Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-03

(, Closely akin to tho ;,,,
ee'S ~ the abatement of cert.i,
""'sa,,tes winch are the na,ura, an,
s'o",n oil rusty and Unrestricted ~.
va" NE. WIN" large constrnc,r.,
schemes can only be carried ON, In ,h,
course oil many years. a vast imnr,vc.
| "eht IN urban conditions can l.,
"chieved simply by Restrictive r,ra,.
u'es. FIRST OF all, naturally comes ~,
question of smoke. The prohlnn, :,
rather new for Springfield, because !,
Is only OF late years that hi,umin,,,,
VCat mas been used to an obiectionah,o
extent. Ten years ago a fall of snow
would lie fresh and unsullied RI,
weeks, now 1t becomes dingy almos,
Immediately. 6 simple test of the
enahGe. IEcre has been a com
mendahle public concern in the mat
FER, and the whole question has been
thoroughly debated. but the subject
must not be allowed to drop. No one
can with complacency think of Spring
field. being transformed into n grim,
city of the Pittsburg type. and tho in
sidious' advances of the soft-coal mil
sance must be met as far as possible
NiAh tiC iAoPN tttdt Hbtilan1cal science
Will before long give a complete relief
In the meantime there must be a ieaI-
Gus watch for any pollution of the air.
There are practical smoke consumers
and the laws are adequate to the case
1t is only necessary to see that thcv
are strictly enforced.
Another problem that the present
| century INST solve is that of river nollu-
ton The time is not ripe for action
Yet. but it is not unlikely that in n few
years an efficient and practical method
of destroying refuse of all kinds viii
be available. and this city should he
prompt to adopt it. There is no river
cleaner than nature made the Con-
necticut: it was tie crystal purity of
the Massa chuSc is streams that
brought the grca, paper industries
here. and the time Will come thanks to
modern science. WREN the river will
flow blue and stainless tn the Sound.
and the most fastidious will find its
waters a delightful resort. There is no
excuse for making 81 cn sewers Of our
rivers. and the reform is one to keep
constantly II view.
Sight and smell are not the only
serses that need to he pr"pitiatcd. 1t
has been shown by medical science
that tn" nervous strain nf city life is
in large measure, perhal': chiefly. due
/" the distraction Of city noises. Only
by an occasional flight + the in
ctfdhlc peace of the real country, where
he Whirr of the trolley is never heard
1ud the SilCnC" of eNCRtidc descendS
like palpable thing. can the citizen
aIprrCIat" the nervous strain brought
hV intcISant and mutitudinouS noise
Now much Of this iaE.lc is absolutely
plIVf ntahlc, ANA its survival is Il bar
bar ism. The municipality can con
tribute first of all by eliminating in
territorial noise which is disturbing to
tn" people. The disCordant shouts and
stlident horns ana bells Of pcddlcrs
have been already for the most part
stopped. Street noise is q different
matter, and as il affords pleasure to
great numbers il should br not for
hidden but supervised so ricidly as
to keep il from being nuisance No
disc"rdiut Instruments should he given
4 license. and no two rival musicians
should be allowed to set NJ dis
Cordant competition. and above al, no
musician should be allowed To- stand
hour after hour at the Same spot
MI these things can he easily and i'm
mrdiatcIv done.
IN considering sounds that are t. 81
regulated rather than abolished. one
naturally thinks Of bells. There are
many who have a detcstation Of bells
and would off hand. abolish the ira
ditioual Sunday morning peal. ami let
WrtshippCTS 20 by their clocks. as
people do when going To q concert or a
play. Now. il may bc freely admitted
that til" average church bell has no
tunal beauty To commend it To- any
ear: it is harsh. cIamorous and ont If
tune" l;ut Il really fine chime is quit"
ahoth"r thing. No one who has heard
the peal from a famous cathedral. say
i;IGSSclS. or in some - the smaller
Italian towns whose chimes Mrs. Mcy-
neIl has 50 beautifully described. can
easily forget the effect Hardly any
one thing seems 50 well to give a city
an atmosphere OF ;ts own--thc peculiar
charm OF the bells hangs over the
whole place and IL insapa RI bic in mem
Dry. We have more than enough bells
We need to substitute quality for