The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-20

War About Shade Trees and Sewer
age Agitates Wilson People
A TRUE TREE STORY WITH A MORAL
How a Church Trustee ''S.ood 10 asin" Hi:
Pas'or ano Pteyt nted The D. sh uc,ion
of a Lovely Oak Tree in the
Town Of Wilson.

The prettie>t town in North Caro-
lima is Wilson. lis chief beauty and
! glory is lis crovn Of lowell, clms that
make its streets shady and therefore
pleasant even on the hottest DAYS. It
has taken thirty wears for these clm~
to give the good town the finest shade
in any North Carolina town.
When 1t was u quiet and unprcten-
tons town. if anybody had suggested
that the beautiful eInS be cut dow II.
1T would have p~recipitated a Small-Siz-
ed revolutions. ifut it grew 10 be a
great business mart and needed the
modern city convenienceS. An excel
lent system of water works was nut
in by II municipality and then sew
erage followed. Of late there has been
trouble with the sewerage and il has
been suggested that it WAS due to the
tact that roots OF the elmS entered
the JOINTS OF the sewer pipes. That
belief. entertained by some Of the
leading citizens. grew into such posi-
tive conviction that the Board Of Al
dermen ordered the elms to be cut
down. Think of the proclamation of
that act. \ Board of Town Commits
sioners never would nave DESTROYED the
cltNs croWn of glory. To cut down
the elmS of Wilson can be compared
10 nothing except TO suppose that
some invisible yanda1 should visit tie
town some night while all the women
slept, and whack off their tresseS and
shave their heads. What a sensation
that would create. II wouldn't change
The appearance Of the lovely women
of that lovely town more than the de
structiQn of the elms would mar the
beauty of the town.
The work Of demolition had nc
sooner begun than q great voice of in
dignatiOn was heard over the tow
against it. This protest eliminated
in a public meeting. and the Mayor
by direction Of the meeting appointed
4 committee Of three 'cutterS' and
three 'anti-cntters" to investigate the
matter of the sewerage and the tree
and report at a later meeting. In the
meantime h people Of the Who'll,
town are stirred up. and two parties
have been formed known as the Cut
tiers" and the Anti-CutterS.' and eacl
side is sure that unless his PROPOSE
ton goes through the town is ever
lastingly ruined.
Now. if this were simply q local mat
ter. no outside newspapers ought t.
haVe a word to say about it because
being a family quarrel. both sides
would rush in and DESTROY the offend
ing paper. But. though local in I
sense. it is general. for if elm tree
roots destroy the sewerage in Wilson
the same conditions will follow il
other towns in Eastern North Caro-
lima. Wilson's action will be taken a.
q precedent and NAV determine the
fate of every town in Eastern Nortl
Carolina.
| have never formulated many
creeds. but one is: You can en-
down a fine shade tree in thirty min
utes. but it will take thirty years fol
one to grow to full proportions" ant
the other is: 1T IS almost as bad Il
cut down a shade tree as to cut off {
mans head thought about these
maNimS ] invented when the Raleigh
folks cut down some trees in the cap
ital city n few @years ago, and they
came back when heard that tn,
town of Wilson had begun to cut dOw1
the elm trees. under whose gratefu
shade the happiest days of my lif1
We're spent. It made my blood run
cold. and while ! had no right to say
word. | felt in me to wish that thu
spirit of Jonas CrOwell (cOrrectly
spelled Cromwell. for he is n descend
ant of old Oliver), still lowered Over
the place.
And that reminds me Of a story
On the side of the Methodist churcl
in Wilson tands a magnificent Oal
tree. 1t has kept the burning sun OF
the heads Of man an urchin in tina
Sunday school for a quarter Of a cen
turv. IT is not as large n tree as tn,
n in Bishop Lyman'S yard in Raj
: eigh which the yenerated divine valued
~ fvo 4lo,rnnl lolIarc Int - -
fine old tree. and before the presen
church was built I have played bas'
ball under its shade many an after
noon. and | love its every leaf anC
: Dough. But-and that's ten year
agO-there came 2 preacher L
minister in that church who did no
think there were "- in trees anc
sermons in stones" and because III,
tree rotted some shingles on 7 sid'
:. of the church. he determined that i
must be cut down. He is q good man
n fine preacher. and that's the ONLY
sin I ever knew him TO harbOr in hi,
heart. It took me ten years TO for
give him for the thought of cutting
that tree down. LIDO not believe | eve
could have forgiven him if the tree
had been sacrificed 10 his unitarian
ism. After cOnceiving the idea tina
the tree should be cut down, thi:
preacher. who was n resOlute man
whose policy is to put his plans into
execution. hired two strong negro men
with sharp aXeS. TO cut down the tree
on a certain Monday morning. The1
We're on hand. likewise the axes. anC
likewise the preacher. They stood
minute in the grateful shade of tina
fine tree. and the only thought in tbs
mind of thai preacher was that thu
tree rotted the shingles and STAINED
the paint on the church.
: "a primrose by the rivers brim,
A yellow primrose was to him
And nothing more
: He gave the order to the two ne
, uroes to LET fall the axe. and one O.