Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-03-22
SOME EARNEST WORDS

TO TIE PEOPLE OF ST. GAINESVILLE.
THE voters Of st. Clairsville must give
more attention to the class of men they
choose to represent them in Council if
they expect the town to be anv better
than it is, or, indeed, to hold. rs own
An infusion of fresh blood is needed in
that body. All men Who. realize what
ought to be, ard what can be done. feel
it and admit it; and the regret is that
there is rot thc opportunity this spring
to completely r5organize our municipal
governments.
VITA an abundance of money levied
and collected, our streets and alleys are
ip condition not by any means credit
able to the civilization of our people and
the age in which we live.
Grades are established for sidewalks.
but citizens lay their sidewalks and curbs
in defiance Of them, to the serious injury
and annoyance of their neighbors, and
when mildly demonstrated with by an
official Of the town ne is invited 10 attend
to his own business, threatened with per
soNaI violence, and the citizen proceeds
to lay his sidewalk to suit himself.
Crossings are poorly constructed, and
when mud is to be found anywhere it is
generally on them.
Enterprise is unknown in the vOcabu-
larry of our municipal authorities. They
are afraid to expend any money for per-
manent public improvements, for fear a
direct return will not be at once received.
Is this the way towns are built up?-
Did any one ever hear of a prosperous
town governed after that fashion?
Does any one doubt that the $4,000
invested in the Northern Railroad was a
good investment? Does any one doubt
the street paving at Bellaire was a good
investment for that town:
Had we last year had a Council COM
posed of wide-awake, enterprising men
of affairs, there can be no reasonable
doubt an equitable arrangement could
have been made for lighting the public
buildings and streets with the electric
light.
Many believe water-works can be es-
tabliShed-
Many more believe the streets and side
walks should be improved
That property owners should be COM
PEELED to conform to reasonable grades
in laying sidewalks.
If the municipal government can be
got into the hands Of live, energetic men
of affairs, new impetus can be given
the town.
Permanent improvements of value
cost, of course; but no town that lacked
the courage and enterprise to embark in
them ever amounted to anything, nor
never will amount to anything. We can
not expect other people to come here and
light and pave our streets for us, nor con-
struct water-works for us, nor anything
else of that kind, nor can we hope for
any increase of population anj business
until we provide the facilities and com
forts for business and living that modern
towns are required to furnish.
Towns are what people make them.-I
If Chicago or Kansas City had always
been peopled and governed by such en-
terpriSe as has characterized the ruling
spirits of st. ClairsviIle, they would not
be Chicago nor Kansas City. If for ten
years last past 81. Clairsyille had been
peopled and governed by some of the
people of those towns, it would not be
st. Cla;rSville.
Substantial permanent Improvements
always pay. The slow, mean, niggIr,Iy
policy-neyer.
Good streets, well lighted, water faciI-
tiles for streets, fire purposes, and dome5
tic and other uses, modern means of |
lighting buildings and streets, good gov
ernment, and live people, make town.
If wealth is not there, it viii lia1 It's wAv
there. All the money thai could Be piled |
in its streets, on the o5her hand, will avail /
if it is held as though never any
more can b. made. This is the expert, |
ence OF all towns in t,i3 past, ald Will ba
of all that follow INP3oy ENENT. :