The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-09
IMPRONENIE SOCIETl


Fountain Inns village Improvement
society Is making that town famous
We notice references TO it in several
newspapers and the Gatfney Ledger, in
leading editorial, urges tho people of
Gatfnoy to initiate tho example oi
Fountain Inn. We hope the suggcs-
tiOn of the Ledger will be needed.
There should be some feeling 10y the
people of community for the town
they live in besides and beyond what II
horse has for his stable. We suffer
morally and intellectually by stunting
and starving the sentimental sides of
our natures. Many OF orr villages and
cities are mere collections of people
who care nothing for each other or for
anything except few dollorS. There
are many men who actually boast that
they &c not know or care about any
thing except their business and their
"homcs." They really think they have
souls, but they have only remnants OF
what were souls because they have
squeezed all their thoughts and hopes
between two counters or II set OF
books. They think they have homes
because they have special places where
they cat their meals and sleep. The
truth is they do not know, understand
or care what Il home is and ought to
be. Men Of that kind MISS all the best
of life. They go TO their graves he
HcvlnG they have lived wnilr they
have not. they represent series OF
mistakes and failures aud yet honestly
think tnut they have been wise and
successful. ~ community composed OF
such men cannU, flourish. 1t must IN
evitably take dry rot for lack Of pub
lie spirit. That Is why towns as they
become old tend TO decay. Scliishnrss
ceases to hc enlightened At the be
ginning when number Of men or
families enlist in an enterprise lugclh-
or they work together, feeling their
mutual dependence. AS leading men
become cngrOsScd in their own affairs
they get out Of touch with their fellows
and their community. No town can
prosper with such conditions.
We do MT know any better means
or fostering and stimulating public
spirit than the Improvements societies
Ihcy encourage men TO take interest
IN their towns, TO have Il pride in thrm
to bc constantly ON the watch for uU.
p)rtunilirS to mcnd defects aud in
crcnsc the comfort Of living aud thr
looks OF things. When people are in
the habit Of working together and con
snltlng and cooperating with cacl
other in small things they will con
tinuc that habit in big things When
everybody in II town is proud OF it auG
ready to do Il part to improve it tha,
town will prosper.
Too many of our towns, small ant
large, arc dusty on uirly, bare nnt
shabby. They look neglected, as they
are. Thclr appearance shows that no
BODY takes an interest in them or care:
how they look and the houses lock liIi,
the towns The inviuciblu love of wU
n hl l,N, E,,l {
flowers and plants but the uglinr,s unt
baroness can not be hidden. House!
arc built in any shape and position an,
grounds arc left Uttered and unsightly
1t is wonderful how fast and ut whaI
small cost Il little Thought and laho,
can change all this and make IL burrcl
ugly, poverty stricken looking town
henutliul ana '-''''"",ivr --Grrcnvill,
-1xa~s.
Tho above Is so nearly what we huv,
tried to preach for the past dozen year.
and so much better said than we huv,
ever been able to say it that we print i,
In full and endorse most heartily ever,
word OF it. We have said so often that
wo take too little Thought Of the scnti
mental and become 50 absorbed in bust
ness rs to make us selfish that We ar,
glad to get somebody to say just wha,
We have been trying to say.
Every word Of what Editor Williams
has written is true and VIC hope cvrrN
citizen uf Ncwbcrry will read it. oven
carefully and ponder and digest it.
All OF us live too much to oursrlvc,
and have too little thought and ear,
for the public veal. We forget ,hu,
efforts put forth for the general
good have reflex action and help IL
aud every one in the community whcth.
er we feel it directly or not. We can.
not escape the good results.
Some years ago we organized an i'm.
provcmcnt society in Ncwbcrry and fol
awhile there was considerable interest
taken and the organization did good
We are sorry it was not kept up. 1t
should have been, and had We beer
able to do it and could have gotten oui
people to take an interest in the move
mcnt we would have accomplished ;
great deal more good. We need to &c,
ourselves out OF ourselves and to rculiZ,
that there arc other people in the com
munity and that he gets the most ou
OF life aud really lives most who live.
least to himself.
We would be glad to sec our improve
mcnt society revived.