Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-30
RURAL IMPROVEMENT.
Suggestions for q Pleasant and frohtaoie
Reform In the Country.

HOnAI tNlG ~
Suggestions for q Pleasant and Profitable
Reform In the Country.
Tbs Ordinary rural village is dreary
and distressing to any person OF re
fined taste. Improvements within
easy reach nos only satisfy the 'esi-
dents and the public, but add substan-
tial value to the property SO adorned.
Many of the old New England hamlets
have been rcgene,ated, and there and
elsewhere "village improvement socie-
ties'' are happily nst uncommon. The
system is simple; the %improvers start
with their own property; all the better
d adjacent owners be- interested, as it
makes y more conspicuous beginning:
Tulnblclown fences are removed. and
lois thrown open so as 10 add width to
streets and roads. OF course this in
volvcs. the enforced absence of stray
cowssand pigs. Sidewalks are planted
uniformly with shade trees; surfaces
leveaedi down, or up, 10 grade, ard
soddeds flower borders and small flow
ering,shrubs planted; streets put into
the neatest mind of order ahd kept SO;
idivisienllines. between LOTS marked by
neat posts and perhaps a single wire,
or the posts alone suffice. Ncighbors
sac them wrestled with to follow the
lead. Inlsome. cases the ref@srnaers get
permission'to>renovate the premises of
stubborn conservatives, anGi i'm every
case known these people have very
som come>around and settladi lsIs tho
bill svoluntarily..
Nothing is, msGe contagisns than
such an example,. and it sooar spreads
to tic, nearby. farms, which are. pmt in
gootorder; and the improvedi rnnds
furnish'pleasing dives for thesyillasssers
and attract tho notice of strangers, amd
visitors whs, are seeking hc1uess or
summer boam1; ans this Of co,rse. I'M
creases the value Of property. The
funds fer these purposes are raised by
subscriptions. but the work issmuinay
eadone by the rsformers at their lasu1s.
Some money is. needed to carry ot,t the
full purpose. This is raised bWe.n&es-
tainments given by the leaders-as
readings, festivals. concerts, lectures
by popular mens1he are easily i1oluced
to make very reasonable terms, and in
other wsys assnaay be found p-Banticss-
bic. But this iss in itself one of this
most. profitable parts of the whole
paany forr a. literary society, saadies'
sewing circle an4iother social gss.shcr-
ings. tend very nalch to the irYs toue-
ment of .theyillage:. A farmers, oluas
to meet i1sthe village. one afterno On inD
the week would boa most excel.en t, ad.
junct't to tke association, and this.paighS
lead to Il cooperative union iii, tha'
members Tsp business PURPOSES.
The end im view being plaAn, and.
simple, nothing more is required than
a Getdrminasion' 80, carry it OUT by
gradual consecutive. steps; and thess
advances are evolved one !irom anothez,
as the ,w~orlagvest C The, main point
is to make a beginning, and the pleas.
ing result Of the first etlol' It's is, usually
such as to insSTe oansinw ance.. By ths
association ,ofi seversl p, .rson5, seeds,
shrubs and trees ane, pur chased cheap-
ly, aad in one Very ssscce ssful instance
a nursery, off cheap CIV ergrcens and
Towering Shrubs wrs II lade at a small
cost and the. profit fro M the sale Of
Theses after" two, wears furnished the
means for. paSnting the village streets
witlasshade, trees.. One needed part of
tho .wcrkissto putt Ep, Q r induce others
to put up, llitoliing p osts to secure
the horses sc that they may aot be tied
to the newly-planted II ees by thoughts
less strangers I'm CO ses where this
happens members OF t ne association on
the watch for such accidents gently
suggest to the %strsang er the propriety
OF using the post and saving the trees.
There will se: NO dr awbacks and rs
Bluffs, but'a, pleasant persuasive pres
suraon public: opinb IN soon leads it in
the,way itJsaouM 60, and in a short
time the whole: com munity become in
terested ,anda help ia the. work, or at
the-least psssively . cquiesce in it and
are>seon.infscted wi til thaspirit OF it.
| Corr NJ y. I1teUisexne.