Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-06-11


kept streets. Our busy friend has had so
much experience on streets, bad and in
different, up hill and down dale, in his
business In this vicinity that the contrast,
no doubt, was more noticeable than with
an ordinary mortal; yet the stranger who
enters our gates and who rides about men
tions the bad streets first, and wonders
second that we endure 1t. Our billy,
rocky. clayey soil. the heavy teamng and
the lack Of funds, suppose, are all causes
for this state of things within the city
limits, but are these causes real, are not
some of these remediable? As one enters
the town by rail and passes down the
main street what impressions must be
given of the public spirit, enterprise and
local patriotism of our citizens who will
be content with the unclean bitches, re-
ceptacles for beer bottles, filth and dirt Of
all kinds which accompany the stranger
in his walk into the town, and the unkempt
and uncomfortable sidewalks upon which
he places his feet, This article Is not
intended for personal attack upon indi-
yidual officials, past or present. Without
the strong backing of the body polite it
Is we'll known the officials can not do only
so far as their means will allow. And
here is the point; the men will tell US
women that there can be no change. they
are doing the best that can be done under
the circumstances. and the existing circum
stances are inevitable. but all the same we
women do not believe it. Given will, an
unselfsh interest in ones town. a desire to
help each other and not the fear that some
other person will be benefited other or
more than themselves by improvements
given also spirit of self sacrifice and
Willingness TO assume personal response
bility and the means to improve our streets,
our schools, To give us n system of sewer
age and to make this gem Of a city could
be found. Given the same interest In the
town as a whole that is put into so many
organizations. such as the Masons, Odd
Fellows and so ou-and the same willing
ness to give a little more than the law re-
quires instead Of striving 20 give as little
As possible, and what couldn't be done
with and for our city! That Is all we'll
says Mr. Conservative Jones II can hear
him; granted. MIR. Jones but it is the ideal
and theoretical that become in time the
real and practical; | refer you, sir, 10 the
al
assertion. 1t l. possible with enterprise
and knowledge Of the best ways OF doing
things to so manage the improvements
that they shall be real improvements and
not patches on the old, year after year
And why does the city allow corporations
like the water works and electric light
company, telegraph and telephone com
panles to dishgure our city as they
do? The filling Of the sprinkler on the
corner of two of our main streets is dis
iigurcment which has been adversely com
mented upon by more than one stranger,
The Village Improvement Society which
at present is composed of a few women,
can not do much as they have little strength
in any direction; yet II Is amusing to hear
| persons say what Is the society doing
why do they no. do thi, or that. or, they
have not done and so, evidently ex-
pecting more of them than of themselves
and the city together One will say. they
have never been on our street" and viii
show anger and indignation when 1t may
| br not person on the street has ever been
10 the meetings or given one cent towards
the expenditures. When asked for a
dollar year 10 aid in the work they say,
money is hard, we cannot afford it, yet
| when a horse show, minstrel entertain
ment, circus or some such amusement Is on
hand money is not 80 hard. 50 the excuse
! is not the reason, but the truth is lack
| of interest. Ii they could be brought To
| realize how much more valuable life would
seem when part Of its subst ance was
given for the benefit of the whole rather
| than for a flecting amusement, a real kind
ness would be done.
| The v | society has the real interest
| of the city at heart. Their interest is not
| confined yet those parts Of the city most
conspicuous engage their first attention
| naturally and If they could remove or be
| instrumental in removing some obnoxious
| landmarks from public view, then they
would gladly turn their attention to less
conspicuous places. They wish to co.
| operate with the city ia some concentrated
work that " i'll be lasting landmark of
| work done, aud an everlasting good to the
| city; their fund, are low but they are
| watchful and mean 10 keep up an interes,
and to aid public sentiment if nothing
more; they would gladly accept contribu
lions If money from those who have not
been asked already, if not as much a,
| dollar,a smaller amount would be welcomed
and help. No entertainments have beer
given recently because so heavy a burden
| comes upon the few. AS has been sale
| heretofore there has been a marked i'm.
provement in individual effort for one.
| own. When new house Is built, (and
it is said there have been two hundred
built here in the last ten years. the grounds
are carefully graded. trees are planted and
the premises are kept cleaner and in better
t order all around than ten years ago
Lawns are kept shaver where once the
grass was allowed to stand until ripe and
in many respects we have advanced, vet in
comparison with what might be done BY
private enterprise and individual help, if
| the city is not able to do it, we are far be-
midland why need we be so far behind
those beautiful cities in the west, Dr. p.
so much admired?
The " l. society ought not to be Of
women alone; the men should be interest
ed enough to unite with them in some
superhuman efforts for the making this
city the ideal home of an ideal people.
| quote an item cut from a recent New
York Tribune for suggestion-not that one
would expect from Ellsworth what was
done in Jamaica, although that is a no
larger town than Ellsworth.
| Four hundred thousand do liars is con-
| siderable sum of money for single town
in Queens County to expend at one time
on public improvements. If, however, the
town of Jamaica. which has just been
authorized to sell bonds to that amount,
expends the money wisely it should receive
a large retY-n in the increased value of it's