San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-05-29
MAKE SURROUNDINGS ATTRACTIVE.
Tho Money Value OF Rural Improvements
Considered.

rhe Money Value OF Rural Improvements
Considered.
A recent number Of Garden and Forest
u thoughtful essay on the actual
money to be made by improving country
roads and making village and farm sur
attractive. Tho writer says:
One OF the strongest considerations In
favor OF preserving tho forests In noun
tain regions like that Of New Hampshire
Is that they offer irresistible inducement
to people In the city who are looking for
summer resorts. Many people have
come to consider summer residence
among the hills as essential TO their COM
fort ns winter homo In the city, and
the growing practice among those who
cannot afford to support more than one
establishment Of spending some weeks
or months away from the confinement
Of city life, makes 1t matter OF impor-
tance that provision should be made for
those who find health and pleasure In
the woods and amid the scenery Of wild
nature.
1t would be hard to estimate tho direct
pccuniary advantage which n state like
New Hampshire derives from this tide
of summer travel which flows towards
her mountains all summer long. Every
one Of these visitors, In some way or
other, helps the cntiro community upon
which he depends for certain time each
year for his pleasure and subsistence;
and 1t would not be difficult to prove that
the actual and prospective revenue de-
rived from this source is 80 important
that tho valuo Of the material products
of the forests Of the state, even under the
wisest management, would be insignifl-
cant by comparison.
But It should not be forgotten TINT
there are thousands Of people from the
cities who, instead of rcsorting to noun.
tnin and forest regions, or to the shores
of tho ocean, prefer to spend their sum-
mcrs In quiet country villages and farm
houses. OF course 1t Is quite as much to
thee interest OF rural communities to
make their ncighborhood attractive Us 1t
is for the owners of sen coast and noun
tain land. It 10 truo that this should not
be considered as the chief reason for ef-
forts to improve the appearance and add
TO the convenience and comfort OF coun-
try towns. Societies for rural improve
mcnt accomplish good work when they
brighten In any way what Is often the
dull side Of country life.
Every attempt TO beautify the sur
roundings Of country homes and make
them attractive brings its own reward in
the happier life Of those who inhabit
these homes. But apart from this there
is n tangible business advantage to be
gained by country villages when they
are made specially attractive to city WIS.,
itors; and this profit accrues not to the
vllagc alone. but to all the surrounding
region, when the farm houses are open
TO paying occupation and market Is
provided for the products of the farm.
1t happens in this way that to tho popu.
lation Of large district 1t Is u matter of
actual profit to have the neighboring
villages and towns made attractive.
The first work In this direction Is to
improve tho roads 10 that there Is some
pleasure, or ut least some comfort, In
travelling abroad. A visitor who reaches
village over muddy and rough high
way receives no good impression of 1t,
and as the road is also the last thing ne
we'll MS the first thing which attracts his
attention, bad roads are among the most
rcpelant and disagreeablc features which
any community can present. But where
tie roads are smooth and hard, with
little dust and mud, and where good
footpaths abound, strong induccment
Is presented to those who love to pass
much time In the open air.
OF course this Is but one feature OF the
reform In any community. Shady
walks, roadsides clean and bordered with
shrubs, where this Is practicable; farm
yards free from unsightly objects, gar
dens neatly planted and kept-all these
things not only delight tho eye. as mani
festations of beauty and order alwayf
do, but they suggest cleanliness and
propricty In all the details Of life, and
proper regard for health and comfort
they give assurance Of good drainage and
pure DIR, and all other conditions which
make n sojourn in the country desirable
and beneficial.
Now, inasmuch as oil the inhabitants OF
n given district are interested In matters
of this sort, combined action is naturally
suggested. The influence Of personal ex-
ample IL undoubtedly great, and many
man, by the proper ordering Of his own
grounds, has set pattern which has
been followed by his ncighbors until an
entire community has been regencrated.
But, after oil. these matters can be much
more efficiently carried ON IL 1t Is done
in an organized way. Many town in
New England and In the middle states
has become prosperous because wealthy
men from distant cities have bought
lands near by, which have been trans
formed into beautiful parks. stocked
with well bred cattle and horses.
All this was brought about because In
the beginning there was unity OF purpose
in the community to make the town nt-
tractiye, and transient guests were In
duced to become permanent residents.
Examples like this should be M encour-
agement TO all country neigbborhoods'
aud especially TO such as have some ma
tursl advantages. There will be no aban-
doned farms in n region where there Is
assocIatcd effort for rural improvement.
Such effort cannot fail. la any eSent, to
add to the comfort and pleasures OF rural
life, end 1t 10 moro than probable that it
will insure a more substantial return In
actual revenue than any other equal out
lay IN whatever direction it i invested.
In fsss some chasrns IN the earth scnt forth
poiz1uOos fuidS, - rel a. oarmins iak, a.
VfTsch, IN AuEtria PoodsrOos hailstooas
frii IN Germany The SANE year. s1-1s a tbesn