New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-16
BEAUTIFYIyG FACTORY TOWNS.

II Is generally taken for granted that
factory town cannot be made beautiful from an
artistic point OF view 1t Is true mat many
such towns, especially In New-England are
clean and orderly. The houses OF the operatives
are kept In good repair, and In most cases are
not open to criticism from sanitary point OF
view These houses are generally UNIFORM I'D
color size and design, and they stand in SYM
metrical rows. to each house being assigned ex-
actly the same amount Of land But this very
uniformity. instead Of pleasing. has II most
depressing effect. and In few cases do the
millowners or the tenants do anything to
beautify the grounds around the houses. or the
streets or other public places Of the town. The
god OF utility reigus supreme, and 1t Is taken
for granted that 10 other state Of affairs Is pos
sblc.
But that something may be done to make
factory towns more beautiful without any sac
rihce Of the useful. IL proved by William Howe
Tolman I'm "The Review Of Reviews man
ufacturer of Dayton. Ohio, some time ago was
struck with the "barnke appearance and desc
late air of the little homes lining the railroad"
as 1t approached the city. and it occurred to
him that he might do something to beautify
the surroundings Of his own factory In the
suburbs So he planted a big bed Of flowers
In the middle Of the lawn. but somehow or
other the effect was not satisfactory: the flow
ers only nccentuated the dreariness Of their
SURROUNDINGS But he still had faith In his
idea. and in order the better to carry 1t out he
engaged the services Of John c. Olmstead the
landscape gardener, who removed the central
fiowerbed, planting smaller ones in dlHerent
places. setting shrubs In appropriate hooks and
,I,xbt httil1
graph poles and lampposts with vines. until at
last the streets about the factory looked like
the approaches to q beautiful park. Mr.. Ohm
stead worked in accordance with the principle
on which all landscape gardening Is rounded
namely. 1.-THE avoidance Of straight lines, Keep
ling the centre of the plot open, and massing
1.-The flower effects" The result OF employing
this principle was almost magical. The factory
at once became thing Of beauty, challenging
the admiration Of even the most needless be-
holder.
But Mr. Olmstead did not rest content Win
transforming the factory. He Determined u
see II he could not persuade the employees 10
make the surroundings Of their homes more at
tractive With this end in view he procured
photographs Of the estate Of Mr.. Slmons OF
Chicago and OF Miss Helen Gould's grounds at
Lyndhurst He mounted these photographs on
lantern-slides and exhibited them to the people
as obiectlessons Seeds were distributed 70
the children in the spring and prizes were
offered for the best effects in ornamental plant
ing the best arrangement OF vines ana the
best-kept Yards including wndow-boxes, vege-
table gardens, etc. And a resident landscape
Gardener was employed whom the people might
consult There were croakers who said the
scbene would be n failure. but it was not. On
the contrary 1t was great success. Inc
bouses which had previously looked like those
"of the Noah's Ark village-no adornment' the
"lots separated by board fences, with no re-
"qard 10 harmony Of color'-were changed INTO
bowers of beauty Moreover 1t was as
covered that the feeling for beauty grew by
what II fed upon The people demanded the
removal of an unsghtly stable from the fair
,roupds And other improvements that fol-
lowed bore witness TO the fact tbat these peo-
pe-average hands In an average factory
ceased to worship the god of squalld ugihess'
Each one" says Mr.. Toman, sis individuai-
"ized He does not feel that he Is a cog IN the
"vheel but IS an essential part OF the VITAL
"mechansm credited with intelligence In the
"old days men spoke Of the Factory as fa''e'-
sons pententiary'; to-day 1t Is called fat'er-
sons paradise.
Nor Is II open to the Gradgrind OF utility 10
sneer at this cultivation of the beautiful as I'M
businesslike For II has met the only test ne
recognizes: It pays. The value OF the proper'!
around this factory has much Increased. ana
M enc certainly will maintain that the OPP
eratives do their work less well because an
ottempt has been made to minister TO their
innate sense of beauty. The whole matter III
deed Is well summed up in these words or ME-
Tolman:
Whatever makes the wage-earners conteh,eu
With their homes has value for the employer
FOR the greater the home contentment the iess
ukelv will the workingmen be 10 90 Una.
which will mper 1t or impair It's integrity:
The very inexpensive and simple applcation OF
the Fundamental principles OF landscape gar
denine to the factory grounds and the MONIES
~ the wage -earners is the first step In the I'M
nrovement OF their condition by any employer
Who feels that he owes his stan more than tne
mere payment OF wages. The same reasoning
viii apply to the managers OF trolley lines an9
railroads the president Of one Eastern raiiroao
stating TO the writer that he would of1er prizes
not only for the best-kept premises, put also
FOR the best-kept farm along the line OF MS
road