Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-10-07
FROM THE MAYOR.
City Improvements and Real Pro
greSs-The Immediate Needs of
the Capltal-A Readable
Letter from Mayor
Twitchell.
To the Editor of the New Mexican.

To the Editor of the New Mexican.
Santa Fe, Oct G.--Will the people of
this city ever find room to discuss any
thing other than politics and public Of
fees? This seems to me to be one of the
questions that needs immediate solution.
In Santa Fe, more attention is paid to
who shall hold $40 job on the police
force or to who shall be deputy sheriff,
or janitor of public building than all
else beside. Our supposed best citizens
will congregate around the Arcade corner
and discuss these propositions as though
tho whole world and its right to revolve
depended upon some applicant for $l2
a week job. What we need is less poll
tics ard more earnest thought as to the
ACTUAL NEEDS OF THE CITY.
Now what do we need? In my opinion
Santa Fe needs just at present system
attic improvement of her streets and
highways more than anything else. Moth
ing attracts the attention of visitor SO
much, when he sees city for the first
time, as coed, clean, well paved, well side
walked streets. They are an ADVERTISE
ment to the world, of thrift and progress.
They are an indication of prosperity and
good order. The citizen who builds him
self a home, beauties its surroundings,
plants trees and keeps his grounds in
f1st-class repair, is a standing advertise
ment of his worth in the community.
What applies to the citizen applies with
equal force to city. The city which
adorns itself with modern Improvements,
attracts attention at once. Every travel
err who visits it, remarks the same and
others come upon the recommendation of
the first. Advertisement of this kind is
permanent and attracts capital the
owners of which will come and assist in
further improvements. 1t is talk, a mus
cular jaw and tongue which moves the
world more than any other factor. What
is the idea that first strikes Santa Fean
when he visits other cities? Heimmediate-
ly compares the town with Santa Fe and
decides at once whether he would prefer
living there or at Santa Fe. So it is with
every one who visits Santa Fe; he decides
at once whether he would like to live
here, he
DOES IT BY COMPARISON.
It is important then that first impress
sions of Santa Fe should be good and
lasting. How can this city improve it.
self? We.are poor. We have very little
money. Our property finds no ready sale
| among ourselves. What shall we do? We
must look for buyers and capital among
those who cone to see US. We must at
tract money to us, and when once it is
started, other money will follow like
sheep after goat. Capital is timid, but
it will follow II leader. Nobody will have
confidence in US if we have no confidence
in ourselves, and when On owner allows
his property to go to ruin and decay he
certainly lacks confidence or cash or both
But where shall we commence? Thanks
to the Womans Board of Trade the plazt
will in another year become an adver
tisement of progress, of the gentler Sc,
of Santa Fe, at least. But why not pro
coed? Why not begin on San francisco
street? Why not grade it, regulate tn
curbing, put down good sidewalks wher
we now have eye sores and death trap
and macadamize it from the cathedral t.
Sandoval street. This is our
PRINCIPAL BUSINESS STREET,
and we're it placed it first-cass condition
it would be more of an advertisement t,
the world of this city than all tn
banquets and dinners to fake sanitariun
and health resort doctors ever given sine
the days of Esculapius. What would i
costs Not to exceed so cents from
foot for grading and matchmaking. FL:
up your streets, your alleys, your side
walks and keep them in repair, and i
, any doctors or capitalists shall como t.
Santa Fe, it will not be necessary for GU
Board of Trade to give banquets an
buy lands to offer to them as a bonus
p They will sock out the lands themselve
e and pay their good money for them an
then give us bauquets for the privileg
: of living here.
But people (some people, will say, VIII
! read this, and l hope everybody will, yo
are mayor, we elected you, why don't 20
practice what you preach! Why don
! you get move on yourself and give u
all these things about which you talk an
write so glibly. Let me say that the cit
council and myself are doing our yer
best to accomplish what is for the inter
est of the city The city marshall as stree
commissioner, has certainly done and
J doing all that any man can possibly d
with the limited means placed at his dis
posal. But the general revenues of th
city are rot sufficient to carry out a sy'
tematic Improvement such as woul
really DO an advertisement. What "
want is a
HEALTHY PUBLIC SENTIMENT
in favor of public Improvements. Tt
owners of real estate should be as desi
GUS of improving the streets upon whic
their property is situate as is the goo
! housewife of keeping her parlors an
kitchen equally clearly and respectabl
The condition of the streets of city al
the best indication of its welfare an
ability to cope with the other munic
palities of the state for supremacy, con
mercial or otherwise. What we must 4
is to make start, and then, as the yea
20 on, gradually improve the whole cit
When one street is improved, owners
property on rival streets will want thei
also improved. A spirit of friendly en-
lation is engendered and all rebounds
the benefit of the ontire people.
Now will the people help themselves
don't say will they help us. How ]or