Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-07-23

the people OF to-day. ms longing
to eclipse our neighbors is confined tc
no one locality or nation. 1t is uni.
versal. One Of the most renowned
temples is the Eiffel tower in Paris
1t is very doubtful whether this huge
structure will serve any useful pur
pose, scientific or other. Nor have
we ever heard that it has great
ly added TO the sum of human Joys
France is a beautiful country and
Paris is beautiful city. but W,
fancy that both are seen to better
advantage on the level than from tho
birds point of view. The fact is that
when you have said, that the Eifel
tower is nearly thousand feet high,
and, in its way, the Biggest Thing in
the World, you have pretty near ex-
hausted the subject. The Toronto
Globe, in an article on this subject
warns the people everywhere that
population is not all that is required
to make city great and prosperous.
1t says;
1--WE are free from similar exhibi
tons of folly in Canada. But to
everyone not affected by this strange
frenzy it is obvious that the thing to
be desired in city or country is not
mere population, but the happiness
and prosperity Of the people. Oul
ambition, for instance, should be not
to make Toronto a city of half mill
ion people, but to make it city OF
happy and prosperous people, be they
few or many a city of clean, broad
and well-paved streets city where
wealth is fairly divided among the
people n city where the stranger
will not turn aside from an avenue OF
mansions into lane where the ten
stored house shuts out the breeze OF
heaven and the light of day. AT
present Toronto is so well off in this
respect that it has been called the
City Of Homes. Let us resolve that
whatever position we may take OH the
census roll we will keep that proud
title for Toronto, and make her more
worthy of il"
There is good, sound sense in what
our Toronto contemporary says. The
happiness and prosperity of city does
not lie in the multitude of its people.
Over.crowded cities are always the
homes of the paupers and mendicants.
and no city can be said to be really
prosperous which does not increase
its sources of employment to meet its
increase of population. Saginaw, for
instance, with 100000 population,
would be no better off III all that con-
tributes to the welfare of lis people
than it is to-day with 10000, or
Whereabouts, unless its labor-cmploying
industries keep pace with the increase
Of population. Cities, however big,
are only prosperous when their people
are contented, and this applies with
greater force to labor than any other
factor in city building.
Coupled with the modern worship
of bigness is the modern worship
of speed. OF course it is a very easy
thing, as we have been often told
that we can cross the Atlantic Ocean
now in few days, instead of in a
couple of months, and save an hour
or so in rushing across the continent
on railway train but it is evident
that the desire to cut records in ocean
passages is degenerated into craze
To make the trip in six days instead
of eight involves an enormous addi-
tional risk. And there are really
very few men whose time is so preci.
oss that if they spend an extra two
days on the ocean humanity will
suffer an irreparable loss Speed is d
good thing; hurry is sometimes ne.
cessary but we are in danger OF
making it the end, instead of tho
means. And we should remember
that a more patient and leisurely life
has its ends, too, such as the strength.
ening of the reflective faculty and the
promotion of physical and mental
health. --Saginaw Courier.