The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-01
NOISE r. A BIG 7
F@oGRsSS FROM BARBARisM MAY BE
ri1asuREc BY NOISE.

There always cones a period in the
history of Il progressive community when
a desire to keep down noise begins 10
> show itself. In the primitive stages of
cultnre-tlle savage. the barbarian and
: the "einibarbarian--t!le passion for noise
Is always strong. All savages and bar
barians love to make all the row they
can Their JOY and sorrow both express
themselves in yells. walls and shouts
AMI the beating and blowing of loud re-
sounding instruments. more especially
the drum ind the horn The noise of
primitive sayage warfare almost equals
that of the gunpowder engagements of
modern arms. although it was, as we
might say almost wholly manual or
vocal
The din OF a barbarian funeral. too.
was and is something appalling. The
practice OF hiring 1ourlers to make Il
loud ameut on such occasions has come
down almost to our own time among
the Celtic Irish. All African travellers
describe the noise Of little m~errylnaking
in an African village as something which
no civilized man easily forgets. Those
who have passed an evening at a Chinese
theater have probably never in their
widest dreams thought it possible to
produce plays with musical accompani-
ments of such awful s~.lriilness and III
tensitv
In fact. it is hardly an exar-cration to
sa." that the progress OF a race in civ
iliZatlon may be marked by a steady re-
duction in the volume of sound which it
produces i'll connection with its deaths.
births, marriages, teasts, merrymah-
ings, its wars and peaces. trade, COM
merce and manufactures. The more cul-
ture OF all kinds it acquires the less noise
it produces. There is no surer sign, in
fact. OF an upward movement Of the
tribal soul tina the appearance of a de-
sire to get along with less uproar. When
its leading mel begin to ask themselves
whether this or that could not safely b.
done with fewer yells or smaller drums.
it shows that it is becoming self conscious
and is feeling the throbs of a new life.
After this comes a change in the charac.
ter of the musical instruments. a genera,
lowering Of the tones Of the voice. the
substitution at funerals of the silent tear
for the half manlacal keen" and the
exaction of silence in military drill.
In cities this mental and moral growth
is OF course isplayed in the repression
OF street cries. of street music. of all
noises made for mere amusement such
as beating of drums, and blowing of
horns. and purposeiess and persistent
shouting and yelling. These are but
rudimenta~v steps. and we have already |
70 bon f1A,, -, New W..
most important one. the reduction of the |
noise made by the ordinary and legiti- |
mate street traffic. we are only begin
ming. its Importance has been recog. |
nlzei III the modern world pari pass. |
with the increasing interest in and care
for public hygiene.
There Is no modern city Meath bgar,i |
and indeed 10 modern city doctor. wine |
Is not well aware Of the evil Effects Of
ihressaHt pose ia the g4sz ana iucraas.
ibS nuit1tn5@ he ID ali TIE Great cittas |
9pw live. oae might say. t. tseir wits
but mere accurately. tT their nerves
fsa aaHsf # mental uuarat35as 4,aEas I
.agEIEg sE3H.es. or u. III events an 49,.
pfoach IT, i.elaa.. for taegg haalttas 81.
IN "Itlas like New York, london q.
Fst@s. eaEFg o9 by merchants. brokers
f~a--r=z a-+-= r-az. -H. .#sr.s.
airs s...=--.- l.- = .r+
PAINTERS. -s. ius-s 5~l..- f,n--.
itas. rra.-f.ra. "a e.-. ,Ef7.s -5.ss....
#af .z.sv.z wills n, 5..r Dr.. .rfsF .-.-...
Tie f-=s--a.- ---. riff =- r.--
midst af rfss. .+,ayrs rf.~.ar .--
If e1r.4 greatly igr-.s-.4 ~. nr.
t4ra Of vital FORCE p-s=r, .g.
ra..rs5 ezare:as a... ....E
reduction .f rift. Noise Ia r-..- s..
most itagarr~-.r elem. .a.4 c4.-.
f. EzT gszx ra A---a .t
fau. sF et4- z-.= .zr,.-e- ..-z.-s
ranidls rsra-5-# ami u.-
F-.4 q rsara-..7 EFFECT 81, s---z -