Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-03-25
RAILROAD STATIONS.
GROUNDS AROUND THEM GENERALLY
NEGLECTED..

What New 1s,Tl< Railways DO In the
Why of Orns,mentntion-ETO To-
ward Impro~ A subject of
Interest to Every Town.
Among the most neglected and i'll
treated public places in this country are
the grounds around railway stations.
With the enormous travel, which is in
creasing from ~ar to year, any change
for the better will reach, with its direct
and indirect benefits, thousands of peo-
pie. Railway station surroundings are
among the things most constantly I'M
der the eye of the American. The i'm
preston they create, so continuously
repeated, are constant source of per
sonal annoyance as we'll as a draw back
to the locality which most flagrantly
outrages the public sense of neatness.
To learn Just what ideas, if any, the
railway companies have on the subject
of identifying the areas around their
stations inquiry was recently made of
those having head offices in New York
city. 1t was desired to know what had
been done toward this adornment, what
was being done, what the companies
had in mind to do and what their gen
eral conception of such work was. 1t
was found that practically the same tale
was told by ALL and that it was neces-
sarily short and simple. 1t was to the
effect that at the stations near the most
important termini the surrounding areas
were laid out with driveways and grass
plots, and that during the season.
spring to autumn-there were half a
dozen men who went over the road per
petually to keep them i'll good order.
The men were common labOrers and
performed their work under the direC
tion and supervision of the division or
section foreman.
There was total absence of system
or of intention upon large and com
petent plan. Business of a rough and
prOsaic character was evidently cOnsid
cred the function of railway company,
and the aesthetic, as yet, bears the same
relation to it as feeble flower to the
solid rock i'll a crevice of which 1T has
found precarious Judgment. In railway
station buildings themselves something
more has been accomplished, for struc-
lures enter i'll as an element of the COM
petition for traffic, and the same is
even truer of the Injuries and embel-
lishments of the coaches; art has APP
peared, but only as the servitor of a
business necessity. No such stimulus
has yet extended to the improvement of
station grounds. Although the Ameri-
can sees many, and sees them often, he
yet does not have to abide with them.
If they atflict his eyes, it is but for IA
moment at a time.
AT "a recent meeting of the Society
For the Preservation of Scenic and
Historic Places and Objects of New
York the following resolution was
unanimously adopted
Whereas, Most of the railroad stations of the
state of New York are devoid of scenic attrac-
ton and landscape establishment and in this
respect are inferior i'll many cases to those of
neighboring states, and
Whereas, The avenues of steam traffic through
the cities and villages of the state are, in the
nature of things, almost invariably bordercd
by unattractive conditions which, unless coun
teracted by more agreeable surroundings at
the halting places of the trains, create in the
mind of the traveller an unfavorable impress
sion of the community through which he is
passing, and
Whereas, Experience has demonstrated that
extensive improvements in the way of lawn
adornment, the systematic arrangement of
trees and shrubs and the proper disposition of
paths and drives can be effected at compare
lively small cost therefore be it
Resolved In the interest of the public health
comfort and pleasure the local reputation Of
the respective communities and the general
civic pride of the state that the steam railroad
companies whose tracks lie or partly lie with