Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-04-23
FOR PUBLIC BEAUTY
MANY ASSOCIATIONS WORKING FOR
TOWN IMPROVEMENT.

villages.
From Maine TO California. east to
west, there has grown in the past decade
kuch thirst for public beauty that our
country is filed with associations pub
lie and private. organized for the pur-
pose of conserving natural beauties and
changing ugly conditions TO new and
beautiful ones.
An aid to this conservation of nat
ural beauties is our government, which
is recognizing more and more the i'm.
portance VI preserving forests, writes
Katherine L. Smith in the Christian
Endeayor World Trained lumbermen
have been sent to the Philippines to
cover all the important forests and re-
port thereon. four national parks have
been selected from among the beauty
spots of America and plan is on foot
to preserve the Calayeras grove of big
trees of California and obtain the Leech
lake region of Minnesota for a park or
forest preserve.
Too much Importance cannot be at
tached TO this matter of preserving
trees. In Europe the roads are lined
with fruit trees, custom which Della
ware has adopted in a measure, and a
drive along the highways with fruit
trees on each side and grapevines
trailing over rail fences makes one
wish the idea might become universal.
We have all seen the ungainly rural
schoolhouse with bleak surroundings
which might be transformed into a
thing of beauty by the planting of
trees and shrubbery and the judicious
arrangement of flowers. Some of the
improvement associations realize this,
and the result is complete transfer
nation from the ugly to the artistic.
Quite as important as trees in this
movement for public beauty is the reg
ulation OF roads. Every state has ut
some time or other had the old fash
toned village whose streets are a
slough of despond" because of lack of
proper drainage, which must lie at the
root of good roads. That this state of
affairs has changed Is largely due to
the Improvement associations which
are interested in all forms of highway
establishment.
The first Incorporated society was at
Stockbridge, Mass. and this from the
start has devoted much attention to
lettering and identifying roads. Lenox
soon followed, and Sharon, Conn, and
Cazenovia, N. ", fell into line.
Sharon, Conn.,, has street improve
ment association devoted entirely to
street work, and the double row of
elms of this old town are one of its
chief glories, and where these are sup
plemented by Towering shrubs and the
fragile columbine, goldenrod. laurel and
clematis the effect is charming.
Another interesting phase of this
work is the transforming Of ugly ham
let's into attractive Edens by setting
aside lots for parks and recreation
grounds. Many forlorn, unattractive
village has been provided with parks,
bouleyards and miles of well paved
streets, and property has become more
valuable, while desirable people have
been attracted to the place.
1t is pleasant task to record what is
being done and to show in how many
directions the art Of public improve
ment is being applied to various sur
roundings. Several old associations, not
ably those of Stockbridge, Mass, and
Bar Harbor, Me-, have state charters,
while many of the large cities, like
Denver, Oakland. st. Paul and Mime
apolis, find it good plan to have a
number of associations scattered in va
rians quarters of the town, but the tim
Of all is practical education In civics
and the cultivation of love of every
thing beautiful in nature and art. AS it
is always inspiring to know what is be-
ing accomplished, let us cite few in
stances taken at random from thou
sands of these organizations which per-
meate our country.
Under the supervision of the street
committee In Montclair, ". j., galya-
nized iron barrels were placed at inter
yals along the main highway to be re-
ceptacles for rubbish. Shopkeepers
were requested to keep their premises
In order, and IL they failed to comply
with the request the association sent a
man with wheelbarrow, broom and
hoe to clean for them.
The women CT Bethany, no., called
a meeting at the courthouse and Or
ganized. In four months the streets
were cleaaed, the courthouse. square
and schColyards were attractive with
growing plants, a public restroom was
opened, and all this in town of fewer
than 5000 inhabitants.
The association at Fairhayen, Mass.
has erected fine drinking fountain at
the entrance to new bridge; the as
ISOLATION at Greeley, Colo, transformed
a town built on a dry alkaloid plain to
a place with well shaded streets, lawns
and parks, and one town in South Da-
kota with little grass and few trees
drilled an artesian well. The result is
an artificial lake In the center of the
town surrounded with drives and
walks, a suggestion for other western