we'll to- do
ls exhibited every where. One thinks
there are no poor people there, looking at
the homes OF the people. 1t is pity the
house holders of Ottawa can't make a
weeks vlsi, there in body to see what can
be done by little palns.aking.
We trust tins new scheme will receive
the attention it deserves. Ottawa with a
little expenditure of money can be made
beautiful residence town. City taxes
should not be heavy in the future. We
can afford to "fix up" little. 1t pays. 1t
makes property saleable. 1t will pay to
have a handsome town for strangers 10 see
when they come here. Strangers are not
likely to take kindly to town whose IN
habitsnts' surroundings have genera. ap-
pearance of poverty and perpetual nose.
on the grind stone" Most men are follow.
ers. They do as their nelghbers DO. They
think that where one man makes money
another can and that 10 town where all
are apparently well.to.do, new corners
stand chance with the rest; that money
can be made there; that il Is good town"
Make Ottawa's residences 81 handsome as
her stores, Light her streets with electricity,
improve her waste places, drain the few
ponds yet remaining improve the railway
stations and dirty squares, and the rise In
property generally will soon pay hun
dred fold profit
A young preacher in Ottawa who has
been making quite sensation by his elo-
Quent sermons is accused Of stealing them
The controversary has got into the papers
and even backs into the pulpi,s. 1t Is
making quite sensation there--Er.
Rev. Mr.. Peters detractors took partlcu
lar pains TO wait until he had left town be-
fore making ,aeir accusations They were
published in the Journal, of course. In
deed, among large number of the readers
of that sheet The genilemanly editors are
given the credit themselves OF the anony.
nous articles on the subject-the trick isl
so characteristic, However, Mr.. Peters
FASTENED home as soon as the facts came