St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-01
Hon. j. }. NEARBY City Comptroller.

The biggest thing before st. Paul
during 1895 will be also, to my mind.
| the most important thing for citizens
to consider, and that is the great ma
tional encampment of the G. A. r.
next September Most residents fail en-
| tirely to appreciate the Importance of
the event. Only those who have at
tended national encampment, or who
have sought the experience of other
| cities can understand what it is to en-
| terrain a crowd so vast that it will
double ST. Paul's population during an
entire week, and give almost every
| house two occupants where there was
/ one before. Not alone. will the enter
tainment Of the national encampment
be great and difficult task, but it
will be the most widespread, perma-
nent, and effectivee reimbursement that
the SANITY City has ever had. To ad-
vertise the city as. thoroughly by any
other means would require twice the
amount that will be expended by citi-
zens in September.
If the encampment is to advertise ST.
Paul, it must advertise the city's good
points and not its disadvantages. Many
minor blemish will be magnified into
serious objection on an occasion
when community is naturally sup
posed to put it's best foot forward
Thus every resident should feel 1t to
his personal interest to aid in remov-
Ing the least cause for dissatisfaction
or for unfavorable' comparison with
other cities. A large number Of the ex-
pected visitors have attended encamp-
ments in leading cities of every section
of the country. St.nPauI must put on
its best clothes. 1t must dress up, as
the children say, to see company. A
great deal can be done in the business
part of town by judicious effort of
good taste and at little expense. Along
every business street there are now
multitude of antiquated, useless, and
unsightly advertising signs-old wood
en- Indians, weather-beaten, half oblit-
Grated sign boards. representing indus
tries or lines Of goods that have chang
ed, or removed, nondescript wooden
black boards or triangular contrivances
encroaching upon the sidewalk. We
will need every foot of room upon our
sidewalks next September. All these
OOJSSSS ct PiOSCAl pGuGSCTl-
ans are there in spite Of the ordinances,
and are simply tolerated as matter
of established custom The signs should
receive attention, but the walls of
many business buildings should not be
ignored. 1t only requires the recollec-
ton of what the ARMY building and
the Union block were before they were
recently painted to show the happy
effect Of covering the stains of dust
and coal smoke on any; wall originally
light colored rgs
In the residence district, I think that
each street or section should unite in
efforts to improveisthej appearance Of
its homes. Daytop'si, Bluff, Summit
avenue, Jackson street hill, the West
side, might each fornasstreet improve
ment associations. >. Working in har-
mony, neighbors would need to spend
very little money in order to plant
flowers and shrubs along every bouIe-
ward, repair. every defective fence,
trim trees, renew defaced lawns, or
clear vacant lots of brush and weeds,
and so increase immeasurablv the fav-
orable impression to be taken away by
thousands Of visitors
Although luSSe measures are not eX-
pensive, the entertainment Of ones
friends, the Inauguration Of even small
and temporary ventures dependent on
the presence of the encampment, will
require reasonable expenditure.
Therefore there has been an excellent
example set by the citizens who have
already begun to lay aside few dol
lars every week for the entertainment
of their expected guests or of pro-
posed business extensions during Sep
TENDER.
1t was some time ago that appIica-
tons first came in for apartments to
be occupied next fall The G. A.
boys" never worry about their food
Assured Of place tor sleep, they de-
pend on the lessons of a military past
to guarantee them ample rations. Ar
rangements, however. for supplying adj
equate lodging Recommendations can
not be begun too soon.
In carrying out every plan that can
be devised for the success of the en-
campment all citizens. can depend up
on the willing and intelligent coop
Grafton of the different committees al
ready appointed. Eleven chairnen,