The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-16
Town IMPROVEMENT.

Among the social movements which
have grown into a position of impor-
lance during the past ten years is what
began as Village improvement work.
The movement has outgrown the COM
paratively narrow field in which it
started, and has become city improve
ment on the one hand, and rural i'm
provemcnt on the other. Considering
it, however, in its work in improving
small towns, it has an influence quite
beyond the mere effect upon the eye
of the beautifying of the streets and
surroundings of place.
Properly directed, it becomes an
excellent means Of keeping at home
the young people of country towns and
the region about them, and prevent
ing them from drifting away to the
cities, where they often find their ruin.
The town, village, or rural Improve
ment Societies generally begin their
work by planting trees, and this is a
good way to begin, for nothing is more
"improving," SO far as it goes than a
good tree planted in the right place
but presently the society proceeds to
other things.
In many towns in this country the
improvement Societies have been the
means of laying needed sidewalks and
establishing better rQadways, and thus
facilitating business in introducing
some sort Of drainage, and making the
town cleaner, healthier, safer and more
comfortable to live in, and in greatly
stimulating public spirit and general
good fellowship, and legitimately cad
vertising" the attractions of a place.
The Village improvement Societies
are said: to have received their lnspir-
alton from the Public Green Associa-
ton Of New Haven, Connecticut,
which, about one hundred years ago,
received contributions of money, OF
goods and Of work from the citizens
of New Haven, then rural town, to
"grade the green and plant elms. "
These very elms have since gone far
to make the town attractive to resi-
dents and business men.
More recently, in several towns in
the older half of the country, the
interest awakened by Improvement
Societies has led men who were born
in a town, and who have become rich
there or elsewhere, to present Libraries,
halls, churches and other desirable
things to the town.
The establishment of an Improve
ment Society is simple thing. Nc
money is absolutely required to set il
going, though money sufficient fol-
necessary purposes comes in various
ways, from small membership fees,
fairs, lectures and concerts, and pres
emily from Individual subscriptions.
A case of peculiar interest is related
in connection with this improvement
work. In town which had large
proportion of foreign-born residents
ofdiverse languages, engaged in quar-.
rying and manufacturing, society Of
this sort was organized, and the en-
ployers of labor were induced to" shut
down" on given day, on which
owners and operatives joined in a
great Improvement bee"
"Many hands made light work." il
is related, "and all had a good time
From that day the people have al
thought moro of one another and
more of their homes, which richly
shared in these improvements, as die
the sidewalks, roadsides and Other
public grounds
The work of all classes, all together
for the common benefit, promoted
good citizenship and willing industry
as we'll as the establishment of the
town.
Sometimes young people fall into a
way of depreciating their native town
especially if it is country village, and
of saying, "This is good place tc
emigrate FROM IT their elders were
to try to make their towns agreeable
sighthly and progressive, is it not posi-
BILE that their children would have
quite another feeling?
If the older people are slow in or
ganizing societies of the kind, it il
quite practicable for the young peopl,
to take up the work and carry it for
ward, and they may derive mucl
enjoyment from it while they ais,
confer public benefit.
The work is being carried into tn
public schools, and finds fertile sol
in them. A School House Yard I'm
provement Society may not only result
in great deal of fun for the pupil
OF the public schools, but extend it
influence to take in a whole town ant
its vicinity Youths Companion.