The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-22
FRIDAY, February q. 1901.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

..MuntcipalitIes are awakening to the
fact says Frederick w Darlington IN
,ba Municipal Journal, that public I'M
prove,nents must combine the useful Win
the ornamental. The citizens OF the mou-
o-, CITY will be satisfied with nothing
less. 1t does not require the eNpendituf"
of any more money to make an improve
mont beautiful than TO have it severely
plain. The City Beautiful will be the
product OF the twentieth century, anu
there is no good reason why the work
of civic adornnlent should not commence
ir,nediatelv. The people demand that
the Public moneys shall be expended SO
as to obtain the greatest good 10 Inc
greatest number.
Public cleanliness and public ornamcn-
iation are among the surest signs ana
characteristics of modern civilization. AS
civilization, advances. human life becomes
more and more precious and CIVILIZATION
recognizes the fact that man does not
live by bread alone. Life is so-nthihs
more than meat and drink. Nature IS
full of sentiment and ornamental s2s-
eestions. The fragrance of flowers, the
song of birds. the laughter of ripping
,ills, the sparkle of wine, the oolornS
and arrangement of what Or. Talmage
calls natures upholstery''-wnat are all
these but sentiment? There is very little
OF the practical in music and fragrance
and song and laughter and colerng. But
these things have their place in the
world, else an all-wise and eenenciefll
Orator would never have provided then
Nature on every hand suggests the beau
tiful and reminds man TO cultivate his
aesthetic tastes. Nature has set us the
example and has shown US how to beau
1ify and adorn and it is our own neglect
II our cities and ilc;ncs are not beautiful
and ornamental as we'll as useful.
Electricity has contributed most gem
crouslr 10 artificial ornamentation. By
means oil the tncandescent electric light we
may without danger from fire produce all
sorts of artistic effects, upon occasion,
in public halls. or in private parlors. or
in the parks of the cities. and as for the
electric fountain, it is one of the Wen
ders OF the age. 1t was one of the tea
lures at The Worlds Fair in Chicago, and
at night it was the centre Of attraction.
Thousands and thousands of people gath
cred around to look at this artistic thing
and imagine that they We're in fairyland-
The people never tired Of looking at it, for
it was constantly changing its color, in
the 1wirkiing of an eye from green to red
and from red TO blue and from blue TO all
the cclors of the rainbow The electric
fountain has beer. introduced in various
cities OF the Union and Is employed as
an educational factor The more the
people see OF beautiful things the more
ihey love them and the greater will be
tie demand for civic ornamentation.
II is proposed at The public entertain
ment to be given in this city next fan
TO make an elaborate electrical display
n the Capitol Square. There viii be an
electric fountain, there will be arches
here and there along the walks. sur
there wi:, be Illuminated artificial flow
ers in the trees and all sorts OF devices
of one sort and another TO show how cleo
tIicity may be used in crnamentat.on.
This display we have no doubt will have
the effect 10 create a greater demand in
this city for public adornment, and that
IS a result deroutly to be wished. The
people rule. and if the people OF this
community will demand more ornaments
ton they will get it. and il Richmond
should become the most beautiful, and
the most ornamental city in the South. it
would soon become the largest and most
prosperous city in the South. There is.
as Mr.. Darlington says. a practical side
to the question which is not to be over
looked. Paintings and poetry and music
belong to the realm OF sentiment, but
none rdll deny That they have their prac-
teal uses.