New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-03
An IDEAL MEMORIAL.

A n,an for n memorial which deserves imila-
,,on wos made public a few days ago In Lon
don n, the annual meeting of the National
,rrrst for Places of Historic Interest or Naiu-
raj Beauty. The business Of this young society
&C us nomc IMPLIES Is to acquire and preserve
for the public benefit places which might other
wise he ruined through the changes wrought ny
industrial progress Ii has already made
good beginning. and has In lis possession Il
niece Of fine cliff scenery In Wales, Cornish
headland juttng into the sea opposite lii'a
gel. n medieval clergy house and an ancient
cuildhall I'm cathedral town. 1t Is also h'go
t,oting for an old fcudal castle. TO these mas
hcon added the memorial In question. IL Is
hilltop in Kent, with splendid view OF inc
woodland of the Weald. and 1t Is to he held ny
tho Trust as a memorial to Mt Rl'haih
Fcemey, through the gift OF his friends ME-
and Mrs. Richardson Evans
The good sense and beauty OF such mohh-
mont are self-evidcnt. II Is swccter tribute
and one more likely 10 give an immortality OF
tender regard to the dead man than any crea-
t|on Of marble, for 1t says that his frlehd'
Thought of him ms lover of beauty, and for all
t,ne those who love that spot will associate II
with the name Of him for whose sake II is pre-
served from the plough or the axe. This Is IN"
sort OF memorial which should not be confined
70 England. How many cliffs and glenS ana
hllltops In our own country have been IN" IA
vorlto baunts OF men whose friends desire 10
roise monuments TO them, What more appro-
pirate than that The spots they loved should he
held sacred TO them and bc preserved TO give
iov to others in their name? Oftcn II would
cost less than the ugly blocks Of granite 10
which tombstone taste so generally runs What
better monument could Thorenu have had than
the preservation Of n few acres by walden
Pond? And how much more human would our
country life be II the places OF special natural
beauty which abound everywhere were soEc
of them held In trust for their bcauty's sake
and all Of them thought Of as the possible OBJ
jects Of somebody's care:
At present American scenery has too little
protection and we need some such INSTITUTION
rs the English Trust TO secure interest IN the
subject and also TO offer a convenient custo'
dian for property which men would he glad 10
dedicate to beauty, but often see no way for its
preservation. Many man has an attractive
mere on his farm which he would gladly give
N n society which showed any interest in IT,
while nc would never think Of creating truS
Toe for It himself 1t Is natural that the Eng
lish should have been ahead Of US in this work
They care moro for rural scenery and long cult
yation has given them n finished country and
n chance 10 pick ont spots of special charm
while we have been 30 intent on conqucring
wild lands that We often neglect to note the
beauty Of what we destroy. Otherwise we
should not bc struggling unsuccessful'y TO save
the Palisades In Great Britain the laws pro-
tcct scenery better than with us. Recently Il
railroad was projected to Kcnlworth, but II
was forbidden, on the ground that the benefit
TO be derived was not an Offset to the damage
1t would do to the charm OF that historic spot;
end not long ago the refusal OF n franchise to
Scotch railroad was seriously considered be-
cause its route was along q famous clif on
which a drive had been constructed for the
sake Of the view. and the railroad threatened
to ruin the cliff q point for the enjoyment OF